Chapter 80 The End of Her Game
BELLA
The words tumbled out of his mouth like an announcement he’d been rehearsing. “The doctor called me. We have a donor for your father.”
I froze. The weight of the sentence hit me square in the chest, but I couldn’t let him see my reaction. I quickly forced my expression into a mask of confusion, feigning innocence.
David’s gaze bore into mine as if he were trying to read my thoughts. “Yes, your father,” he added, his voice quieter but no less firm. “I know you lost your memories and don’t remember anything, but the operation is scheduled for tomorrow.”
My heart raced, the implications swirling in my mind. I needed to be there, but I couldn’t let him suspect a thing. “Can I come with you?” I asked, my tone measured, my hands clasped tightly together to keep from trembling.
David tilted his head, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly. “Why?”
I swallowed hard, feeling his gaze pierce through me. “I want to see him,” I replied quickly. “Even if I don’t remember him, he’s still my father, right? It’s only right I go with you to support him.”
A flicker of suspicion lingered in his expression, but he eventually nodded. “Alright,” he said. “You’ll come with me.”
Before I could respond, he closed the distance between us, gently pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Get some rest,” he murmured before stepping out of the room.
The moment the door clicked shut, I let out a shaky breath. My knees felt weak, and I sank onto the edge of the bed, clutching the sheets. I had to be careful. David couldn’t know I’d regained my memories. Not yet.
DAVID
As I left Bella’s room, unease settled like a heavy weight on my chest. Something about her demeanor wasn’t right. The way she looked at me it wasn’t the blank, uncertain gaze I’d come to expect. It was sharp. Knowing.
Had she regained her memories?
The thought clawed at me as I walked down the hallway. My phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling me out of my thoughts. A text from Janet lit up the screen:
“The results are out. Meet me at Grandpa’s mansion.”
Tension coiled in my chest. The paternity results. Lizzy’s baby. I couldn’t ignore the sense of dread settling over me as I grabbed my car keys and headed out.
The drive to the mansion felt longer than usual, each passing streetlight amplifying the questions in my head. When I arrived, the grand estate loomed in the distance, its towering structure casting long shadows under the evening sun.
I found Janet in the garden, lounging on a chair with an air of satisfaction. The faint scent of roses lingered in the air as I approached her.
“What did the results say?” I asked, cutting straight to the point as I sat down beside her.
She handed me a folded paper, her expression unreadable. “The results say you’re the father,” she said, her voice steady.
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “That’s not possible,” I muttered, shaking my head. “It hasn’t even been six weeks since…” My voice trailed off, my mind racing.
Janet leaned back, her smirk almost predatory. “I thought you’d say that,” she said. “So I did some digging.”
My eyes snapped to hers. “What kind of digging?”
“I bribed a few people close to Lizzy,” she said nonchalantly. “Turns out she’s been… busy. Eden’s name came up more than once.”
My fists clenched as I processed her words. “Eden? My brother?”
Janet nodded, her smirk growing. “So I took the liberty of getting Eden’s DNA tested as well.” She paused for dramatic effect. “Guess what? He’s the father, not you.”
A mixture of anger and relief coursed through me. It all made sense now her sudden desperation, her attempts to manipulate me.
“But why would she try to pin Eden’s child on me?” I asked, my voice laced with frustration.
Janet laughed, a dry, humorless sound. “Oh, come on, David. You’re David Copperfield, the wealthiest man in the city. Who wouldn’t want to be tied to you?”
I clenched my jaw, her words sinking in. My mind drifted to Bella, the one woman in my life who didn’t seem to care about my wealth or status.
Janet interrupted my thoughts. “We should throw a party,” she said, her tone turning icy. “Invite Lizzy. It’s time to expose her for who she really is and get rid of her once and for all.”
Her words lingered in the air as I nodded slowly, a plan beginning to form. It was time to clean up the mess Lizzy had created and protect the life I was trying to build with Bella.