Chapter 101 Are you my daddy
In the Kalabora mansion, tension hung in the air
“Mum!! I can’t do this anymore!” Summer screamed, her voice mixed with pain. “I can’t endure that shapeless old man any longer. He will kill me at this rate!”
Meredith reached for her daughter’s arm, trying to calm her. “If you leave him, he won’t let us off easily. And your career will perish. You know he’s an Assemblyman.”
Damien scowled from his armchair, his tone sharp. “Stop provoking him. I told you. You pushed him too far this time.”
Summer whirled on her father, eyes blazing. “You think it’s easy? I’m a young woman..I need sex, Father. Good sex. I’m going insane! We should get help. How did I even get myself entangled in this?”
Damien shot her a cold glare. “It’s your greed.”
Summer flinched as if struck. She had done illegal things to force her debut into the spotlight. When Jemima’s scandalous pictures leaked 7 years ago, Summer had been in one of them. Soon after, her own photos surfaced. Faced with ruin, she had accepted Assemblyman Jo’s offer of marriage in exchange for a clean career and lavish lifestyle.
“Damien, stop scolding her,” Meredith snapped, “She has learned her lesson. We have to figure out a way to help her.” She turned, her eyes falling on the angry gashes marking her daughter’s pale skin fresh bruises peeking from beneath Summer’s sleeve.
Summer clutched her arm, wincing. “Mother, we are in-laws to the Richards. They can help us now, right?”
Damien shook his head grimly. “They already threw Heaven out. We were lucky they didn’t demand the bride's price back.”
Summer’s eyes lit with a desperate spark. “We could blackmail them. Heaven was married into their family; they have to tell us her whereabouts, or we leak it to the press.”
Meredith and Damien exchanged horrified glances.
“We can’t do that,” Meredith said quickly, her face paling. “It would implicate us too.”
“What? How?” Summer asked, genuinely confused.
Meredith lowered her voice, “Heaven came back home when they threw her out, but we received a call. They told us to send her away, or your scandalous pictures would be leaked. So we did.”
Silence fell heavy over the room.
Guilt washed over Damien in waves.
\~~~~~~~~~
Fabian remained in the cellar, his thoughts stuck on the conversation he’d had with Rayan about Heaven.
The more he thought about it, the heavier the guilt settled in his chest. Rayan was right. If he put himself in her shoes, he would want to know his roots too. He had been selfish, thinking only of himself and not of her. And telling her that no one was waiting for her that had been cruel.
He exhaled sharply and stood up.
He wasn’t going to drag it out any longer. He would tell her how he felt before it was too late.
Fabian walked through the house, searching.
“Rayan, where is Vera?” he asked urgently.
“She left hours ago,” Rayan replied. Then, more quietly, “Go to her, man.” He patted Fabian’s shoulder.
Fabian felt a small tug on his trouser leg and looked down.
It was Liam.
“I want Mama too,” the boy said softly.
Liam had noticed that his mama was unhappy. Earlier, he had said he wanted to stay with Grandpa, but he had taken it back. He didn’t want her to be alone.
Fabian bent down, lifted Liam into his arms, and carried him toward the car.
From inside the house, Old Man Johnson watched his son leave. He clicked his tongue.
“I wonder how a lion managed to father an idiot,” he muttered. “Who does he even take after? He took only the handsome genes and doesn’t know how to use them. What took him so long? He had all the time in the world to tell her.”
Fabian drove straight to her house, his mind rehearsing the words he would say.
The house was quiet, but the lights were on she wasn’t asleep yet.
He stepped into the kitchen, and his whole world shattered.
She was sitting on the counter, almost kissing the strange man from next door.
“Mama,” Liam called.
Heaven jumped down from the counter in shock. Maverick caught her and set her down gently.
“Careful. Don’t hurt yourself,” Maverick said calmly.
He wasn’t surprised to see them. He had seen Fabian pull into the driveway.
Men were not friends with women without a reason. This Fabian or whatever his name was wanted his woman, and Maverick intended to protect his territory.
“Liam baby… Fabian,” Heaven said, acknowledging both of them, visibly embarrassed.
Fabian’s fists clenched at his sides. His eyes locked on Maverick, who wore a taunting, nonchalant smirk.
Heaven quickly carried her son to his room. He would probably be confused by what he had seen.
That left Fabian and Maverick alone. Fabian stepped forward and grabbed Maverick by the collar.
“I don’t know what game you’re playing with her, but you need to quit it. Right now.”
“What makes you think I’m playing a game?” Maverick asked calmly, not flinching.
“I already know who you are, Maverick,” Fabian raged.
“Who I’m I?” His smile flattered.
“Maverick Donovan,” Fabian snapped. “Ex-convict for cybercrime. Spent one year in jail. A history of changing women like you change your clothes. She is not your type of woman so stay the hell away from her.”
Maverick was momentarily shocked.
He had paid every private investigator in Ivory City and created a false identity. Is this what they gave him?
He recovered instantly.
“She’s my woman now,” Maverick said coldly. “You’re the one who should stay away.”
He leaned in and whispered, voice low and dangerous.
“She already kissed me. We were just about to…”
Fabian lifted his hand in rage.
“Fabian!!” Heaven shouted, arriving just in time.
“Let’s talk,” Heaven let out a breath.
Fabian sighed and released Maverick.
Maverick’s jaw clenched. Why was she asking to talk to him? He forced himself to stay still. Not now. He couldn’t lose control.
Fabian left with Heaven.
Maverick stood there, impatience coiling tight in his chest, wondering what she was discussing with Fabian inside her room.
Liam hadn’t slept.
He had pretended to, just to comfort his mama. She was clearly worried he had seen it. He had indeed seen everything and he understood a lot more than she thought.
He quietly got out of bed and peeked out of his room before stepping into the hallway leading to the living room.
The unfinished food on the table caught his attention, the beans carefully picked out and set aside.
He turned.
His mama’s client was pacing back and forth in the kitchen.Liam walked toward him.
He stopped right in front of Maverick, lifted his small face, and asked softly
“Are you my daddy?”