Page 4 of My Billionaire Seal Next Door

I really hope we can find another solution. I don't want to have to move her away from her mother's home.

Isabella picks up our empty pizza plates and carries them to the kitchen.

"Isabella, did you finish all of your homework?" I ask after her.

"Yes, Dad. There wasn't that much to do today, just that spelling puzzle and some math problems." She shouts from the kitchen.

"Alright, well it's time to take a bath and start getting ready for bed. Let me know when you are ready, and I will come and read you the next two chapters of our book."

Isabella does a little hop of excitement. "Oh goodie! I can't wait to hear what happens to the dragon after he escapes." She runs off to tap herself a bath.

After story time, once Isabella is sleeping peacefully, I pour myself a whiskey and sit on the deck in our backyard watching the stars. They are not as visible here as they are when you are out in the desert, alone, without all of the city lights polluting the air.

I keep thinking about Gabi. I wonder what she's up to right now.

When I eventually go to sleep, I drift off into dreamland still thinking about her. She is really drawing me in for some reason.

It is still early morning, but the sun is shining brightly. The luxuries of summer. It has been a bit of a lazy start to this Saturday. With my coffee in hand, I find myself standing at the big window of our living room again, the one that looks out into the street and across the road towards Gabi's house. It has been a few days since I bumped into her and unconsciously this has become my new morning routine. I stand at the window here with the hopes of catching a glimpse of her. I can't stop thinking about her and I want to bump into her again.

I shake my head. Let it go, Alex. You do not have space in your life for a relationship.

I finish my coffee and wander back to the kitchen to put the mug in the dishwasher.

"Isabella?" I call out and then remember she is at the park across the road, hopefully making some new friends. She really needs some good friends in her life. It is a gated community, so I know she is safe playing there. I really want her to make some new friends here in the community because she is really struggling with this bullying issue at school and can't seem to make friends there.

I get dressed, pull my jeans on, and find a black shirt.

Then I head out to the park to find Isabella. I want to take her somewhere fun today when she is done playing, maybe the aquarium or that miniature golf course she loves so much. I also want to find something that we can do together regularly, but I have not come across anything yet that we both enjoy. I spend my time, when I am not with her and not at work, training in martial arts. That is how I keep fit. I started shortly after leaving the military as a way to stay sane while I was going through all the difficult times, and I loved it. So, I still do that.

But I doubt it is something that a ten-year-old would really enjoy, especially someone as soft-hearted as Isabella. I am not sure I want my daughter doing such a high-contact sport anyway.

As I enter the park, I see Isabella standing with her back to me, talking to Gabi.

Isabella's back is covered in mud, and she is crying. Oh no. What happened now? I run over to them and as I am getting closer, I see that Gabi is showing Isabella how to punch. What the hell?

"What is going on here?" I shout, feeling instantly annoyed.

Gabi jumps a little and Isabella turns towards me, tears still in her eyes. "Alex," Gabi says. "There were some boys in the park earlier." She looks around. "I think they all ran away now, but they were bullying Isabella, and I was just showing Isabella how to defend herself. It is a valuable - "

"Absolutely not," I shout again. Who does she think she is? My daughter does not need to learn violence. You can't fight violence with more violence. "She does not need to learn to punch, Gabriela. She needs to learn to speak up for herself." I pull Isabella towards me, brushing the dirt off her back. "Isabella, you need to learn to use your words."

Gabi stares at me with a little bit of shock in her eyes. "Alex, sometimes words are not enough, you know when it gets to this point. She would start feeling more confident if she just knew how to defend herself and that would build her up to be able to speak up for herself." She carries on trying to tell me why my daughter should use violence and I definitely do not agree with her.

"No. I will not have you teaching my daughter this rubbish behind my back. You would do best to stay out of this and let me deal with it the way I see fit." I fume at her.

Gabi looks down at her feet and then back up at me. "How long has this been going on for?"

I am about to tell her it is none of her business when Isabella speaks up "A really long time. Almost a year now. It happens all the time." She still looks tearful, and my heart pulls in my chest. I hate to see her like this, and it fuels my anger even more to see her hurting. She has been through enough after losing her mother. So to now have to deal with this it just is not fair on her. Gabi kneels down to Isabella's level. "Would you feel better if you knew how to defend yourself?"

Who the hell does this woman think she is?

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" I pull Isabella behind me, glaring at Gabi. "I already said no," I shout.

CHAPTER 3

GABI

Istand up and look Alex in the eyes. He looks furious, which is not what I had intended at all. I only wanted to help, and I can see how much his daughter is struggling with all of this. When she told me it happens often, all I wanted to do was help her.

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