All Chapters of The Fathers of My Child?: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

#Joel’s POV#I’ve been staring at the file for damn near five minutes now. It's right here. Brown, stiff-leather folder, that old style from the home estate… smells like cigars and history. My PA had just dropped it off like it was nothing. But it’s not nothing. It’s what I asked for, yes, but I didn’t expect it to come this fast. Or maybe… I didn’t expect it to feel this heavy.I clear my throat and nod. “Thanks. You can leave.”Kel, or whatever his name is, nods and shuts the door behind him. The sound clicks in my ear like a loaded gun.The folder sits still. Untouched. I rest both palms on the desk and exhale, fingers curling once, then unclenching.He said it was found in the Washington mansion. Dad’s old study. I told him to go there. Told him what to look for. Had to fly him out there, gave him access codes from memory even I didn’t know I remembered. Took him almost two days but he found it buried in one of the side cabinets, where Dad kept the things he didn’t want anyone to

#Rico’s POV#Boom. Lights out.Like a slap to the face, the whole villa goes dark with a small pop and a sighing whirr. The generator’s delay is long enough to let everyone remember we live in a world where electricity can betray you at the worst time.And of course, because Joel must’ve finally had a valid thought in his pompous head, it’s exactly like he warned earlier. Blackout. During the storm. Wind howling like it’s mourning someone.We all end up in the dining room. Candles are on the long table like we’re doing some séance or grieving a dead relative.Joel’s here, sitting at the head like a Victorian ghost king. Didn’t want to leave his study but somehow dragged his ass here anyway. Probably couldn’t stand being alone. Dorothy’s here too, fidgety and quiet, sitting at the other end. And me? I’m just here, in between them. The fucking peacemaker that nobody asked for.I’ve been on my phone this whole time. Not because I’m avoiding them—okay, maybe a little—but mostly because I’

#Rico’s POV#The storm’s gone, but my chest still feels like thunder.The first thing I register is the ache in my lower back. No surprise—I slept on the floor again. Second thing is her hand, soft and squeezing mine lightly. She’s still asleep; her face turned slightly my way, lips parted.I don’t move.Can’t.Won’t.Not when she’s holding me like this.She’s peaceful now. Calm. For once. And it’s fucking insane how she looks even better when she’s quiet. Fragile, yeah. But not in that dramatic weak kind of way. In a way that makes me want to set fire to anyone that’s ever made her cry.And shit… she cried last night.Into my hoodie. Into her hands. Into herself. And I couldn’t fix it. Not really. I just… stayed.And I lied.Not a full lie. But enough of one. Enough to taste like guilt this morning.Did I partially lie to her last night? Yeah. And maybe it was selfish. But what could I tell her? That Paulina and I are still tangled up in ways that don't make sense to anyone but us? T

#Joel’s POV#You know what’s funny?I built this entire house. Oversaw every goddamn detail—from the imported tiles to the tech-embedded furniture to the placement of every last security cam—and now I sit here watching it all like some outsider needing confirmation of what he already knows.The clip replays.No sound. Just the daunting, silent loop of betrayal.Rico… carrying Dorothy. Like some fucking hero from a slow-burn romance movie. Her arms limp around his neck. Her head resting against his chest. Her body… his responsibility.My hand spins the Rubik’s cube faster.Click. Click. Click.It’s solved already. I’m not solving anything. Just... stalling.I lean forward again, watching as Rico walks through the foyer with her, straight past the entrance of our bedroom.The security guards behind me shift on their feet. Two of them. Young and dumb. Standing stiff like they walked into the wrong room at the wrong time. They’re silent. I haven’t said anything yet.But they know.They al

#Rico's POV#There’s something off about her.She hugged me, sure. Smiled like always, soft and small and trying not to let it tremble. But I know her well enough now to know when her lips are saying one thing and her body’s spelling another. Her shoulders were tense. Her hands lingered too long. Her eyes—shit—her eyes darted like she was worried someone else was listening.And the way she touched her stomach during that hug?Nah.Something happened while I was out. And if it’s what I’m thinking, and if that bastard Joel put his hands on her again, I swear I’ll punch his teeth into his throat and keep going till his mother can’t recognize him in hell.I’m pacing the hallway now. Phone in my palm, waiting for a damn call that’s supposed to come any second. I haven’t even had lunch. Hell, I haven’t even sat down since I got back. I’ve been chasing investors, negotiating contracts, begging dealerships to consider my pitch in Atlanta, and trying to clean up this mess of a life I used to c