Chapter 107. Proof Of Innocence

***107 Proof Of Innocence***

For the life of him, Travis couldn’t suppress his rage. His thoughts were singularly focused: finding Helen and making her pay for her betrayal.

But he had bigger priorities now. Two, to be exact. First, he had to get to Sabrina before she did something reckless. Just the thought of her in such a fragile state sent a shiver down his spine. Second, he needed to uncover who had purchased his company and find a way to win them over.

Gripping the steering wheel, he made a decision. Sabrina came first.

Sabrina drove home in tears, her vision blurred as emotions overwhelmed her. Betrayed. Again.

When she arrived, she caught a glimpse of Wynter and Ellie playing in the garden. Her heart ached at the sight, but she couldn’t bring herself to stop. Instead, she headed straight to her room, locked the door, and collapsed against it.

Her hands covered her face as sobs wracked her body. Everything had fallen apart—just when she thought she and Travis were finally building something real.

Her mind spun. Had Travis really been innocent in all this? Did he truly have no idea about Helen’s schemes? The thought gave her pause, but the memory of his supposed betrayal still stung deeply.

She wanted to believe him, wanted to give him one last chance to explain. But the pain of disappointment clashed with the hope she wasn’t yet ready to let go of.

For now, she needed space. She ignored her phone as it buzzed incessantly, assuming it was Travis.

When it rang again after a long pause, she hesitated, finally glancing at the screen. It wasn’t Travis—it was Mr. Adams.

Sabrina wiped her tears and picked up. "Hello, Uncle Adam," she said, her voice still hoarse.

"Ah, Sabrina, I’ve been trying to reach you," Mr. Adams said, his warm tone instantly calming her nerves.

"Sorry about that," she replied softly.

"I’ve got fantastic news," he said, and Sabrina could hear the smile in his voice.

Her heart skipped a beat. "Are you serious?" she asked, suddenly on edge.

"Yes," Mr. Adams chuckled. "Everything went as planned. The deal is secured, and the meeting is set for tomorrow."

Sabrina jumped to her feet, excitement momentarily replacing her sadness. "That’s incredible! Uncle Adam, are you sure?"

"Positive," he confirmed. "I think you’ll be very pleased with the outcome."

Sabrina exhaled, a huge smile breaking across her face for the first time that day. "Wow, this is... amazing. But honestly, I’m a little nervous about tomorrow."

"You’ve got nothing to worry about," Mr. Adams assured her. "The new stakeholders are reputable, and everything I’ve heard so far has been positive."

"I hope so," Sabrina said, her mind still racing with possibilities.

"Listen," Mr. Adams added, "I’ll be in Manhattan tomorrow for the meeting if you want me to be there. We can handle it together."

"That’s kind of you, Uncle Adam, but it’s okay. I’ve got this," Sabrina said with a hint of determination. "You’ve already done so much for me. You deserve a break. Take a few days off and recharge—you’ve more than earned it."

Mr. Adams laughed. "You make it sound like I’m some kind of workaholic. It really wasn’t that bad."

Sabrina shook her head firmly, even though he couldn’t see her. "Mr. Adams, I’m officially giving you three days of paid leave. You are not to set foot in JK Enterprises until then. Understood?"

"Stubborn as always," he replied with a chuckle. "All right, I’ll take you up on that—for now."

"Thank you, Uncle Adam. I’ll let you know how tomorrow goes."

"Take care, Sabrina," he said warmly before hanging up.

As she set the phone down, Sabrina felt a small spark of hope flicker within her. Maybe, just maybe, things weren’t as bleak as they seemed. If tomorrow went well, it could be the first step toward regaining control—not just of her company but of her life.

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Travis returned home after resolving the situation, his mind still clouded with worry. At first, he didn’t notice Wynter sitting in the living room, immersed in her video game.

“Princess, where’s your Mama Iris?” he asked as soon as he spotted her.

The moment Wynter heard his voice, she abandoned her game, jumped up, and ran to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

“Daddy!” she exclaimed happily, burying her face in his side.

Travis returned her hug with a faint smile but quickly repeated his question. “Where is Sabrina, sweetheart? Is she upstairs?”

Wynter looked up at him, confused. “I don’t know, Daddy. Didn’t she come home with you?”

Travis's jaw tightened. “Wait here, love. I’ll be right back,” he mumbled distractedly, patting her head before heading toward the stairs.

He reached Sabrina’s room and knocked on the door. “Sabrina, I know you’re in there. Please, open the door. We need to talk.”

Pressing his ear against the door, he strained to hear any response. Moments later, her voice came, sharp and distant.

“Travis, please leave,” she snapped. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

Despite the anger in her tone, Travis felt a strange sense of relief—she didn’t sound broken, just angry. But anger, he could deal with.

“Sabrina,” he said, his voice soft but firm. “I know you’re upset. I know I’ve made mistakes, but if you let me explain—if I can’t prove myself to you, I swear I’ll walk away.”

No response came from the other side of the door. Frustrated but unwilling to give up, he remained there, leaning against the frame, waiting for any sign she might listen.

Just as he was about to leave, Wynter appeared at the top of the stairs, her wide eyes filled with concern.

“What’s wrong, Daddy? Did you and Mama Iris have a fight?” she asked, her small hands tugging at his sleeve.

Travis sighed heavily and crouched down to her level. “Yeah, Princess. Daddy made a mistake, and Mama Iris is upset with me. She’s not ready to talk just yet.”

“Is she mad at me too?” Wynter asked, her bottom lip quivering.

“No, baby, of course not,” Travis assured her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “It’s just... grown-up stuff. I’m sure she’ll talk to you once she feels better.”

Wynter frowned. “Can I try talking to her?”

