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Home / My Golden Retriever Is the Father? / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of My Golden Retriever Is the Father?: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

12 Chapters

Chapter 1

As the last of the recording faded out, the banquet hall went so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.A few seconds later, whispers broke out from every corner of the room."A golden retriever's sample? What does that mean?""It means the baby isn't Mr. Danforth's. It's a dog's?""My God, this is better than a soap opera."Luis Danforth's face flushed red, then went pale. The "ironclad proof" he'd been holding over his head a moment ago now looked like a hot coal in his hands.Cathlene Richards was the first to recover, letting out a shriek."Layla, you're lying! You faked that recording! You're trying to hurt my baby!"Luis, don't listen to her. She's just jealous of us. She wants to destroy us!"Luis's mother, Marilyn Danforth, stormed onto the stage and jabbed a finger in my face."Layla, you vicious woman! That's our family's precious grandson, and you'd stoop this low to slander him! Someone tell me, is there a woman alive with a crueler heart than this?"Luis's eyes

Chapter 2

Late that night, I sat on the couch when Luis slammed through the door, reeking of alcohol and fury."Were you sitting there waiting to gloat over your masterpiece?"I ignored him and flipped on the lamp, letting the light fall across his twisted, furious face."Tomorrow, you're holding a press conference. You'll tell everyone today was all a misunderstanding, a joke you pulled to get back at me.""A joke I pulled?""What else would you call it?" he shot back. "You think I want the whole city of Boxwood watching everyone say Luis Danforth's mistress is a woman who used dog hair for a paternity test?"I stood and pulled out the divorce agreement I'd already prepared."Sign it. The assets and our son go to me. You walk away with nothing, and you can elope with Cathlene."He snatched the papers and tore them to pieces."Layla, have you lost your mind? Divorce? Who do you think you are? You humiliated me in front of everyone today, and now you want to walk out of here with my son

Chapter 3

I brought my son to the private hospital for his routine checkup.The little guy sat in my arms, his dark eyes wide and curious as he took in the unfamiliar surroundings.Low voices drifted over from the nurses' station in the waiting area."Did you hear? Mr. Danforth booked out our most expensive VIP suite for that Miss Richards.""He hasn't left her side either. I went in to bring medication earlier and saw him feeding the baby himself. So gentle about it, too.""I heard the baby's frail, so Mr. Danforth already lined up the best specialists, and he's pushing for a second paternity test, rushed through, so he can give the child his name.""Tsk, what a devoted man. Talk about stepping up."My arms tightened around our son.For ten years I'd loved Luis, and now he'd poured every ounce of devotion and tenderness into another woman and her baby.My phone buzzed.A photo came through.Luis sat beside a hospital bed, head bowed as he fed an infant.A message was typed beneath i

Chapter 4

Luis's pride lay in pieces.To prove he'd been right all along, he needed one more piece of "ironclad proof" to nail me to the wall of shame.At the Danforth family estate, I sat on the couch across from Luis. Beside him sat Cathlene, holding her baby, and next to her sat my mother-in-law."Layla, this time, I drew the sample from the baby myself. I personally delivered it to the lab and watched every step of the process. The results are in. You have no choice but to accept him."The moment he finished speaking, Cathlene started sobbing quietly."Layla, I know you hate me, but the baby is innocent..."My mother-in-law let out a cold snort."Layla, don't push your luck. Either you accept this child, or you get out of the Danforth family, and you won't be taking the one you gave birth to with you either."I picked up the tea beside me and blew gently at the leaves floating on top."What's the rush? Why don't we open the report first?"My calm unsettled Luis.He tore open the e

Chapter 5

All the color drained from Cathlene's face. Her lips trembled, but she couldn't get a single word out.Luis's gaze slid slowly toward her."I'll ask one more time. Whose is it?"Cathlene broke down."It's Todd Presley's! My ex-boyfriend's!"Luis, I love you!"The slap rang out sharp and clean.Luis shook out his hand like he'd touched something filthy.My mother-in-law pointed at Cathlene, shaking with rage.I picked up my purse and turned to leave."Where do you think you're going?""Congratulations, Luis. You finally got exactly what you were asking for. Wear that crown of horns proudly."I walked out without looking back.The sunlight outside was gorgeous. I took a deep breath, and even the air tasted like freedom.I changed my phone number and moved into the new apartment I'd had ready and waiting.A week later, my best friend, Riley Bloom, called me.She launched straight into a rant. "Layla, that Danforth lunatic has completely lost it! He actually had the nerve t

