The Billionaire's Secret Baby After Divorce のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 61 - チャプター 70

Eric's POVI’d been pacing for what felt like hours, even though the clock told me it had barely been thirty minutes. My fingers kept running through my hair, and each time I paused, I’d glance toward the door where Sarah had been taken for questioning.Inside, muffled voices rose and fell, and sometimes Sarah’s soft voice. She was trying her best to stay composed, but I knew she was close to breaking. I could hear it.The door creaked open, and Sarah stepped out. Her eyes were red-rimmed, cheeks blotchy from crying. She clutched a document folder tightly to her chest.“They’ve agreed,” she said quietly.I frowned. “Agreed to what?”She glanced down the hallway before speaking again, her voice barely a whisper. “To let us take Rose under emergency family placement.”I blinked. “They did?”Sarah looked up at me, but was still trembling. “I told them that Martha… left Rose in our care before the accident. I said she trusted us to look after her if anything happened.”“Sarah,” I said slo

Eric's POVI could sense my mother’s disapproval seeping. We had barely made it back to the living room when she said, quietly, “Eric, a word.”Sarah had gone upstairs to help Rose settle down in one of the guest rooms. I caught the hesitation in her eyes before she disappeared up the stairs. She must have sensed it too. I followed Grace into her study. She turned only after closing the door behind us, folding her arms across her chest.“Would you like to tell me,” she began, her tone deceptively calm, “why there is a little girl in my house who is clearly not yours?”I exhaled, taking a seat by the window. “Because she needed a home.”“A home?” She repeated, almost incredulous. “Eric, we’re not running an orphanage. You bring home a child. A stranger’s child, and expect me to just accept it without question?”“It’s temporary,” I said quietly. “Her grandmother passed away. Sarah and I took responsibility under emergency family placement until they can locate her biological mother.”Gr

Bella's POV"That's so sad," I said as I tried to hold myself from bursting into tears. "I can't believe she's gone. This is horrible. This is so horrible.""So sad. And to think she was just here with us a few weeks ago," Cole sighed. "This really breaks my heart.""I wonder what happened to her grandchild that was left in her care," I covered my face with my palms. "Do you think if I hadn't sent them away, that she'd still be alive?" I mean... this is all my fault. This is all my fault.""No, baby. This is not your fault. I promise you everything that happened, happened for a reason, not because they left here," he said as he tried to get me to calm down."I can't help but feel that way, Cole," I said sharply. "Did you hear anything about Rose, her granddaughter? Did anything happen to the poor child?""Oh... well, there wasn't any news about. Hopefully she's alive," he answered. "I need you to relax, my love. Please. This stress isn't good for the baby. Remember what the doctor sai

Bella's POVIt was the day of the funeral. They were lilies that drifted from the open chapel doors. Black cars lined the narrow road leading up to the churchyard, and everywhere I looked, there were people with grief on their faces.I stood beside Cole, my arm looped around his as we walked toward the entrance. My heart pounded heavily beneath my ribs, and even though my face was composed, my thoughts, on the other hand, were restless. Martha was indeed... gone.Cole greeted a few of the locals as they passed. When we reached the front pew, Cole helped me sit. The choir sang softly in the background. Martha's casket was simple. It was white in color and adorned with gardenias. My throat tightened at the thought of how she took my secret to the grave.Cole leaned closer, whispering, “You okay?”I forced a nod. “Yes. Just… a lot to take in.”He squeezed my hand gently before turning his gaze back to the front. But I could tell his mind wasn’t entirely on the sermon. I'd sensed it. The

Bella's POVThe restaurant Sarah had chosen was one of those quiet little bistros tucked between glass towers. I'd come a little early, hoping to calm myself, but my fingers wouldn’t stop tapping on the table. Every time I glanced at the door, my pulse jumped. I was sitting alone at a corner table with two glasses of water sweating in front of me, I waited.A few minutes past twelve, the glass doors opened, and I knew instantly that it was her.Sarah Harland didn’t look like what I expected. I’d imagined someone older, maternal maybe, with a gentle face. Instead, she was young. When she reached my table, she stopped, crossed her arms for a moment, and then pulled out the chair opposite me.“You’re Bella Hayes,” she said, but it wasn't a question.I nodded slowly. “I am. And you must be Sarah Harland.”She sat down, resting her bag on her lap, her gaze unwavering.For a few seconds, we just looked at each other. I tried to smile, something to ease the tension, but her expression didn’t