Page 62 of Seeds of Sorrow

The paper shook in Peyton’s hands as she stared at it, unwilling to tear her gaze away. Hadina looked at her father. “Is this some sort of joke?”

He shook his head. “No,mija. Peyton is Demi’s daughter.”

“I don’t understand. My parents said my adoption records were sealed. How do you have this?”

“Because I’m the one who helped facilitate your adoption.”

Chapter40

PEYTON

Don’s wordswere ringing in her ears. The room was beginning to look fuzzy, like she was looking through a cloudy lens. Hadina reached for her hand but Peyton pulled away, needing space. She tried not to let the hurt on Hadina’s face bother her, even though she knew it would make her upset later.

“I don’t understand,” Peyton heard herself saying, but her voice didn’t sound like her own. The world around her felt strange and deceptive and she wanted to throw up.

“It’s a long story,cariña,” Don said, placing his hand on her shoulder. She shook him off and stood, pacing across the plush carpet.

“Papi…”

“Tell me the fucking truth, Don!”

“I knew Demi a long, long time ago. When it was decided that you’d be put up for adoption, I helped make it happen. You were just an innocent kid and I wanted to make sure you were safe.”

Peyton stopped pacing and caught his gaze. While he seemed genuine, her gut was telling her that he was trying to placate her with half truths. She shook her head. “Tell me the full story.”

Don sighed. It looked like he wanted to plead with her, but the fiery glare she was giving him was enough to stop him in his tracks. She leaned against the wall with her arms folded—as far away from both Don and Hadina as she could get without leaving the room—and motioned for him to start talking.

“Demi used to date one of my employees. Isaac was one of the most loyal, intelligent people I’ve ever known, but he let his guard down. During one of our infiltration ops, he came across Demi and thependejofell in love.”

A lump caught in the back of Peyton’s throat. “Isaac is my father?”

Don nodded, not meeting her gaze. “They met up in secret for months. He loved her so much, but I don’t think Demi has ever loved anyone in her life. Isaac was foolish and didn’t see that Demi was just using him, getting bits of information out of him that could help her climb the ranks of the drug world.”

“What happened to him?”

“There was a meet that went wrong and Isaac was caught in the crossfire. He bled out before we could save him.” Don looked up at Peyton, tears glazing over his eyes. “Lo siento.I still carry the pain of his death with me every day.”

Peyton felt herself going weak at the knees. She gripped the wall behind her and closed her eyes, pushing her tears down. There was more she needed to hear before she could let herself feel anything.

“Demi found out she was pregnant after Isaac died. She didn’t want to be a mother, and I couldn’t bear to see my friend’s baby come to any harm. So, I convinced her to put you up for adoption.”

Peyton scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. “Demi Treyva doesn’t seem like the kind of person to listen to advice.”

“She doesn’t. But she loves money and power.”

“Youboughtme?” Peyton yelled, pushing off the wall. “What the actual fuck?”

Don held up his hands in silent surrender, sensing the rage simmering beneath her skin. “I didn’t buy you. I bribed Demi into putting you up for adoption. It was the only way to ensure she didn’t ruin your life.”

“This is the most fucked-up thing I’ve ever heard. And what? You’ve just been keeping tabs on me all these years?” A thought dawned on her then, nausea flooding her system. She looked at Don, horrified. “You knew. That day we met at the hospital… Youknewme.”

He at least had the decency to look ashamed. He glanced at Hadina but her face was stone, her eyes blank as she looked at him. Peyton couldn’t bear to look at Hadina for more than a moment, for fear that she’d run over and collapse into the other woman’s arms.

“Sí,lo sabia. I knew who you were.”

Bile rose up the back of Peyton’s throat and she doubled over, clutching her stomach. “Oh my God! I can’t—you could have told me. But instead, you kept it a secret for all these months. You let me fall in love with your daughter! Fuck, you let me go to that meeting, knowing Demi was my mother!”

Hadina had moved from the sofa to Peyton’s side. She began to rub circles on the bottom of her back, and for a moment, Peyton leaned into the touch, desperate for comfort from someone safe and familiar.

---