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CHAPTER HUNDRED AND TWENTY

Penulis: Mairee
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-10-25 23:02:12

#Dorothy's POV#

It’s only when I feel a slight cramp in my wrist that I realize I’ve been holding Joel’s hand all the way from the clinic to the villa.

Neither of us says a word about it. And neither of us lets go.

I only blink out of my thoughts when the car slows by the massive front gate of the villa—God. It’s barely been over a week since I last saw this place, yet it feels like I’ve been gone for a whole damn year. Like the earth rotated slower in the time I was away. Like time here and time out there aren’t even friends.

The gate opens.

And… what?

All the staff?

Outside?

There’s… all of them?

Standing in a soft line along the gravel path, some waving gently, some with hands politely behind them. A few of the maids smile so wide their cheeks shake. One even has flowers. I glance around, genuinely confused for a second, until I realize—they’re all here to welcome me back. Me.

I feel my throat tighten. Joel is already by my side as we step out of the car together.

I catch a few fam
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  • The Fathers of My Child?   CHAPTER HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR

    #Dorothy’s POV#The baby in my arms is quiet, small and soft, wrapped in a pale cream blanket. I don’t know how long I’ve been holding him… but my arms aren’t tired. They’re warm, and I feel like I’ve done this before. Like he belongs with me.And behind me… I hear the footsteps. They sound hesitant.“Dorothy,” Rico’s voice comes first, warm and low. He’s walking up from behind. “Come on. Let’s go home.”I look at him. He looks good, safe. A little tired, maybe, but still the man I’ve always known could love me without asking for more than I can give. His hand reaches out. I should go to him. I should.But then—Joel’s standing ahead. Not close or far. Just… standing there. His arms are stretched out like he's ready to catch me. His face is tired too, but softer than I remember. His mouth isn’t moving, but I know what he’s saying.Come to me.I freeze. Look down at the baby.“Dorothy…” Rico’s voice again. “He needs you. He’s your son.”But Joel takes a step forward, just one. His voic

  • The Fathers of My Child?   CHAPTER HUNDRED AND TWENTY-THREE

    #Joel’s POV#I should’ve stayed. I should’ve stayed with her.That thought’s been chewing at my brain since I got into this car. Since I left that goddamn office and sat here, motionless, letting the rain beat down on the windshield like it’s trying to slap sense into me. Malik’s message had come just an hour ago… simple, polite, annoyingly vague. “She’ll need to rest after today’s procedure. You can come by tomorrow morning.”Procedure? What procedure?I didn’t ask questions.Because I knew… I know they’re hiding something from me. And maybe they should. Maybe I deserve that. But it doesn’t stop this slow burn under my ribs. Doesn’t stop the guilt from curling in my gut like smoke. I want to fix things. I’m trying to fix things.But then there’s everything else that’s burning down around me too.Today at the company felt like dragging my fingernails across wet concrete. Another investor pulled out. Legal's still reviewing the merger clause. Finance is dangling on threads. And now HR

  • The Fathers of My Child?   CHAPTER HUNDRED AND TWENTY-TWO

    #Rico’s POV#I don’t even like this bar. The music’s always too low, the lights are yellow and weird, the chairs make my ass hurt, and the smell of bad cologne and worse decisions sticks to the walls like tar. But I keep coming back. Because it’s quiet. Because nobody here knows me. Because the bartender already knows I don’t do small talk. And because when I sit here long enough and get a little drunk enough, I don’t think about her.But that’s a damn lie. I always think about her.I take another long sip of my drink, ignoring the way the bartender’s eyes flicker to me and then away again. He still looks scared shitless. Like I’m gonna flip a table or throw my glass. I won’t. But if I did, good. I want him nervous. I want somebody out here to feel as twitchy as I’ve been feeling since that goddamn parking lot incident.I wasn’t stalking her.I didn’t even know Joel would be there. Or that Dorothy would still look like that. Still look like my fucking heart cracked into two legs and w

  • The Fathers of My Child?   CHAPTER HUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE

    #Dorothy’s POV#I don’t even know what’s more awkward—the silence between us in the car or the fact that it doesn’t feel like silence at all. There’s too much unsaid. Too much I feel pressing behind my chest like steam. And yet we sit here, side by side, in the back of this luxury car like two passengers on separate trains.Joel is on his phone. Again.He’s been making work calls since we pulled out of the villa gate. One after another. I try not to stare at him too long, but my eyes keep going back. He’s frowning lightly. Running his fingers along the edge of his brow like he’s solving some mental puzzle. His voice is calm, but his eyes give him away. There’s a tightness there. A worry.“When did he say the shares fell?” he mutters quietly, turning slightly away from me.My ears perk. Shares?His voice lowers even more. “We already cut three departments. I told you to let go of non-essentials two quarters ago.”My stomach coils. What’s he talking about?Joel? Losing money?The driver

  • The Fathers of My Child?   CHAPTER HUNDRED AND TWENTY

    #Dorothy's POV#It’s only when I feel a slight cramp in my wrist that I realize I’ve been holding Joel’s hand all the way from the clinic to the villa.Neither of us says a word about it. And neither of us lets go.I only blink out of my thoughts when the car slows by the massive front gate of the villa—God. It’s barely been over a week since I last saw this place, yet it feels like I’ve been gone for a whole damn year. Like the earth rotated slower in the time I was away. Like time here and time out there aren’t even friends.The gate opens.And… what?All the staff?Outside?There’s… all of them?Standing in a soft line along the gravel path, some waving gently, some with hands politely behind them. A few of the maids smile so wide their cheeks shake. One even has flowers. I glance around, genuinely confused for a second, until I realize—they’re all here to welcome me back. Me.I feel my throat tighten. Joel is already by my side as we step out of the car together.I catch a few fam

  • The Fathers of My Child?   CHAPTER HUNDRED AND NINETEEN

    #Joel’s POV#I’m still trying to calm down.But it’s not working.Rico.That son of a bitch.That was him. I’m sure of it. I saw his face, I saw that smug flick of his head as the car rolled out of the lot. What the hell is he doing here again? Isn’t he supposed to be chasing Paulina across the map by now? Didn’t I pay—pay—to make all this shit go away? To make them go away?What the hell was the point of that money if he’s just gonna circle back like a lovesick idiot?My fingers twitch as I sit back in the car, jaw clenching so hard I can feel the veins throb along my neck. I don't even know when the driver started heading toward the convenience store but I nod at him anyway when we pull into the small strip.“I’m not getting down,” I mutter. I lower the tinted glass and flag a guy wearing a branded polo and hanging by the door with a pack of gum.“Hey! You!” I call out.He jogs over, unsure, glancing at the car with squinting eyes like he’s trying to decide if I’m about to ask for t

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