Chapter 62 Chapter 62
Maxwell
It had been days since my last crash out, and I was exhausted.
I had been trying to hold myself together and come up with a solution, something that could help me sabotage my parents’ condition. But my mind was empty. No ideas, no plans. Just a constant headache and frustration eating away at me.
The worst part was that I couldn’t talk to anyone about it. I didn’t trust anyone enough to open my mouth. One wrong word, one careless confession, and it could be used against me. That fear kept me silent.
Amelia and I had been cordial lately. Still, I stayed cautious around her. I didn’t trust that she wasn’t feeding Declan information about my life. I watched my words carefully whenever she was around.
We had just finished a meeting with a client at a restaurant and were now sitting in the back of the car. The quiet felt heavy.
“Are we going back to the office or home?” Amelia asked.
“Home,” I replied. “It’s almost closing time.”
She sighed, long and dramatic, like my answer had just ruined her entire day. I glanced at her briefly but said nothing.
After a moment, I spoke again. “I’d like to stop by a mall and get something, if you don’t mind.”
Her expression softened immediately. “That’s fine,” she said. “I will wait for you.”
I leaned forward slightly. “Stop at the mall close by,” I told the driver.
We stopped in front of the mall, and I stepped out of the car and went inside. I picked up the few things I needed and headed toward the cashier to pay. Halfway there, I realized I had forgotten something, so I turned around and walked back toward the shelves.
That was when I heard a voice from the aisle behind me. “Pick anything you want. If you like it, take it. I will pay for whatever you want.”
The sound of that voice made my heart skip, it sounded too much like Declan.
I froze for a second. Could that really be him? And why did it sound like he was talking to a child?
My chest tightened as curiosity pulled me forward. I stepped closer, moving quietly until I could see past the shelf.
There he was. Declan stood there with his back to me, but I would recognize him anywhere. His posture, his voice. Standing in front of him was a little girl, no older than five, looking up at him with excitement.
My breath caught. Declan had a child? And no one in the family knew about her. How was that even possible?
My mind raced as questions flooded in. I was just about to step forward, needing answers, when someone suddenly bumped into me. The impact knocked everything out of my hands.
The items fell to the floor, scattering at my feet.
I turned sharply, anger flaring, ready to snap at the woman but she didn’t even slow down. She didn’t apologize, she didn’t look back. She just walked away like nothing had happened.
I clenched my jaw and forced myself to breathe, fighting the urge to lose my temper. I bent down and carefully picked up everything that had fallen to the floor. By the time I straightened up and looked around, Declan and the little girl were gone.
I walked slowly through the mall, scanning the crowds, hoping to catch a glimpse of them again, but they had completely vanished. It was as if they had never been there.
Still holding my items, I finally paid at the cashier, my mind spinning. Was that the reason he came to my office the other day? I remembered how confidently he had spoken about taking over the company soon. None of us in the family had known he had a kid.
I left the mall and made my way toward the car, my thoughts tangled and heavy. When I got there, I noticed the passenger seat was empty.
“Where did Amelia go?” I asked the driver.
“She just ran out of the car,” he replied. “She said to tell you she will meet you at home. Something came up.”
I nodded, still too lost in my thoughts to respond further.
I looked around the parking lot, hoping for even a hint of Declan or the little girl but there was nothing, they were gone.
A strange mix of disbelief, confusion, and something I couldn’t quite name twisted in my chest.
Author's note: is he going to find out