Mr Billionaires Secret Baby

Chapter 23

The usual calm that existed around the pristine living room in the home that | now called mines felt non-existent. In place of the serenity and easy atmosphere had been the tension that built on the air until it felt like | could cut through it with a knife.

| paced the length of the living room until | was quite certain that | could power up a low voltage light bulb from the static electricity that | produced. The sun shining through the open drapes didn’t help either. It added a warmth to the room that made the palms of my hand clammy.

My eyes darted to the clock that hung high on the wall. It was an antique and ticked loudly making each passing second feel like impending door drawing closer.

Adam had heard about the incident and, despite my rejection to his proposal, he had come to see me at the hospital and was by my side until the doctors had dismissed me. My injuries were not as bad as | had assumed it would be. Aside from whip lash and a constant migraine, | was rather alright.

As for Dante, he had incurred a few injuries. His hand had been injured from when he tried to save me as we braced for impact. His head had been injured as well causing him to pass out. It was why he had been kept in for observation longer than | was asked to stay.

However, Dante was not at the forefront of my concern at present. Adam had been coming over any moment now. He hadn't given any reason for his visit aside from wanting to see how | was doing but it was inevitable that the uncomfortable topic was going to come up.

The sound of a car approaching the front entrance made me tense but | breathed out gently to calm down. It was only Adam and we would discuss things as adults and, by any luck, we could go back to how we were with our any of this awkwardness looking over us.

| heard the butler let him in and informed him that | was in the living room. Adam appeared in the door way dressed in a golfer and a pair of chinos. His work attire was no where to be seen but it suited him well. | don’t think there was much he could wear that would not suit him.

“Hey.” He greeted from the door way before he walked deeper in to the room. “Hey, Adam.” | greeted back rather awkwardly.

“You look well. He said after his eyes ran a quick assessing sweep of me. | was worried sick about you.” His shoulders relaxed in relief.

“It was terrifying” | admitted as a shudder ran down my spine thinking about the ordeal.

“But you're okay and that’s all that matters.” He said with a small smile on his I*ps but his eyes. flashed with the hurt and confusion of what needed to be ironed out between us.

The air was uncomfortable and this was not the usual energy when Adam and | were in the same room. owas

l inhaled deeply deciding to clear the air once and for all. Adam and | were friends and nothing going to change that. Not a misunderstanding, not the wrong timing, and not any issue that could. be workable.

16:25 Tue, 5 Mar F Chapter 23 06%

“Adam, this isn’t us and we need to clear the air about what happened.” | put it out there and waited. for him to refuse or reject my idea.

| held my breath until he sighed and nodded. “We do need to clear this up. Adam agreed.

| lead him to the couches where we sat across from each other and spoke over a glass of red. | explained to Adam my perspective and how there was still so much to figure out before | could think about moving forward in to another commitment. Adam understood and explained how he might have misread my actions.

In the end, we made peace with it and were willing to move on from it as some thing to look back at and laugh later on. Adam cracked a joke and we chuckled and, just like that, every thing was back to normal again.

“How is Dante doing?” Adam asked after a moment of silence.

“He has gotten a little bit more injured than |. He is still in the hospital and | haven’t heard any thing from him since.” | informed him, setting my empty glass on to the coffee table.

He nodded but his eyes were tensed at their edges causing the skin around it to crease. “The whole incident sounds like a proper attack.” He frowned, drumming his fingers against his shadowed chin.

“There isn’t any other way to look at it. The car behind kept knocking in to us until we went over the edge.” My stomach formed a knot before it relaxed thinking about how it felt to go over the cliff and fall in to the mass of water.

“But who would have such a vendetta against you two?” Adam mused seriously and | shrugged not wanting to think about having some one after either Dante or myself.

“| don’t know and | don’t want to know. The whole thing is just some thing | want to forget like it was bad night mare.” Adam was not ready to let it go as easily as | was.

“You should. If you’re on someone’s attack list then who's to say that they are not willing to harm Hayley. | gasped at that since it hasn't occured to me at all.

