جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 250

Clara's POVThe wave of relief and happiness that washed over me when I saw Keith again was short-lived. It crested and broke, dissolving into unease, the moment he mentioned his kidnapping of my daughter. The very thought sent a shiver down my spine.The emptiness in his eyes as he spoke ignited a deep-seated anger within me. A bitter realization that he never regrets what he did to Layla dawned on me. Any lingering hope I'd clung to – hope for his to redeem it, for a way to bridge the chasm between us – was extinguished. Even when he walked away, the door shutting firmly behind him, he never looked back again."Now we'll be free of each other," I said, the words tasting bittersweet. "I never wanted our goodbye to be like this, but you forced me, Keith. Anyone who hurts my daughter has no place in my life."As I dragged my gaze away from the door and turned towards the window, the faint light of evening caught my eye. A jolt of warning shot through me. He said that soon enough Zoe,

James' POVThe next morning."Mommy's here?" Layla's voice was frail, her eyes clouding with worry as she searched my face for reassurance. I could see how scared she was, and I knew that deep down she felt doubt; was I telling the truth, or just feeding her empty promises?I knew it would take more than just words to ease her fears but I will try. I took a deep breath and offered what I hoped was a calming smile, "Yes, Layla. She's inside. The doctor just needs to check her out, and then we'll go see her.""Why did she get checked? Why did she end up in a hospital? Where has she disappeared to for the past five days?" The questions tumbled out, each one laced with concern and confusion. I bit back the truth, hesitant to reveal the harsh reality; that Clara had been kidnapped and was only now being brought back to us. It wasn't the right moment; Layla was already scared, and the truth would only add to her fear."She fell sick and needs to be hospitalized."The way the creases dee

James' POVWith a wide stride, I walked over to Clara. Deep within me, anger is simmering out of control. It's so hard to keep myself together right now. But I didn't want to end up hurting her again just because I couldn't control my anger.“James... were you following me?” Clara's voice carried a trace of fear. I didn't respond to her. Instead, I asked the words that stirred this turmoil within me. "Did you just say that Zoe is pregnant with my baby? Tell me, Clara, where did you hear this ridiculous news?"I placed my hand on her shoulder. It wasn't hard; it felt more like a gesture as I genuinely anticipated a truthful response from her. She tends to hide things and I was hoping she would respond with the honest answer."I-" Clara hesitated.And it made me more and more curious. She just returned from the kidnapping. When did she even meet Zoe? Unless she ran into Zoe while she was missing. Once everything finally fell into place, I let out a deep breath. The anger gradually

Clara's POVA month has gone by. And now I've completely healed. I moved out of James’ penthouse and am now renting an apartment to live with my daughter. Since that night, we haven't discussed our marriage plan again. I told him that I need some time to think it over. I can still remember clearly how angry he seemed that night and I honestly thought he wouldn't give me a time.To my surprise, James agreed. He stopped mentioning our wedding plans or Zoe's pregnancy. He still called every day to ask how Layla is doing. He sometimes stops by when he has the time to treat us to a lovely dinner. Still never attempted to raise that topic again.The sun blazed overhead as I stepped out of the building and made my way to my white Audi. I just wrapped up signing the purchase agreement for a prime building right in the city center where I plan to open my restaurant branch. My phone buzzed with an incoming call.It has to be from Annette. She took Layla to the local mall this morning, and

Clara's POV"Good morning, Mommy!" I placed the glass of water I was holding on the counter and turned around at the sound of my daughter's voice. Layla is all dressed in her school uniform, ready to head out. Here I am, just waking up from sleep. I overslept again. "Sweetheart, I-" I took a moment to stop. A sense of embarrassment crept into every inch of my being.I was meant to take her to school today, but guess what I ended up doing? I ended up waking up late instead. Last night was the grand opening of my new restaurant branch, and I just got home around 3 am. Still, I shouldn't let that be a reason to oversleep, should I? "I'm so sorry. Just give me a moment, I'll be ready soon-""I'm not going with you today, Mommy." Yet my daughter just smiles.My hand, which had been gently running through her soft hair, paused as another voice floated into the air. "I'm the one who's taking her today." My husband said as he approached me, car keys in hand. I didn't realize I was hol