Chapter 91 Chapter 31.1
Third Person POV
Desmond met the detective in secret.
Ever since he began sensing unseen eyes following his every move, he had stopped trusting anyone completely. Every step he took felt monitored, every decision weighed down by the fear that someone was always one move ahead of him. That was why he no longer contacted investigators openly. Each meeting was arranged discreetly, in places where anonymity could still be preserved.
The detective slid a thick folder across the table toward Desmond.
“Everything you need is inside,” the man said in a low voice.
Desmond took the folder and opened it immediately, his brows furrowing as his eyes scanned the contents. His fingers tightened around the edges of the documents as photographs spilled into view—clear, undeniable images of the detective he had previously hired… standing beside his own mother.
His jaw clenched. His hand curled into a fist.
Why?
Why would his mother pay off the very detective he hired? What were they hiding from him?
The truth hit him all at once, heavy and suffocating. Now he understood why he had never found Heaven. For two long years, he had searched relentlessly, exhausting every connection, every resource, every possibility—yet all his efforts led to nothing.
Because there was never meant to be progress.
If only he had known sooner. If only he had realized earlier that the detective was compromised, he would have replaced him immediately. Everything suddenly made sense. The dead ends. The silence. The false hope.
After handing over the detective’s payment, Desmond left without another word.
He tossed the folder onto the passenger seat of his car, his grip tightening around the steering wheel as he drove. His chest burned with anger and betrayal.
Why would his own mother do this to him?
Without hesitation, he drove straight to his mother’s office. When he arrived, he didn’t bother knocking. He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Shiermy looked up in surprise.
“Desmond, son, what are you doing here? Do you need something?” she asked.
In response, Desmond slammed the folder onto her desk.
Startled, Shiermy picked it up and flipped it open. She hadn’t even finished reading when her breath caught in her throat. The photographs were unmistakable.
“Why?” Desmond demanded, his voice shaking with fury. “Why did you do this to me? All this time—you knew where Heaven was? You knew where she was hiding? Why did you keep her from me?! I begged you again and again to tell me where she was, and every single time you denied knowing anything!”
Shiermy couldn’t find the words to answer him.
“You didn’t just hide the truth from me,” he continued bitterly. “You even paid the man I hired to find my wife! Yes, I know I made mistakes, Mom—but I never wanted any of it to happen! Why won’t you believe me? I love Heaven. I love my wife. But you took her away from me! If I had found her sooner, maybe—just maybe—I could have talked to her. Maybe we could have fixed things.”
His voice cracked.
“You were angry at me, I know that. But wasn’t this too much? I did everything I could to make things right, and you denied me even the chance to speak to her! Is your anger toward me really that deep just because you thought I went back to Macie?”
“Desmond—” Shiermy tried to interrupt.
“Why, Mom?” he cut in. “Why would you do this to me? Did you think I wasn’t hurt by losing our child? Did you really believe I didn’t mourn Daryl? You have no idea how painful it was for me to lose my son! And you doubled that pain by hiding Heaven from me. That’s why I couldn’t find her. Because of you. Do I really deserve this?”
Tears stung Shiermy’s eyes as she watched her son unravel before her.
“Desmond,” she said softly, “I only did it because it was what Heaven wanted. She wanted to forget the pain you both went through. You can’t blame me for wanting to protect her. I considered her my own daughter. And as a woman, I was hurt for her too.”
Her voice trembled.
“You don’t know how much it shattered me when I saw those photos of you and Macie together while Heaven was grieving your child. Whether you meant it or not, it still happened—and Macie was there. She became the reason Heaven’s pain deepened. You know how much I despise that woman. I stayed silent even when you were together, even when she deceived you. I hid Heaven from you to protect her… and to help her forget you.”
Desmond ran a frustrated hand through his hair.
“I want to understand what you did,” he said hoarsely. “But if only—if only I had spoken to Heaven sooner, if I had been able to explain everything… maybe we’d already be fixing things. Maybe we’d be starting over by now.”
He looked at her sharply.
“I even went to Germany. And you didn’t say a word that my wife was there. What else are you hiding from me, Mom?”
Shiermy looked away.
She wanted to tell him the truth—that Daryl was alive—but she wasn’t in a position to do so.
“Talk to Heaven yourself,” she said coldly. “If you want to fix your relationship, don’t involve me.”
Desmond clenched his teeth in anger. Without another word, he turned and walked out.
The moment he was gone, Shiermy exhaled shakily. Her hands trembled.
She knew it wouldn’t be long before Desmond learned the truth about Daryl.
And if his anger was already this intense… what would happen when he found out his son was alive and had been hidden from him all along?
Desmond returned to the Pasay branch in a fury.
He crossed paths with Heaven in the hallway, but he didn’t slow down. He didn’t look at her. He walked straight past her as if she didn’t exist.
Heaven turned to watch him go, her brows knitting together.
“What’s wrong with him?” she murmured, disturbed by the rage etched across his face.
She shook her head and continued walking.
Meanwhile, Desmond stormed into his office and swept everything off his desk. Files, folders, pens—everything crashed to the floor.
If his mother hadn’t interfered, he would have found Heaven long ago.
“Damn it!” he cursed, kicking the scattered papers.
Scarlett entered just then, freezing at the sight of the chaos.
“What happened here?” she asked. “Did a tornado pass through your office?”
“Go out first, Scarlett,” Desmond said flatly.
“What’s wrong? Why did you throw everything around? You can talk to me—maybe I can help.”
“What part of what I said didn’t you understand?!” he snapped. “Get out! Leave me alone!”
Scarlett flinched, fear flashing across her face as she hurried out. Heaven nearly collided with her as she rushed past.
Confused, Heaven stepped inside.
Her eyes swept over the mess.
“Didn’t you hear me?!” Desmond shouted, assuming Scarlett had returned. “Do you want me to drag you out myself?! Leave me alone!”
When he realized it was Heaven standing there, his expression softened instantly. He looked away and sank into his chair, scrubbing a hand over his face.
“What’s wrong with you?” Heaven asked gently.
He didn’t answer.
She placed the documents she was holding onto the center table.
“You need to sign these papers,” she said calmly. “Just do it after you finish throwing your tantrum.”
She turned to leave.
“Is your hatred for me really that deep,” Desmond said suddenly, “that you chose to hide? Do you really believe I cheated while we were mourning our child? Why didn’t you let me explain? I love you, Heaven. What do I have to do for you to believe that? Do I have to disappear too before you finally trust me?”
Heaven froze.
Her body stiffened as his words echoed in her ears.