Page 16 of Seeds of Sorrow

Steppinginto her family home after almost a week of avoiding it felt strange. Hadina wasn’t used to feeling uneasy in her own home, but her last interaction with Peyton had left a bad taste in her mouth. She had caught her preparing to go off and murder people—what the hell was she supposed to do other than threaten her to keep her mouth shut?

That wasn’t her only problem though. She couldn’t get her mind to stop flashing images of her hand around Peyton’s throat, the way she had swallowed thickly and looked at Hadina with dilated pupils… it was really fucking with her head.La pendejashould have been terrified, a trembling mess; instead, she looked like she wanted Hadina to devour her whole. Which, she was loath to admit, Hadina had considered.

Mixing business with pleasure was a dangerous game. The issue was Hadina positively thrived in chaos. So she had spent the last week avoiding her father and her home so that she didn’t mess up and do something she shouldn’t. Even if she really, really wanted to. But avoidance was no longer an option when Hadina needed to go home and use the office there.

It wasn’t like she didn’t have her own space. Hadina had an absolutely stunning apartment, furnished with the most beautiful high-end furniture and decorated in different monochromatic styles. It was cool and beautiful, but it also left her empty. She simply slept there when she needed to and used the spare room as her own personal arsenal. At this point, it was basically just a storehouse. She felt uneasy when she was there, lonely almost. So, rather than suffering through another night with her tormented mind, Hadina decided to brave the prospect of seeing Peyton.

“Dad? Where are you?” she called as she closed the front door behind her. She knew it was almost dinnertime and she fully expected him to be sitting in the dining room. The man loved his food and always looked forward to mealtimes.

But Don surprised Hadina by stepping out of the office and motioning for her to follow him inside. “In here,mija. Let’s have a chat.”

Hadina didn’t even try to hide her sigh as she complied, flopping down into one of the chairs. Her father took the seat behind the desk and suddenly Hadina was transported back to her childhood, havingserious talksas he explained the family business to his eighteen-year-old daughter. She had been terrified of her father at that moment, learning about all the things he’d done under the guise of protecting the innocent. Then betrayal reared its ugly head, when she learned that Zellie had known, had started following in their father’s footsteps.

It’s your turn now, Hadina,he had told her. Hadina had been distraught, screaming and yelling expletives at him. Her young mind couldn’t wrap around everything she’d been told, or the expectations that were suddenly upon her shoulders.

Now, at thirty-four and far wiser, Hadina didn’t feel anything but love and respect for the man who had taught her everything. She had worked her ass off to prove herself worthy of the Adis name, and she finally felt confident enough in herself to let the fear go. The family may have done bad things, but they protected far more people than they buried.

“Que pasa, Papi?” Hadina asked her father what was wrong, her brows furrowed at his serious expression.

Don shook his head, running a hand through his silver hair. “Not really. Peyton has been a mess all week. What happened between you two?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me,hija!” He slammed his hand down on the desk, startling Hadina. It had been a long time since she had seen her father embody his nickname ofel titán de la muerte.He was the god of death, the only person she had ever been remotely afraid of.

Shrugging off her initial shock, Hadina steeled herself and narrowed her eyes at her father. “Why are you so bothered over some random girl? She’s just supposed to be the hired help, not an adoptive daughter.”

The disdain Don offered in response made Hadina’s stomach churn. She wasn’t usually the one to upset or disappoint her father and it wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

“You sound like your sister. And we both know that isn’t a good thing.”

Hadina sighed. “You’re right.Lo siento.”

“Me too. But please, tell me the truth. What happened, Hadina?”

Blowing out a deep breath, Hadina filled her father in on what transpired between the girls. She debated with herself about leaving out the part where she threatened Peyton, but she knew her father would have seen through her lies. Don listened and remained silent through his daughter’s narrative. By the time Hadina finished, he was leaning back in his chair, a troubled look distorting his features. It made Hadina agitated to see.

“That was extremely foolish of you. You threatened an innocent, Hadina. It goes against all our rules.”

“It was either to threaten, kidnap, or kill her. We can’t risk her running away and blabbing that she saw one of the Adis sisters strapping up like she was going to work.”

“There was a fourth option,mija,” Don said softly. He tilted his head and looked at her curiously. “There still is, I suppose.”

“Yes?”

The corner of her father’s mouth tilted upward with the beginning of a smirk. “You could tell her the truth.”

Hadina balked. Staring at her father, she waited for Don to laugh or tell her it was some sort of joke. A beat passed, then another, and another, until the silence was stretched so thin that Hadina thought she could have snapped it just by breathing. “You absolutely cannot be serious! How do we even know if we can trust her?” She knew she was raising her voice, but she couldn’t quite stop as her frustration rose. “You’re the one who taught me our rules, Dad. How can you suggest risking everything we’ve built—everythingyoucreated—so carelessly?”

Don’s smirk was on full display now, as he held up his hands. “Because she’s different and I know you know that. I see how you watch her, Hadina. There’s something about her, isn’t there?”

Hadina shook her head. Much like her younger self all those years ago in this office, she couldn’t wrap her head around what was happening, what he was suggesting. They never brought anyone into the business without months, if not years, of training and intel. This wasn’t like her father. “Are you going senile, old man? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Bullshit,princesa.” He let out a low chuckle, coming around the desk to perch on the edge in front of her. He reached over and tilted her chin up so that she had to look at him. “I have been your father for thirty-four years and I know you better than you know yourself. Whether you’re willing to admit it or not, there’s something different about Peyton and you know it. So, I’ll say this once more and then I won’t mention it again. If you want, you can tell her the truth. No threats or killing. Just honesty.” He stood and pressed a soft kiss to his daughter’s forehead, exactly like he used to when she was a child. “Let yourself trust someone,hija.This can be a lonely worldwithout someone by your side.”

Squeezing her shoulder gently, Don left Hadina sitting alone with her head spinning. She knew her father was right—there was something different about Peyton—but the fact her father was willing to break their rules for her sparked curiosity in Hadina’s soul. Don was hiding something, and if she wanted to find out the truth, she would have to use Peyton to get it.

Perhaps mixing business with pleasure was the answer this time. Hadina just had to let herself give in to temptation.

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