All Chapters of Your dad is mine: Chapter 51 - Chapter 58

RONALD I didn’t know how many days had gone by.My footsteps echoed against the marble floor, my house feeling emptier than usual. To say I was surprised was an understatement. The election didn’t go as planned, catapulting me ten steps back.My jaw locked as the ugly, bitter taste threatened to crawl up my throat.My mind taunted me. You’re running out of time. A low growl escaped me as I shoved my office door open with more force than necessary, rattling the frame. I walked straight to the bar and poured myself a drink, watching until it filled the glass to the brim. Gulping it down in one go, I let the amber liquid burn my throat, like punishment that I deserved. What good was all this power if I couldn't do what I wanted.The buzz of alcohol burned in my veins, the corners of my vision blurring.“Shit.” I ground out, setting the glass down with a loud thud.My head throbbed, muscles coiling tighter than a spring, waiting to strike. And even in that moment, one image flashed th

CATHERINE “Are you guys even listening to me?!” I screamed but no one seemed to listen. My voice echoed through the jail cell, empty, angry. I paced the small space, flinching every time I heard a drop of water, or shuffling of footsteps. The jingling of keys made my spine straighten and I rushed to the front, wrapping my hands against the cold steel bars. An officer stopped a foot away, shoving someone else into the cell next to me.“Hey!” I called. “A child is in danger and you guys aren’t going to do anything about it? I’ve been saying the same thing for the past hour, at least look into it.”The man barely glanced at me as he shut the gate close, locking it. “Twenty four hours before we can officially consider a person missing.” He lifted his eyes finally, raking them all over me. “You should be more worried about yourself, ma’am. Battery, assault, destruction of property. Not to mention, we did a little search and found your property covered in bullet holes.”My blood turned t

CATHERINE The moment Ronald parked in his driveway, I bolted out of the car and into the house. My heart was racing, mixed with relief and anger when u spotted Ellie.She was spread out on his living room couch, thumbing the remote with a bored expression, without a care in the world. I blew out a sharp, annoyed breath before forcing my feet to move. “Elaine Abigail Reynolds.”I saw her go still, then her head snapped to me. Her eyes widened for half a second before she… rolled her eyes at me.Anger flared in my chest.I’d been raging this town like a madwoman, worrying about whether or not she’d been stuffed into a duffle bag and here she was goofing around.My footsteps thundered in the space as I stormed to where she was, stopping right between her and the television. I folded my arms around my heaving chest.She huffed out a breath, dragging her eyes to me.“Do you have any idea how worried I was?” I seethed but Ellie couldn’t be more bothered.She finally dropped the remote nex

CATHERINE I stopped breathing.My throat tightened with emotions too big, my mind was too heavy. My eyes were locked on his and I could see it, the certainty of his words and that made my heart ache more than anything.I pulled myself away from him ignoring the way my body screamed in protest, watching his face fall. “Those are just words, Ronald.”The pain in his eyes was unbearable so I looked away, staring at the rug instead. “And Ellie… I can’t let her go through all of this because I want to be with you.”I felt him go stiff, even from this distance. “What are you saying?” His voice was slipping, roughness coating every word.I swallowed, whispering slowly. “I’m saying it would be better if you stayed away.”I waited and waited, my heart pounding loudly in my chest as the words escaped me. My chest felt like a boulder was on top of it, crushing it to pieces but I dug my nails into my flesh, focusing on the sting instead.Just when I thought he wouldn’t say anything, he spoke.“N