• I have news, unfortunately. Terrible news... Here it is: After this chapter (40), there will only be five more chapters - marking the end of this AWESOME story at 45 chapters total. On that note, there will be NO epilogue because... Well, because you guys will figure everything out within the first chapter of Lill & Zo's own story, "Burning Low" ✨ All the love .xx •

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"I can't believe it," Lillie gushed, letting the red hit her cheeks and a huge grin take up her whole face. "Ellie and Seth are finally and officially together! Oh, my God! I might cry!"

   "Babe," came Enzo's warning, yet playful tone. He was smiling, himself, and on the verge of busting out laughing at Lillie's reaction. He playfully rolled his eyes at her, which made me smile from ear to ear.

   Seth was laughing from my side, draping an arm over my back and pulling me closer to him. "Yeah, well," he chuckled, taking a slight moment to kiss my temple. He was smiling down at me and it completely warmed my heart so much. "Can't help who I love."

"You know what's so funny, Seth?" Lillie laughed, trying to bury her face in Enzo's shoulder. Which, by the way, he had a hoodie on, so she had comfort in it.

Seth perked up his head and asked, "What's that, Lill?"

"That El, here, she" —Lillie cut own self off because she was laughing so hard, pointing directly at me— "She said... Ellie, you remember, right? You said that you wouldn't fall for—"

Before she said anymore of it, I immediately leaped over the small table we were all sitting around and clapped my hand over her mouth to keep it shut. I know what she was about to say and I didn't want Seth to know about it, either.

   "Shut up! Shut up, Lill!" I teased her as she bit and licked her mouth free from my hand.

   "She said that she wouldn't fall for you, Seth Rollins!" she suddenly exclaimed, which we all immediately began to laugh about it afterwards. Enzo was practically dying over there while Seth shook his head with a smile, obviously blushing. Head over heels...

We started to cool down, so I took my seat next to Seth again while Lillie remained by Zo's side. And, from that point on, we laughed and drank our alcohol in peace. We were in the bar of our hotel, just hanging out. I wasn't drinking, but everybody else was. The medication that I was currently on required that I don't mix it with any sort of alcohol.

   While Enzo, Seth, and Lillie discussed the WrestleMania pay-per-view coming up, I had glanced out to the lobby area from our position in the bar. I recognized someone that had passed by and headed up to the front desk. I held my breath in disbelief.

   Suddenly, I stood up and took a step out to follow the familiar person. However, before I could, somebody behind myself had grabbed my hand, being Seth. He had his dark eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "Babe? Where you going? You alright?"

   Of course, he was worried about me. And, by the look on both Zo and Lill's faces, they were as worried as Seth was. We were all walking on eggshells, especially my friends and boyfriend because of what happened recently.

   I gave him a reassuring nod and small smile. "Yes, honey, I'm fine," I told him, but I tried to delay the gulp that I was holding back. "I've got to go in the lobby real quick to ask the front desk clerk something. Be right back. Don't worry."

   However, before I could hear a response from any of them, I practically ran out to the lobby area. Yet, when I got out there, I slowed my pace down a bit and tried to breathe. Then, when I seen the familiar figure standing there and I suddenly stopped, placing a hand over my stomach. I took the biggest deep breath that I ever done and nodded, accepting my fate once and for all.

   The man nodded and grinned at the front clerk, then – with a suitcase in each of his hands – he turned and began walking my way. I held my breath as he turned and faced me, even from a distance. If I didn't know what I did about him, his current facial expression wouldn't have bothered me. Now that I know what I do, how he was looking at me right now bothered me.

   He had the nerve to pass by me with a small, nervous smile and a slight nod. I blinked a couple of times afterwards to gather myself, then spun around on my heel to face him. He currently had his back to me, walking towards the elevator.

   "Hey," I called out to him and sounded just a bit louder than I imagined. A few people had turned to look at me, but simply shook their heads and turned back to what they were doing. They had realized that I wasn't clearly talking to them.

   He stopped dead in his tracks, clearly knowing that I was talking to him. Slowly, he began to turn around until I had seen his full frontal body and his face, especially. He blinked once and it seemed to be the one in disbelief. His mouth was ajar as he gulped.

   Slowly, I began to walk towards him until I was standing directly in front of him. He seemed to be holding his breath as much as I was holding mine. He knew that I finally knew too much. So much that it could get us both in trouble.

