Six Years

CHAPTER 9

SABRINA'S POV

"Hello, Mom." I took my time approaching my mother in the living room of my stepfather's house. 

Being the stepdaughter of a CEO had changed a lot of things in my life. For one, I was married to the son of the CEO of Vilton Ltd.-one of the top-listed companies in cosmetics - Fynn Delson.

I was no longer just Miss Sabrina Smith but Mrs. Sabrina Fynn Delson. What a way to wine and dine with the upper class.

Although for six years now, we'd been trying to have a child-something that hadn't been going well with the numerous miscarriages I was having.

I'd taken all the medicine, done every test, and even religiously followed every piece of medical advice my doctor gave me, which had brought me to pregnancy number six.

I was well into my second trimester-five months along-and I had to be extra careful, especially since the scan had shown it was a boy. Something Fynn and his father, Mr. Martino Delson, expected of me.

Fynn's father wasn't all that hopeful this pregnancy would survive, but Fynn and I still were.

We had to make sure I didn't do anything strenuous or tiring. I'd been feeling bored and lonely at home, so I'd decided to come visit my mother.

"Hey, darling. How are you?" Her lips widened in a smile as soon as she looked up from her phone and saw me walking over. "You're not supposed to be stressing yourself, remember?"

"How can I forget it, Mom? I need this baby more than anything else in the world. It's the only way to cement my stay in the Delson family." I joined her on the sofa.

"Is Fynn's father troubling you again?" Her brows furrowed slightly with restrained worry.

She knew all about him and his impatience to have a grandson who'd be raised and molded in the Delson way.

"You can say that, Mom." I exhaled wearily. "It makes me wonder if he's the one planning to raise my son even while Fynn is still here."

Mom beckoned one of the maids to bring us a plate of cookies, a glass of Chardonnay for her, and a mango-banana smoothie for me. "Fynn is a daddy's boy. What did you expect? At least you get to enjoy the wealth."

I nodded. "Speaking of which, Fynn bought me a diamond necklace on his last business trip."

Mom's face brightened. "Where is it?" Her eyes eagerly searched my neck. She loved jewelry.

"No, I didn't wear it today. Hello, Dad." I rose to greet my stepdad, who had just stepped into the room.

He was dressed to go out. He pulled me into a gentle hug, careful not to press against my five-month-old baby bump. "How are you, Sabrina?"

"I'm good, Dad. Going somewhere?" I asked, eyeing the car key in his hand.

"Yes. Just out for some fresh air," he said vaguely.

I didn't think much of it until he left our presence with just two words aimed at Mom. "I'm out."

I gauged Mom's expression. "Are you and Dad fighting?"

"No. No. We're good." But judging by her expression, I wasn't convinced at all.

"Are you sure?"

Her attention was diverted by the ping of a notification on her phone. Within seconds, her closed-up expression grew into a smile.

As she typed back a response, her smile ventured into a grin, completely forgetting my presence, and I craned my neck to take a quick peep.

She quickly turned off her phone. "What?"

"Who are you talking to? And why were you smiling so wide?" I quirked an inquisitive brow.

"None of your concern. Now, what were you saying?" She set her phone aside and focused on me instead.

From her features, I knew it would be a total waste of time trying to draw out answers from her, so I let it be. She was an adult and deserved her privacy.

"We were talking about my necklace, but since it's not with me, we can talk about it later when I'm wearing it," I told her.

She nodded, her eyes darting to her phone again as another message popped up. A quick flash of excitement crossed her face, but it vanished by the time she looked back at me. "What were you saying?"

"Mom. Tell me, who is that? I haven't seen you this happy for...well, a while now." I'd noticed it but never really thought much of it. 

But seeing how tepid, at best, she and my stepdad were with each other and that happy gleam in her eyes as she received messages from someone I didn't know, it was enough to make me wonder if all was well with them.

"When's your next appointment?" she asked instead, doing her best to steer the conversation away from herself.

"Uh...let me check my calendar." I whipped out my phone from my purse and checked. "Thursday."

"That's the day after tomorrow. I'll be going with you, like usual?"

"Of course, Mom. Who else will?" 

"That's settled then." 

The maid brought our refreshments just then. We drank and ate in quiet, comfortable silence.

"It's quite strange that we haven't heard from or seen Zyliah in six years," Mom said, breaking the silence as she sipped her wine.

I paused halfway through slurping my smoothie. "I don't care where she is. Our plan worked. That's all that matters. Dad's properties will be passed down to you and me. But I doubt Zyliah survived what we put her through. No one would have. She has left the city for good."

"I hope she remains out of the picture forever. You know her presence will ruin things for us, especially now that..." She trailed off.

My brows knitted. "Especially now that what, Mom? Did something happen?"

"Never mind, it's nothing to worry yourself about, darling. Focus on your baby and carrying him to full term," she said, waving a dismissive hand. 

But I wasn't ready to let this go. If it concerned Zyliah, I wanted to hear and know everything. "My baby is fine, Mom. Just tell me. I'm not letting this go, so you better save us both the stress of a long, tiresome back and forth and just spill it."

She heaved a sigh. "Your father seems to be missing her. He brings her up out of nowhere like she's still around, and when he thinks I'm not looking, he stares at pictures of her and her mother." 

Those last two words came out of Mom's mouth like poison she couldn't wait to spit out.

My nerves jumped a bit, but I remembered my condition and willed myself to stay calm. "He's what? Why now? Mom, we can't afford to lose this, not after everything we've been through."

"Relax, Sabrina. As long as Zyliah remains out of the picture, we're fine." Mom passed me a reassuring smile.

It seemed to work, because I felt my nerves slowly untangling and my heart rate returning to normal. "Yeah, you're right, Mom. I mean, what are the chances she'll show up after six years? She might not even be alive-or worse, she could be homeless and working for chump change. We all know it was Dad's money that kept her sheltered and well provided for."

"Well, worse for her, good for us." She let out a light laugh.

"Exactly, Mom." I agreed, feeling happier than ever.