Sky's POV
I think I tripped about four times just walking from the kitchen to the garage. Once on air, once on my own hair, once because I got distracted imagining dad's face when he sees the chocolate tart, and once because Kai said something dumb like "you shouldn't be carrying that much food alone." Like, okay?? Then carry it for me??
I shoved the ridiculously fancy bento box into his hands like it weighed a thousand bricks, and smirked.
"Now you're carrying it. Congratulations. You've been promoted from 'annoying watchdog' to 'royal food chauffeur.'"
Kai groaned, which, yeah, understandable. It was a lot of food. But he should've known better than to argue with me. I was going anyway—he just had the honor of being kidnapped into my plans.
I practically skipped to the car—okay, no, I tried to skip. But with knee-length, heavy, jet-black hair and a clumsy streak longer than my transcript? I tripped over nothing and slammed into the car door with a loud "ow."
Kai didn't even flinch.
"You good?"
"No. But I'm persistent."
Ten minutes into the ride, I was curled up in the backseat with my giant thermos of soup, making Kai list every meal my dad had eaten this week. He was not taking this seriously.
"Sky. He eats. He literally runs an empire. He needs energy."
"Needs? Yes. Gets? No. Tell me, did he drink water this morning?"
"Probably—"
"Probably?! Kai, are you trying to get assassinated?"
He sighed like a man carrying the world on his shoulders.
"I'm trying to drive."
I stuck my tongue out. "Drive faster."
The building loomed into view, tall and terrifying—just like my dad. Kai parked out front like he owned the street, and I practically dove out of the car with the lunch in my hands, my hair whooshing like a cape behind me.
I almost tripped again. Kai caught me by the hood.
"Careful, Rapunzel."
"Don't be jealous just 'cause I have the hair of a goddess."
The guards at the entrance beamed the second they saw me. One of them saluted. Another bent down and whispered, "You brought cookies, right?"
I nodded solemnly. "Chocolate chip. With sea salt."
They let me in like I was royalty.
Because here? In dad's building? Everyone feared Sebastian Ashford…
But everyone loved his daughter.
---
The elevator ride was way too long.
I bounced on my heels, arms full of gourmet lunch, hair swooshing dramatically around me like a Disney villain's cape. Kai stood like a statue beside me, as if he wasn't actively being dragged into my chaos.
I didn't knock.
Why would I knock? It's my dad.
I shoved the doors open to his top-floor office like I was invading a country. My dad looked up from some Very Serious Documents, and his whole face… softened.
"Hi, Daddy," I chirped, already marching across the luxurious carpet like I owned the place.
There were three other men in suits sitting across from him—board members, I guessed. I did not care.
The tallest one blinked. "Um, is this—"
"That's my daughter," Dad said, voice low and proud. His expression had already melted into that rare look he only ever gave me—the one that said I will end the world for you.
I placed the bento box down with a flourish, beamed at him, then immediately launched myself into his lap like a missile.
"Did you eat anything today?"
"I—"
"Don't lie."
"I had—"
"Coffee doesn't count!"
He huffed. I kissed his cheek. Then the other one. Then the tip of his nose.
The board members didn't know where to look.
"Hi," I said sweetly to them, still wrapped around my dad like a blanket. "I'm Sky. You can keep talking, I don't mind. I'll be quiet."
"You never are," Dad muttered into my hair, but he was already pulling my legs over his lap, adjusting me like I was meant to be there. Which, duh, I was.
"Did you drink water today?"
"Yes."
"Five hours of sleep?"
"Barely."
I gasped and held his face in both hands like it was made of porcelain.
"Have you been overworking again? Kai said your eye was twitching this morning."
"I will throw Kai out of this building," he muttered.
Kai, standing by the door with a completely blank expression, just saluted.
I turned back to Dad, brushing his fringe from his eyes. "You promised, remember? Three meals. At least one nap. Unlimited Sky cuddles."
"I remember." He kissed my forehead. "And this counts as all three."
The room was dead silent. One of the board members, poor thing, finally whispered, "She's sixteen…?"
I turned to him with a dazzling smile. "Yup! And I've been his emotional support goblin for sixteen whole years."
Dad chuckled—chuckled—and pressed another kiss to my temple.
"You'll get used to her."
"I never will," Kai muttered behind us.