Chapter One–Hundred Forty

Chapter One–Hundred Forty
Jake's POV

I literally had to pull my eyes from staring at Valerie—she looked...different, more beautiful than I last remembered. She was adorned in a sundress that hugged her curves in the right places, with short sleeves exposing toned arms. She'd let her long, straight black hair fall freely down her shoulders, and those full lips were enticing.

Fuck!

And I thought I had gotten over her.

Right now, Valerie wasn't my main problem—it was that little boy she called "her son." His resemblance to the younger version of myself was striking. Those brown eyes evoked something within me. Instead of spiraling around "what ifs," I decided to take matters into my own hands. I drove straight to a hospital to request a DNA test.



It's been twenty-four hours since my encounter with Valerie. I was seated in the doctor's office waiting for the test results. I'd instructed him to expedite the process and even made extra payment upfront.

Without much talk, the older man handed over the white envelope, and I left. I was seated in my driver's seat with the car windows wound up—it felt like déjà vu.

I shut my eyes tightly and drew in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. I tore the seal from the envelope and brought out the test results. I scanned it quickly until my eyes landed on "positive."

No way!

This is insane.

I was supposed to be excited, but the shock wasn't lost on me. I took my time going through the document again, this time reading it carefully, but that didn't change anything. The word "positive" stared back at me.

Everything was confusing. I remember Dr. Jones had given me a negative result, but this was a different hospital.

Since I wasn't settled, I had another test done at another private lab, and the result came out positive again.

I was overwhelmed with heavy guilt. I'd been too selfish and stupid to let anger cloud my judgment towards Valerie. She had cried, begged, and pleaded with me to believe that the baby she was carrying was mine. I blatantly ignored her and pushed her away. We were both going through a tough time, and I was supposed to be strong for her—for us—but I let the scandal destroy what we shared.

Now wasn't the time to play the victim. It was time for action. I had to make things right.

The first thing on my list was to call a private investigator—Arrow. He came highly recommended. I needed to know everything and everyone who had a hand in ruining my relationship with Valerie.

While Arrow got to work, I decided to pay a visit to Dr. Jones. The cheerful nurse ushered me to his office and quietly excused herself.

"Hello, Mr. Lloyd. I'm glad to have you around," the doctor greeted warmly. "The nurse stated that you had something important you wanted to discuss with me. But first, would you like some water or anything to drink?"

My jaw clenched tightly as I sat across from the elderly man. Watching him speak so calmly infuriated me.

"That wouldn't be necessary," my tone was laced with icy indifference as I sat straight, my eyes holding his gaze. "Doctor, I want to assume that you took an oath of honor before you started your practice. And your hospital is supposed to help heal lives, not break relationships and homes. Right?"

His eyes flickered with confusion, and he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I–I don't know where this conversation is headed, Mr. Lloyd. I'd appreciate it if you got straight to the point."

I expected him to play ignorant, which was why I came prepared. I opened the briefcase I had brought with me, pulled out a file, and slid it across the table.

Mr. Jones' eyes darted from the document to my face and back, as if waiting for permission.

"Open it!" I commanded.

He took the file, which contained all the DNA test results I had taken, including the one from his hospital dating back to around five years ago.

I watched him scan through the files until he finally looked up. His expression was replaced with shock and surprise.

What a fantastic actor!

"Th–there has to be a mix-up somewhere, sir," he stuttered, sweat droplets forming on his forehead. "My lab scientists are professionals and wouldn't make mistakes with something as delicate as a paternity test."

"But the other results state otherwise," I barked, the veins in my neck straining. "Goddammit! I trusted you, Dr. Jones."

I sprang to my feet and paced the room, my chest heaving.

The doctor stood up, file in hand. "How about we re-do another test? Maybe it could—"

My head snapped towards him. If looks could kill, he would be lying lifeless on this office floor. "If you stubbornly refuse to admit your fraudulent act, I'll have my lawyers take up this matter and have this hospital shut down."

"I swear, I have no hand in this," his voice came out broken. "We go way back, Jake. There's nothing for me to gain if I hurt you. Just give me some time to run a thorough background check and get back to you. I promise to find the culprits behind this."

"One week. You have just seven days," I explained. "God help you if you don't come up with something reasonable, else..."

I grabbed my briefcase and stormed out, slamming the door behind me.

With this newfound revelation, I knew I was a step closer to really mending things with Valerie.

From the hospital, I stopped by a florist shop and ordered their largest bouquet of roses, then headed to Valerie's father's home. Sarah had informed me earlier that Val was staying there.

I hesitated before knocking on the door. I was already here, and it wouldn't make sense to turn back.

The door flung open, and Valerie stood before me. Instantly, her blue eyes widened with rage. "What the fuck are you doing here?" she snapped. "Are you now stalking me?"

I slowly extended the flowers towards her. "I just wanted to bring these."

Valerie's gaze dropped on the offering. For a moment, I thought she was going to accept them until a man appeared next to her.

"Is everything okay here?" He directed his concern to Valerie, wrapping a hand around her waist.

Valerie blinked rapidly, a smile forming on her face as she turned to him. "Yeah, Chad. I just wanted to handle..." Her spiteful gaze turned to me. "...this nuisance."

He gave me a once-over like I was a piece of shit.

But I didn't care. He wasn't the reason I was here in the first place. "Val, we need to talk. Now."

Valerie didn't seem to care about what I just said. "Jake, leave this premises before I call security on you," her tone laced with anger.

The Chad guy's brow furrowed as he stepped forward. "You heard the lady. Leave. Now."