Chapter 43 Unwelcome Revelations
Adrian’s POV
"Are you listening, sir?" the nurse waves her hand in front of my face, disrupting my train of thought.
I suck in air. "Oh, yeah. Sorry about that," I say and look at Hazel, whose eyes have become teary.
"I said we are done here. Her next immunization will be in three months' time, and please do well to be on time," she says, and I nod.
Hazel's eyes quiver, almost crying. I raise her in the air and make funny faces, hoping that will cheer her up, but it only makes her wail.
Her face turns red immediately.
"C'mon, baby, stop crying," the nurse smiles and stretches out her hands to carry her, but Hazel rejects her.
The fake smile and her trying to touch me only make my blood boil, but I choose to remain quiet because she's currently in charge of my daughter's treatment.
It would be unreasonable to risk my child's life just to prove a point.
"Aww. She's probably angry at me for using a needle on her," the nurse pouts.
"Well, get going," I inform her and start to walk away with a fussy Hazel.
There's no point in sending my regards to Jayden. If only he were around to attend to Hazel personally, I wouldn't have to deal with such a meddlesome nurse.
"Please calm down, Hazel. I'm already stressed; don't add to it," I complain for the first time in a long time.
It's the first time since Darcy came into our lives. Now that she's gone, my mental state is not as steady as I thought it would be by now, especially after all the work I've put in.
We enter the car, and I strap her into the back seat. I put the pacifier in her mouth, which helps to muffle her cries.
I am about to ignite the engine when my phone starts ringing.
'Mum' boldly displays on the screen.
What does she want?
I let out a low growl and scratch my neck.
The thought of ignoring her call crosses my mind, but there's no point. I'm really not in the mood for any drama. It's better to hear what she has to say.
Choosing the lesser evil doesn't sound like a totally bad idea.
I exhale softly and swipe the answer icon.
"Hello, Adrian, how are you and my grandbaby doing?" she asks. Her voice is calm.
My forehead creases in confusion because that's so unlike her. However, whenever she's like this, she wants something.
"We are fine," I answer in a deep and low voice.
Acting all nice and remorseful when I still have questions about her dealings with Darcy is a bit off, but I don't plan on giving up, though.
"I'm glad to hear that," she pauses, and I softly tap on the steering wheel, ready to hear her next words.
After all, my mother doesn't have the best choice of words.
She continues, "I'm hosting a family dinner this evening. I'd like you and Hazel to come. Just the three of us."
That's unexpected. She's not someone who wants or likes to bond with people without reason.
To her, time is money. She only believes in give and take.
I open my mouth to talk, but she chips in before I have the chance to express my thoughts.
"And please, before you say no, I want you to think about Hazel. She needs a mother figure in her life, or are you planning to raise her alone?" she asks.
A loud laugh laced with sarcasm tears from my throat and echoes through the car.
"Hazel had Darcy. A lady who took care of her and loved her like her own until you decided she was below the social class you approve of. So don't you dare stand there and act like you have my daughter's best interests at heart," I groan.
There's silence on her end.
My nose flares, and the muscles in my back become tense. The audacity of her to think it's alright to ruin our lives and act like she's a caring mother.
I turn to see how Hazel is faring, but she's asleep, with her flushed cheeks and dried-up tears.
"I know I've made a lot of mistakes, but believe me when I say I want to make it right. Take accountability, like you always ask me," she tries to persuade me, but I'm the least fazed.
I tighten my hold on the steering wheel. My patience is running thin, and I could snap if I don't get this over with. I nod. "Send the location and time."
She gasps dramatically. I hang up and start driving. The time is already past twelve noon.
It takes a while to complete my work for today. I slump on the couch to catch my breath when my phone rings.
A call from the agency. I sit up immediately as my heartbeat quickens.
Good news. Please, be good news. I pray silently.
"Good day, Mr. Ashford. We have some updates about the investigation that you might want to know," a female voice informs me.
"Please, go ahead," I adjust my sitting position properly.
"We called the phone number that you gave to us, and we were able to get a lead. The call went through," she adds.
The call went through?
"I don't understand. Can you explain what you mean? That phone number has been inactive for months."
"What that means is that the number is not invalid as you claimed. Although we were not able to hear the voice of the person who picked up the call."
I don't know how this makes me feel—if it's good news or bad news. After all, they did not hear the voice of the person who answered the call.
She adds, "We also got another piece of information, sir," her voice trails off. "According to another source, we discovered that Miss Darcy is currently not alone."
For a second, I forget how to breathe as I try to digest what I heard. What does she mean by that?
"Can you please explain further? Because I do not understand what you mean by she is not alone. Is she married or what?" I ask in a shaky voice and clench my hands into fists until my knuckles crack, hoping that whatever her answer is will not shatter me completely.
"We can't say for sure, sir, if the man is her husband or not, but there is a certain man who is close to her. That is all we know for now, but we will let you know if we get any additional information in the process of the investigation."
Without acknowledging her response, I hang up the phone, collapsing onto my couch as I try to process what I just heard.
Three hours later, I finally pick myself up and dress Hazel to leave for my mother's house, even though I don't want to—especially not after what I heard earlier.
We arrive at my mother's house, and to my surprise, she is all over Hazel, presenting gifts and toys.
I ignore her and sit across the room, watching her display her hypocrisy. Just as I am about to pick Hazel up and head out to the dining area, I hear the sound of heels clicking.
And before me stands her—Angel of doom! Why the hell is she here? What is she doing here?