Shrouded in uncertainty
(Dean)
I barely slept last night, my mind's been a mess, I can't seem to hold it down, Bella's words, Humphrey's revelation.
It's all stuck in my head, refusing to back off.
I don't understand.
How is it even possible that Bella has not just a kid but twins and I didn't know?
If it was anyone else that told me about this, I'd have doubted it but then it's Humphrey and he sent me evidence to back this up, the full details of Bella when she moved in and true to his words, she's their mother.
But it baffles me that I'm just finding out, I must say, she did a fantastic job hiding them.
But then again, who's the lady with the little boy at the mall?
There's just so much questions running through my head.
Javier, the name escapes my mouth as my brain works overtime.
Now, it makes so much sense.
The resemblance, the sudden connection ever since I laid my eyes on him, my curiosity, it's not just about me liking kids.
It's something more, something deeper.
Wait.
The twins couldn't have been more than four years old. Could they've been born right around the time we…?
I pause, my thoughts running wild.
I didn't get to see the little girl's face but Javier— he's a spitting image of me.
What does that say?
My heart raced, the realization hitting me hard like a ton of bricks, making me drag in a sharp breath.
I can't help but wonder.
Could the twins be…?
I squint.
The weight of the uncertainty settling over me like a heavy fog.
I shut my eyes for a second, the possibilities gnawing at me, my emotions threatening to overwhelm me.
My stomach drops, my breath caught in my throat.
But how come Bella took in? What about the birth control pills?
I'm confused. I don't know what else to think.
I run a hand through my hair in frustration.
I shook my head, trying to wrap my head around this.
Something isn't right. I can feel it in every fiber of my being.
I need to see Bella, I need to ask questions, I need answers.
I just can't assume anything till I clear this up. But then, deep down, my mind tells me that there's more to this.
If there's any chance they're mine, then something is wrong somewhere, terribly wrong.
That morning I drag myself to work irrespective of my strained thoughts.
But then as I walk through the hallway, everywhere seems unusually calm.
When l walk past some of my employee's desk, they give me a tight-lipped smile and quickly returns their gaze back to their computers, typing away.
Something feels a little off but I don't harbor that thought for a minute longer. I just put it down to them having a busy morning.
I head straight to the elevators, the soft chime of the arriving light breaking the stillness. As the door slides open, I step inside, walking down to my office.
But just before I reach my office door, I see Humphrey striding towards me, his steps are jittery, his usual confident stride gone, his brow is furrowed and his lips pressed into a thin line, confirming what I'd suspected, something's definitely up.
Finally, he's standing in front of me, his eyes dart around nervously before returning them to me. "Good morning, boss. Have you seen the news?" His words comes out in a rush.
I haven't checked my phone since after his call last night.
"No, Humphrey. Why?" I ask, eyebrows raised.
"I think you might need to see this," he says, handing his phone to me without any hesitation.
Quickly, I take his phone, furrowing my eyes on the screen. My pause quickens as I see the headline: Dean Brennan Spotted In a Heated Argument With His Ex-wife And Her New Lover.
The news comes with a photo, a picture of myself and Calvin, our eyes blazing with anger at each other, Bella's hand tug at Calvin's arm.
My heart skips and my stomach churn as I reread the lines again.
Each lines hits harder than the last.
Damn it.
I mean, I'm used to seeing my name in the tabloids but this?
My blood boils over, knowing who's behind this.
Eric Scott.
Justifiably so, he baited me out and I completely fell for it.
Oh, my. Eric is so desperate, he'd go at any length to discredit me.
Such a vile person!
How could he?
But then again, I'm not completely free of blame either.
Am I?
I beat myself up mentally for partly letting this happen.
I mean I was too angry to care last night.
This isn't good for business, especially with the Thampo project at hand.
I stare at the photo a little longer, my anger simmering beneath the surface.
But then again, I need this cleaned up immediately, and now's not the time to push blames, to be angry.
I take a deep breath to compose myself.
I have to fix this and whatever damage it might've caused.