Chapter 5 She’s My Daughter
At Elysian Restaurant, Manager Roger Collins came running like he’d seen Jesus. “Mr. Theodore Fridman, welcome!”
Then his eyes went straight to the girl behind him.
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Roger was a bit stunned by how striking she was. Realizing he’d overstepped, he quickly averted his eyes.
Mr. Theodore Fridman never brings girls here.
She must be something special.
Sensing Roger might get the wrong idea, Theodore shot him a sharp stare and clarified, “She’s my daughter.”
Roger quickly tensed up, rushing to explain, “Oh, I mean, yeah, she’s totally your mini–me, Mr. Theodore Fridman.”
He was sweating bullets.
Luckily, Theodore let it slide.
Sabrina gave Theodore the side–eye; she didn’t expect him to claim her like that.
Roger started backpedaling hard. “Ms. Fridman, my bad for being rude earlier.”
Chapter 5 She’s My Daughter “We’re cool,” Sabrina nodded.
She knew he wasn’t doing it on purpose.
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Roger showed them to the best table in the house and then took off.
The view there was straight fire–the star–spangled sky looking like diamonds. No wonder this restaurant earned its bougie reputation; thé scenery was out of this world.
The father–daughter duo sat in an awkward silence, eyeing each other across the table.
Wild how these two went from almost throwing hands to this fancy dinner situation.
“Order whatever you like,” Theodore said, sliding the menu
over.
She flipped through it quickly and picked some random dishes.
“I’m done,” she said, passing it back.
Theodore took a peek at her choices and then looked at her. “That’s all?”
“Yeah.” Sabrina nodded, looking a bit zoned out.
All veggie everything? That’s why she’s built like a twig.
Theodore threw in some meat dishes before the waiter dipped.
Chapter 5 She’s My Daughter
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Shortly after, the food hit the table and they both dug in without saying much.
After a while, Theodore’s brow furrowed. He couldn’t help but notice something weird.
“Why do you dodge meat?” He’d clocked that she was, straight–up ignoring all the meat dishes, sticking to just the
greens.
“Try this,” he said, dropping some meat on her plate before she could say nah.
Sabrina eyed it, her stomach doing a flip. She forced down the tiniest bite, trying not to hurl.
The Fridman family had a bunch of table–manner rules.
Theodore was used to that silent meal life, and Sabrina was used to eating solo.
Their meal was dead quiet. Both were eating like they were at the queen’s crib, looking all elegant.
With their good looks, people soon started rubber–necking.
But this peaceful scene was soon up in smoke.
“What are you doing here?” Matthew rolled up with James. Spotting Sabrina from afar, he approached, his face etched with surprise.
Chapter 5 She’s My Daughter Sabrina was getting salty AF.
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Barely touched my food and they’re now here. I’m stuffed. Talk about ruining the mood.
“If you can roll up in here, why can’t I, Mr. Matthew Sterling?” she retorted, ice queen mode on.
Matthew let out a chuckle, caught off guard by her attitude. “Mr. Matthew Sterling?”
“Sabrina, stop being extra with Dad,” James scolded, flexing his authority.
She still can’t get her head straight!
Matthew was about to pop off when he felt someone drilling holes in his back.
He turned around and nearly had a stroke. “Mr. Theodore Fridman?” he blurted out.
The Fridman and Sterling families were two heavy–hitters in Los Angeles, often making headlines in financial news. So, they knew the score.
The Fridmans were hailed as the richest family in LA. And Theodore was that shark who’d turned Fridman Group into a straight monster in record time.
Even someone as well–heeled as Matthew knew better than to mess with Fridman Group.
e tu es
Chapter 5 She’s My Daughter
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Theodore hit Matthew with that “check yourself” smirk. “Mr. Matthew Sterling, your son’s got some nerve. Pushing around my people when he ain’t even earned his big boy pants at Sterling Group yet.”
Then he gave James a death stare. “Who do you think you’re playing with?”
James folded faster than a cheap lawn chair.
“Your people?” Matthew’s radar went off like crazy.
Since when does she know him?
He tamped down his curiosity and turned to Sabrina. “What’s your deal with him?”
“Stay in your lane,” she shot back, eating like he wasn’t even there.
Matthew was getting heated. Something smelled fishy and he wasn’t here for it. He glared at her again, “You’re being a real pain in the neck. Get your ass home now. Don’t make me look stupid out here.”
With that, he reached out to yank her up.
But Theodore shut it down real quick, voice colder than a penguin’s nuts. “Are you really doing this, Mr. Matthew Sterling?
Chapter 5 She’s My Daughter
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“She’s just your adopted daughter, right? And you two had cut the cord.”
Matthew was clearly ill–at–case.
Damn it! This snitch is running her mouth to everyone?
“Mr. Theodore Fridman, adopted or not, I’m still her dad. So this is a family business, please stay out of it.”
He then barked at Sabrina, “Let’s go.”
Matthew used to be her whole world, but now he was just noise.
She sneered, “Not happening. I’m done with you all. I’m just Sabrina now.”
“Not coming home? What, you gonna shack up with him forever?!” Matthew pointed at Theodore like he had cooties.
“Right,” Sabrina shot back without a second thought.
Matthew and James went white as sheets at her words.
James finally lost it. He jabbed at her and yelled, “Sabrina, are you tripping? He’s over thirty, old enough to be your daddy!”
Sabrina couldn’t help bursting into laughter, like a maniac in
this tense situation.
Matthew hit her with that disappointed dad look. “I shouldn’t have brought you back.”
Chapter 5 She’s My Daughter
“You’ve made our family look like a total joke.”
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Those words hit her like a ton of bricks. Her laugh died quickly, feeling that old pain creeping back.
Thought she was over it, but nah–that trauma came flooding back.
Then she started laughing again, looking scary as hell. “But here I am, back again.”
Clenching her fists tight, she tried not to shake.
Everyone saw her as a spoiled heiress on the outside, but inside? She was dark and dangerous.
Theodore instantly picked up on her distress. A menacing glint flashed in his eyes as he stepped up, shielding her like a wall.
He sneered, “Mr. Matthew Sterling, maybe you and your stupid son need to get your eyes checked first.”
“Keep that dirty thing to yourself.”
“She’s my blood. My real daughter.”
Matthew and James froze like they’d seen a ghost.
Realizing they’d gotten the wrong end of the stick, they felt as red as a beet.
Chapter 5 She’s My Daughter
Matthew’s brain stopped working. “What did you just say?”
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