Before he could stop her, she darted past him and knocked on Sabrina’s door. “It’s me, Mama Iris,” Wynter called out sweetly.

Inside the room, Sabrina’s resolve wavered at the sound of Wynter’s voice. Her anger and frustration melted into a pang of guilt. She wanted nothing more than to scoop the little girl into her arms, but she didn’t want to face Travis.

“Yes, baby?” she finally responded, her voice quieter now. “Can we talk later?”

“Please, Mama Iris,” Wynter pleaded. “Daddy says he’s sorry, and you always tell me that when someone apologizes, we should forgive them.”

Sabrina’s lips trembled, and tears stung her eyes. Wynter’s innocent words tugged at her heartstrings, breaking through the barriers she’d tried so hard to build.

That was it. She couldn’t resist anymore.

Moments later, the door opened, and Sabrina knelt down, pulling Wynter into a tight hug.

“Why didn’t you come say hi when you got home, Mama Iris?” Wynter asked, her small arms circling Sabrina’s neck.

Sabrina forced a smile and kissed her forehead. “Can I explain later, baby? Your daddy and I need to talk.”

“Okay,” Wynter relented, but then added with a determined pout, “Promise me you’ll give Daddy a chance.”

Sabrina hesitated, her eyes flicking toward Travis, who stood silently a few feet away, his expression unreadable.

“Only for you,” she finally whispered.

Wynter nodded, satisfied with the answer, and skipped back down the stairs, leaving the two adults alone.

Travis watched as Wynter disappeared down the hallway and muttered under his breath, "I didn’t know it could be that simple."

Sabrina turned sharply toward him. "Nio, this is your last chance to explain everything."

Travis sighed deeply, a sense of defeat in his voice. "I know it's hard for you to trust me, Sab."

Sabrina paused, her eyes narrowing. "It’s not just that," she sighed. "After what Helen said… Is she really pregnant?"

"Yes," Travis confirmed, his voice steady but heavy.

Sabrina’s shoulders sagged, her face hardening. "Then I don’t think there’s anything more to discuss." She turned toward the door, preparing to leave.

"Sab, wait." Travis quickly reached for her hand, gently pulling her back.

"What now, Travis?" she asked, her voice colder, using his first name. That small shift made it clear how complicated things had become between them.

"The fact that Helen’s pregnant doesn’t mean I’m the father. I’ve never even been in bed with her," Travis said, yanking her closer. "She tried to trap me, but I was fully aware of what she was doing, and I didn’t let her get away with it."

Sabrina’s eyes widened in disbelief. She gasped. "Why didn’t you tell me this sooner? Why did it take so long for you to tell me the truth?"

Travis pulled something from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. "I went to get this," he said, his voice raw.

Sabrina looked down at the papers in her hands, squinting as she tried to make sense of them. "What’s this?"

"See for yourself," Travis said, his voice tinged with frustration. He could feel her distance growing, like she was accusing him without even listening to his side. But he wasn’t surprised. They had agreed that they would trust each other, but now it seemed like that trust was slipping through their fingers.

Sabrina unfolded the papers and scanned the contents. Her heart dropped as she saw the results of a paternity test—Travis wasn’t the father.

"This..." Sabrina’s voice trembled. "Why didn’t you tell me about this immediately?"

"I knew you wouldn’t believe me without proof," Travis muttered bitterly, shaking his head. "But you didn’t give me a chance to explain."

"Nio," Sabrina began, taking his hand in hers. "You should’ve told me."

"There was so much going on, Sabrina," he explained, his voice cracking. "Helen sold my company to someone else. Everything I’ve worked for, everything I’ve built—it's all falling apart in front of me. What do you expect me to do?" He let out a frustrated sigh. "I just wanted you to wait for me, to trust me. When Helen tried to force alcohol on me, I was clear-headed. I didn’t let her take advantage of me. Everything that happened is still fresh in my mind."

Sabrina’s heart ached as she listened to him, her guilt growing with every word. "Nio, I’m so sorry," she whispered. "I feel deceived. I should’ve trusted you, but I didn’t."

Travis turned his head, his back to her. "Save it, Sabrina. I know I’m not worth it to you. No matter what I say, you’ll always need proof before you believe me."

But before he could pull away completely, Sabrina stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Nio, I’m really sorry," she murmured. "I know I should’ve handled things better. Please… I don’t want to destroy what we have. I don’t want to lose our friendship."

Travis was tempted to turn around and hold her, but he stayed rooted in place. "I’m not trying to break our friendship, Sabrina. I just need some time to think things through."

She let go of him slowly, giving him the space he needed. "I’ll be here when you’re ready to talk."

Later that evening, during dinner, Wynter tried to keep things light, chatting away to keep both Travis and Sabrina engaged. But Travis barely acknowledged Sabrina, his focus elsewhere.

Sabrina glanced at him, frustration bubbling up. She wanted him to open up, to say something—anything.

"You want some sauce?" she asked, offering him the bottle, trying to start a conversation.

Travis shook his head, dismissing her offer without a word.

Sabrina, determined not to let the silence drag on, tried again. "What about the company? What did Helen tell you?" Even though she already had an idea, she needed him to talk.

"Did you hear that from Helen?" Travis looked at her flatly, his tone cool.

Sabrina smiled gently. "No, I didn’t. Now, tell me."

Travis sighed deeply, rolling his eyes as he finally relented. "She sold my company to a chain of food outlets. You remember JK, that expensive place you took us to the other day?" Sabrina nodded. "Well, they bought my company. The owner wants to meet with me tomorrow. I need to go to their restaurant, and I’m hoping they’ll accept my case. I just don’t want them to fire me."

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