   "Hello," I simply said, mostly because I couldn't find the words just yet to say anything else. I blinked once and felt the tears building up in my eyes.

   He nodded and muttered, "Hey. Ellie, isn't it?"

   I quickly gulped and rolled my eyes. "Drop the act already. You know that I know."

   With that said, he sighed and nodded, seemingly dropping it altogether. "I understand. Maybe going to visit you at the hospital wasn't the best idea, I admit."

   I nodded and agreed, "Well, I guess we can both agree with each other there." My eyes met his, ours being similar to one another's. I had his eyes, not my mother's.

   "What gave it away?"

    I cracked a smile and said, "Your voice." He nodded, glancing right at Seth, who was trying not to make it obvious that he was peeking out of the bar's front window. Along with Lill and Zo right behind him. Obviously, they were very concerned and confused.

   He sunk his head and nodded. Then, a whole beat later, his eyes met mine again. "I'm sorry, Eleanor," he apologized, genuine. "You deserved better than me. Your mother... She did what she could, but was it enough?" By this point, I was already crying, but kept my stance. I managed to nod and shrug in one whole motion. That's when he touched my right wrist and rubbed it. "I'm sorry, baby girl."

   I tried to distract myself, so I asked him: "What are you even doing here? At this hotel? Stalking me now?"

   He shook his head and stated, "No, it's WrestleMania weekend and Vince wanted me to come in for an interview and things such as that." At it again? He nodded. "Yeah, well. It's been a while since I've retired and he still wants me to come back."

   I nodded and, somehow, found comfort in his touch. I couldn't distract myself any longer and caved in, as he took me in my strong arms. I cried in his chest, having both hands on i, as he wrapped his arms around me.

   "Shh, shh," he whispered in my hair, resting his jaw on top of my head. "It'll be alright, baby girl. From this point on, you will be alright. Now more than ever before."

   Alas, I gave in even more and wrapped my arms around him as well. I had never felt so close to him before, not like I did when I was a baby. Nothing was the same, yet it was at the same time. It was something that I wanted all along. A father's touch and love.

   "Ellie?" I heard somebody call out my name, so he and I separated. I was being faced by Seth, who was completely confused by my current situation.

   "Seth," I breathed out, gulping. I turned to face my father and said, "This is my boyfriend, Seth. I'm sure you two know each other already, though."

   Father nodded and replied, "Of course." Then, he stuck his hand out and Seth accepted it for a moment. "Nice to see you again."

   Seth quickly took me by the shoulder and shoved my body into his, gripped tightly with his arm wrapped around me. "Yeah, well," he breathed out, facing my father. "What are you doing hugging my girlfriend? You two can't be that close."

   With that said, I tried not to smile, just like my father was, and Seth immediately knew something was up. By this point, Lill and Zo had already walked up and watched the scene in front of them. Seth glanced down at me and asked silently, "What the hell is going on, El?"

   I stepped out from Seth's grip around me and now stood in the middle of the two most important men in my life. So, pointing at my father, I introduced: "Seth, this is my—"

   "Oh, my God," Lillie gasped, walking into the inner circle. She blinked a couple of times and gulped. "He is your father."

  Seth's eyes widen, as well as Enzo. Lillie looked like she was going to cry because, perhaps, maybe she's been waiting for this as long as I have been, too. We were all in disbelief, but I have accepted my father and his apology. He's here now and that's all that matters to me.

   "Your father?!" Seth and Enzo gasped in unison, mouths hung open. Then, Seth stepped up and breathed out in disbelief: "The WWE Hall of Famer and Legend, himself... Sting is your father?"

   And, with that said, I exchanged a look with my dad and nodded, smiling. "He sure is. Finally."

• And it has been released to the world... Sting, himself, is definitely Ellie's real biological father! So, instead of being Ellie Knight, maybe she should've been Ellie Borden this whole time, yes? Hm... Sting and Scarlett Knight are father and daughter 🤔 I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and, if you didn't, PLEASE refer back up to the other A/N at the top of this chapter! It's important, okay? 👏🏻 Anyways... Sith that said, I'm gonna leave this pic down below that *I* made 🙃 And, btw, I hope this chap blew you all away 😇 All the love .xx •