Chapter 5

Axel's Pov

Late in the night, At the city Club, Vvip room

"Here, have some alcohol," Marvin passed a glass of alcohol to me as he sat down on the sofa opposite me.

I closed my eyes and ignored the looks of the others around me. The atmosphere was lively, but I felt out of place. It had been years since I last joined my friends for a night of clubbing.

"What is Axel doing here? Now tonight clubbing won't be fun," Tony whispered to the group.

Our group consisted of me, Tony, Joel, and Marvin. Each of us had our own unique personality - Marvin in the medical field, Tony in the entertainment industry, known for his flashy dressing, and Joel, the quiet one, often lost in his own thoughts, is into oil and gas. They were all avid night clubbers, while I had long since stopped.

"Why are you here tonight?" Marvin questioned, his eyes mischievous. "Brother Axel, do you need me to help you look for hot babes, like this one over here?" he gestured to a lady beside him, earning a hearty laugh from both him and Tony.

I felt annoyed and out of place as the conversation continued. Tony, with a smirk on his face, teased, "Common Axel, take off that poker face, you are scaring the ladies."

I opened my eyes and looked at the ladies in the room. They all sat quietly, seemingly unmoved by our banter. "Am I scary?" I questioned, feeling a hint of self-doubt.

Joel, who had been quiet all along, suddenly spoke up. "You stopped clubbing five years ago," he remarked, looking at me intently. "Even when we begged you to come have fun, you refused. Why are you here?"

It was indeed true, I stopped clubbing after Leah left, I wanted to occupy my mind with things so that I would forget about her, I spent so many times in the office and tried busy myself with expanding the empire.

I take a deep breath and lean back into the sofa, feeling the weight of my words. "Leah is back," I say, my voice heavy with emotion.

Tony furrows his brow in confusion. "Who's Leah?" he asks, looking around at the others for an explanation.

Ignoring him, Marvin leans forward, his expression curious. "What does that have to do with you?"

I can't help but smirk as I look at them. "She came back with a son," I say, the words hanging heavy in the air.

Marvin's confusion deepens. "Woah, woah! Now hold it there man, What's wrong with you, man? You're engaged to the beautiful Louisiana. What more could you want?" he questions, perplexed.

"No, you guys don't get it," I interject, my voice rising in frustration. "Leah came back with a son who is almost five years old."

Joel chimes in, his voice measured. "So, you think the child is yours?" he asks, his eyes searching mine.

I pause, the weight of the possibility sinking in. "What if the child is truly mine? But she was not pregnant before the divorce," I mumble, my mind racing.

Marvin interjects, "That doesn't mean she wasn't pregnant. She might have been pregnant without you knowing."

I feel a wave of disbelief wash over me. "Leah might be pregnant without me knowing? How come? Leah loves me so much, she wouldn't hide such a good news from me," I mutter, trying to make sense of it all.

Suddenly, I stand up abruptly, my mind made up. "I have to go," I declare, my urgency palpable.

Confusion ripples through the group, and Tony calls out after me, "Can someone tell me what in the world is going on?"

Ignoring their inquiries, I make my way to the parking lot and drive as fast as I can back home. The night is peaceful and calm, but my heart is in turmoil.

"Welcome home, Master," Butler Jones bows as I enter the mansion. He has been my faithful nanny since I was young, serving me wholeheartedly.

I tighten my fists, the urgency propelling me forward. "Where is it?" I ask, my voice urgent.

Butler Jones looks at me, perplexed. "Where is what?" he replies, a furrow appearing on his brow.

I tightened my fists and said, "Leah's belongings." "Oh!" Butler Jones nodded, a knowing look in his eyes. "But you said you didn't need it, and we should get it burnt," he replied.

I felt my world shatter. After Leah left, simply to pacify the whining Louisiana, I had callously instructed the maids to dispose of Leah's things. I rubbed my temples in anger, overwhelmed with regret. "Oh my, I am such an idiot," I muttered.

"But.." Butler Jones continue, "I kept some of her belongings In the store just behind the manmade lake."

******

I enter the storehouse with a sense of urgency, the sound of my footsteps and the creaking door echoing in the still night. The room is draped in shadows, and dust and cobwebs cling to every surface.

Leah's clothes are strewn about, and I begin searching desperately, my heart pounding with anticipation.

Hours pass with no sign of what I'm seeking. Frustration and anger swell within me as I sit on the floor, covered in sweat and dust.

In my fit of frustration, I kick a pink bag, and its contents spill out. Amongst them, a white envelope catches my eye. I pick it up and open it, my eyes widening with disbelief and joy.

Inside, a positive pregnancy test bears Leah's name. My heart soars. Leah was pregnant before she left. Jasper is my son. My son!

I grin from ear to ear, the weight of my discovery lifting from my shoulders.

I am a father! I am a father!!

The night drags on, and I long for morning to arrive. I can't wait to embrace my son, to tell him that he's not a bastard and that I am his father.

The next morning, I drive to the hospital, a car filled with toys that I had spent the whole night ordering. Despite my excitement, nervousness tugs at my heart.

Will Leah welcome me? Will she let Jasper know that I am his father? My emotions are a whirlwind of joy and anxiety.

As I approach the children's wards, I hear Jasper's voice from the corridor. "Mommy, I'm not a baby, I can get dressed myself," he insists. I pause just outside the room, taking in the scene.

Leah is bent down, her back to me, her short hair tied up in a bun, revealing her fair neck. She playfully tugs at Jasper's cheek, and I'm struck by a wave of emotion at the sight of them together.

"I will grow taller one day so that you won't be able to dress me," Jasper says defiantly.

Leah chuckles. "I'm not dressing up for you, Jasper. I'm only smoothing your dress," she replies.

"One day, I will grow taller like the handsome uncle I met the other day and protect mommy."

"What's a handsome uncle?" Leah asks, her curiosity piqued.

"Handsome uncle saved me the other day from those bullies," Jasper said, tugging at the collar of his hospital shirt.

Leah gasped in shock, "You were being bullied? Why didn't you tell mommy?"

"I don't want mummy to be worried," Jasper replied, "besides, handsome uncle took care of it. But you should have told me. Anytime you get bullied again, let mommy know, okay?"

Jasper nodded, his young face serious with determination.

"Did you thank him?" Leah asked, concern etching her features. Jasper nodded in response.

I watched their interaction with a whirlwind of emotions and was about to step forward when Jasper came running towards me, disrupting my thoughts. "Handsome uncle!!" he exclaimed.

"Hey little man," I smiled, lifting him up and holding him close. I hugged him, feeling his softness and catching a whiff of his familiar milk-like scent that I've missed.

I glanced towards Leah, whose face registered shock as she looked at me. Her fists tightened as her expression remained unknown. She walked towards me and took Jasper from my arms.

"I told you not to go about hugging any random people you see. What if he is a kidnapper?" Leah scolded Jasper.

I felt a pang of hurt from her words, unsure of what she truly meant.

"But mommy, this is the handsome uncle who saved me the other day," Jasper pouted, trying to explain, but Leah's eyes remained fixed on me, silent.

Leah took Jasper's hand and began to walk away. "Leah," I called out, a sense of desperation consuming me as I wanted to tell her how much I loved her, how much I missed her, and how I longed to be her husband again. But the only words that escaped from my mouth were her name.

"He is not your son," Leah suddenly spat out, her words cutting through the air like a knife.