Sorry Daddy, I'm Not Spare Parts for Her! - Chapter 7: Chapter 7

I tried to ignore it, catching a little more sleep before finally dragging myself out of bed. After washing up, I headed to open the studio door—only to find Ethan planted stubbornly in the doorway like some immovable object.
The man had nerves of steel. Despite the darker circles under his eyes, he looked completely sober, not a trace of last night's drunkenness left.
"Ava, why did you block me?"
"Mr. Foster, have some self-respect. You're a great actor, but this isn't a casting call."
Undeterred, Ethan reached into his passenger seat and pulled out an extravagant bouquet of red roses wrapped in black ribbon. Too bad I've never been one for over-the-top romantic gestures.
"Ava, come home with me. Please."
I easily slipped past him, done with this nonsense.
The roses hit the ground as Ethan grabbed for me from behind—only for me to stumble straight into another pair of arms, one that smelled faintly of jasmine.
"Ethan Foster, Ava's made it clear she's not interested. Harassing her? That's beneath you."
Nathan Cole's voice, cool and amused, came from above me. And just like that, something long dormant in my chest began to stir.
"What's it to you?" Ethan shot back.
Nathan flashed that infuriatingly confident grin of his. "Considering Ava and I have a childhood engagement, I'd say I've got more right than you."
Ethan scoffed. "A childhood engagement? That means nothing."
"I raised Ava. She belongs with me."
Nathan's smile vanished, his expression darkening. "Where were you when she was kidnapped? What did you do when she was at her lowest? And how did you treat her after she developed anxiety?"
Ethan faltered, speechless.
Those buried memories clawed at me, sharp and relentless. The truth was, I barely remembered how I'd survived that kidnapping. It wasn't until we were halfway down the road that I even realized I'd somehow ended up in Nathan's car.
The setting sun cast golden light across his sharp profile, blending with the hazy image of the person who'd pulled me from that warehouse all those years ago.
"Why are you staring? Like what you see?"
When I didn't answer, he nudged me. "Cat got your tongue?"
"There's a place up ahead that sells mango crepe cake. Heard it's amazing. Wanna try it?"
Mango crepe cake… It used to be my favorite. I hadn't had it in years.
Before I knew it, I'd said yes.
While waiting in line, I missed the step beneath me—until a sharp pain shot through my ankle, bringing tears to my eyes.
Nathan's brows knitted together as he helped me up. "That bad?"
I shook my head. "I'm fine."
(Lie. It hurt like hell.)
"Still as stubborn as you were as a kid."
As a kid? How would he know?
He handed me the cake box, then scooped me up effortlessly, carrying me to the parking lot. The subtle jasmine scent of his jacket drew me in, and before I knew it, my head was resting against his shoulder.
After settling me in the passenger seat, Nathan grabbed a first-aid kit from the trunk and carefully tended to my ankle. I bit back a yelp—until something in the kit caught my eye.
A small, well-worn teddy bear, brown and slightly frayed but meticulously clean.
I'd had one just like it.
But it had disappeared after the kidnapping.
I picked it up, examining it closer—and froze.
A tiny patch of fur was missing behind its ear.
I remembered exactly how that had happened. I'd torn it out myself, my fingers clutching desperately in the dark when fear had swallowed me whole.