Page 154 of Daddy Sees Snakes

"I know so," he replies, his cocky grin making an appearance. "Have I ever steered you wrong?"

I can't help but laugh. "Well, there was that one time with the tequila and the?—"

Before I can finish my sentence, Viper leans down and captures my lips in another kiss.

It's soft and sweet, a stark contrast to his usual intensity, and I melt into it, forgetting for a moment about all my worries.

Suddenly, the door to my hospital room swings open with a bang. "What the hell?"

Allegra's voice cuts through the room like a knife, and Viper and I break apart, startled.

I feel my face flush with heat, partly from embarrassment and partly from the lingering effects of Viper's kiss.

"Allegra," I start, my voice shaky.

This isn't how we planned to tell her, but I guess the cat's out of the bag now. "We were going to talk to you today, actually. About us."

I glance at Viper, silently pleading for help.

His jaw is set, his eyes locked on his daughter, and I can see the tension radiating off him in waves.

We both knew this moment was coming, but now that it's here, I feel completely unprepared.

Allegra's eyes dart between us, her expression a mix of confusion and disbelief.

I take a deep breath and force myself to continue. "Viper and I... we're together. In a relationship." The words tumble out of my mouth, sounding strange even to my own ears.

For a moment, silence hangs heavy in the room.

Then, unexpectedly, Allegra bursts into laughter.

It's not the reaction I was anticipating, and I find myself exchanging a bewildered look with Viper.

"That is the funniest thing I've ever heard in my entire life," Allegra manages between fits of giggles. "My best friend, in a relationship with my father. Good one, guys. You almost had me there for a second."

I open my mouth to respond, but Viper beats me to it.

His voice is low and serious, a stark contrast to Allegra's laughter.

"It's the truth, Allegra," he says, running a hand through his dark hair. "And I for one am terrified to talk to you about this because you and me are just starting to fix things."

Allegra's laughter dies abruptly, her eyes widening as she realizes we're not joking.

I can see the moment it truly sinks in, her expression morphing from amusement to shock, and then to anger.

"Wait a second," she spits out, her voice rising. "So you were giving me shit for being with Jaxon, and the entire time you've been fucking my best friend?"

I wince at her crude language, feeling a pang of guilt.

It's true that Viper had been less than thrilled about Allegra's relationship with Jaxon, and now here we are, in a situation that's arguably even more complicated.

"Allegra, it's not like that," I try to explain, my hand instinctively moving to my stomach. "We didn't plan for this to happen. It just... did."

But Allegra isn't listening.

Her eyes are locked on her father, blazing with fury and betrayal.

I can see the hurt beneath her anger, and it breaks my heart.

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