Chapter 6

Two weeks later, Prescott Medical Group held its strategy launch event.I stood under the spotlight, our sleeping son in my arms."In my own name, I'm establishing the Single Parents and Infants Foundation. The starting fund is ten million dollars."Gasps and camera shutters rippled through the crowd below.I gave a small bow, still holding our son, and stepped off the stage with the company's chief scientist, Jayden Washington, escorting me.Jayden was a few years older than me, dressed in a white lab coat, carrying himself with a gentle, easy warmth."He's such a good boy. Didn't fuss once the whole time.""He takes after me. He knows how to behave, no matter the occasion."That image made the top of the financial news headlines that same night. The headline was hard to miss: Prescott Heir Makes Bold Public Appearance With Son, Announces Ten-Million-Dollar Foundation.Riley called right on cue, her voice buzzing with excitement she couldn't hide."Layla, did you see the loo

Chapter 7

With every business route I'd blocked off, Luis finally tried a different angle."Ms. Heuson, a letter from Mr. Danforth's lawyer.""He's requesting joint custody and demanding court-ordered visitation? He can dream on."In court, Luis's lawyer painted him as a father who'd been deceived, who'd finally seen the light, who was consumed with regret and desperate to make up for lost time as a parent.He wore a plain, worn-out suit, and looked utterly haggard."Your Honor, I admit I made mistakes in the past. I let myself be blinded, and I hurt Layla and our son."I want nothing now. I'll give up my shares in Danforth Group, every asset I own. All I'm asking for is a chance to see my son."I watched him with a blank expression, privately finding the whole performance almost funny.Then it was my lawyer's turn.He laid the evidence before the court, piece by piece."This is the full recording from the child's first birthday celebration. The defendant left the party partway through

Chapter 8

At the supervised visitation center, Luis held our son, tears rolling down his face one after another."Baby, Daddy's so sorry..."The center staff member watching over the visit had eyes rimmed red. It would've been a shame if that performance didn't win an award somewhere.As the visit was about to end, he suddenly stood up with our son in his arms."He seems to have soiled himself. Can I take him inside to change his diaper?"The staff member glanced at me. I nodded.The moment the door shut, something in me lurched, though I couldn't say why.A few minutes later, the restroom door slammed open.Luis burst out with our son in his arms, panic all over his face."Layla!"Our son's face had gone purple in his arms, his little body seizing in waves, faint choking sounds coming from his mouth."What did you feed him?" he screamed at me. "He's having a severe allergic reaction! Get him to a hospital, now!"On the way to the hospital, my hands shook so badly I could barely hold

Chapter 9

I'd loved that face once. Now all that was left of it was a madman.I looked at Luis, then at our son cradled in his arms."Luis. Put him down first. We can talk this through. I promise."He thought he'd won. He thought I was still the Layla he could bend to his will whenever he wanted."Layla, I knew you couldn't bear to lose me."The instant he relaxed his guard, believing I'd caved.The bodyguard behind him closed the distance in a single stride and seized his arms.Luis didn't even have time to react before he was pinned to the floor.Jayden held our son, his eyes finding mine with quiet reassurance.The senior specialist walked over and spoke to the officers who'd just arrived."We've extracted the residue from under the baby's fingernails. It's a confirmed neurotoxin. The dose was small, but it would have been lethal to an infant. The visitation center's and the hospital hallway's security footage should have caught every bit of his behavior."The evidence was airtig

Chapter 10

"Ms. Heuson, the press release about Luis's deliberate poisoning of his own son to win back his ex-wife has gone out to every media partner we work with."I gave a short "mm" and hung up.Jayden handed me a cup of warm water."Warm your hands first."Three minutes later, the top headline ran in the boldest black type available: [Elite Family Scandal: Danforth Group CEO Poisons His Infant Son in a Twisted Bid to Win Back His Ex-Wife!]The internet exploded.When the market opened the next morning, Danforth Group's stock hit the daily limit down without a moment's hesitation.Every brand partnered with Danforth Group issued a statement severing ties within twenty-four hours."Boss, we've drained the last of Danforth Group's cash flow."Their core technical team, the one keeping the whole company alive, signed with us yesterday afternoon. They were drinking coffee downstairs in our lobby by this morning."Danforth Group descended into total chaos internally.Executives dumped t

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