“Not many people know about Hayley and, besides, why would anyone want to harm an innocent child?” | shrugged it away not wanting to entertain such a chilling thought

“| know that it is grim to think about but you have to consider it. If it means being on the safer side then why not? If you do not want to take on the stress of investigating then let me do it. I've been fond of Hayley since the day she was born and | hate to think of any harm looming over her.” Adam offered and despite knowing that he meant well, | didn’t want to discuss this right now.

my head still hurts from the ordeal and | needed a few days rest to over come every thing until it felt like some horrible nightmare and not an accident that was a reality and took place less than 48 hours ago.

“Look, it isn’t what | want to do right now. Heck, for all intents and purposes, | just want to go back to normal again. That isn’t to say that | will not look in to it but just not right this second.” | explained gently and he understood but his eyes were still tensed thinking about it.

16:25 Tue, 5 Mar Chapter 23 6%*

Adam opened his mouth to speak but rapid knocking against the front door had us both falling silent. The knocks were desperate and | rose from my spot and made my way to see who it had been. As | approached the door, the urgent knocking had turned in to thunderous banging and for a second | would have thought that it was an intruder trying to get in.

“Stand back. Let me deal with this.” Adam grunted but | already leaned forward to peak through the peep hole. Dante? What the hell was he doing here?! “It's Dante.” | said to Adam and his face scrunched up in disapproval.

| pulled open the door and nearly gasped at the sight that awaited me. Dante was very bedressed. His clothes were crumpled, his head bandaged along with his arm. The side of his forehead had spores a few bruises and there a cut on his brow but he didn’t seem to be in any pain.

“Dante? What are you doing here?” | asked frantically as | assessed him to make sure he was truly okay. “| had to come and make sure that- His eyes darted over to Adam and his orbs became angry flames.

Not wanting the two of them to get in to a fight, | looked at Adam. “Maybe you should go. I’ll get in touch with you later.” | said but Adam didn’t move at first.

both men stood there in a stare of until | nudged Adam gently. He muttered something beneath hist breath before leaving, closing the door behind him until it slammed and closed shut with a loud

thud.

Dante stood quiet as his eyes ran from my head to toe assessing me thoroughly. His eyes scanned my face then moved to my hands, then my arms, across my n*eck like he could see right through my skin.

My skin tingled beneath his observant gaze, heating up the path it drew. Even in his disheveled state, there was this magnetic pull to him. His natural allure that he possessed didn’t diminish at

all.

“It is good to see that you are doing as well as you can. | offered since he was definitely not in the best shape.

| waited for him to say some thing. Any thing, but he didn’t. All he did was stare at me like he was trying to memorise my face. “It was you.” He whispered and | frowned immediately mot understanding what he was talking about.

“It was you all along, Sophia.” He said louder this time, taking a step forward to me.

“What are-”

“It was you who saved me.” He said loud and clearly.

My eyes widened when | realised what he was speaking about. How did he discover this after all

0.6%#

these years? The incident took place a long while ago. Dante was drowning. | managed to save him. from the harsh current, but Portia berated me and loudly exclaimed that it was Phoebe who saved Dante. It was an easier to fight to let go and | didn’t care about it too much. For a short while, | have even forgotten about it.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

may

“All these years ago | thought it was Pheobe. | felt indebted to her because my conscience always told me that | owed her my whole life because of it but she lied to me.” He spoke in a low tone more to himself than he did to me.

His face was pained and regret marred his gaze deeply as he realised just how wrong he had been. Pheobe and her mother had been lying to him all these years but | reminded myself not to get carried away with this. He was still with Pheobe and she was still very much present in his life.

“It was a long time ago. Dante. It hardly holds Anh meaning now.” | swallowed audibly but he shook his head disagreeing with me.

“on the contrary. It means far more than any one knows. His hand moved forward to cup my cheek but he caught himself, dropping it back to his side.

The once blue clouds were now grey as it rumbled loudly. It was going to storm. | looked away from the windows and back to Dante.

“You better get going, Dante, before the storm starts” | took a step away from him not wanting to get lost in his vulnerable looking eyes.

He was deceived and for that | pitied him but | couldn't allow myself to fall for any sort of hope with him again.

Dante’s eyes had grown pained and offended at me suggesting that he leave. If any thing he stiffened like he was solidifying his stance and planting himself firmly in to the floor.

“Do not chase me away, Sophia. Let me be here for a while.” He pleaded, looking down at me like his entire world depended on my response,”