Chapter 53
Newman’s gaze fixed on Athena, his gaze laced with sneering emotion.
This chick just had the nerve to cuss him out. His face was a picture of cool displeasure, a frosty thin ice blanketing his handsome features.
Athena’s hands were gripping Newman’s lapels tightly, her eyes shattered like a still lake disturbed by a tossed pebble.
There she went again with that look of hers, her delicate, fair face brimming with endless, simmering hate and resentment, as if Newman owed her big time, like eight lifetimes of debt.
The man found it both absurd and laughable. He narrowed his hazel eyes and shoved away the hands clutching at his clothes.
“You won’t give in on anything, will you?!” He unleashed that tycoon’s aura, the kind that stormed boardrooms.
Athena’s laugh was icy and mournful, “There’s nothing left to say between you and me!”
In Newman’s eyes, a tempest of fury was brewing, the dark clouds twisting into a storm. He had plenty of tricks up his sleeve to make this woman talk!
“Athena, I’m giving you a final three–day deadline. Give me the name, address, and contact details of the woman who makes these dolls. If you’re still tight–lipped after three days, I’ll set a wedding date with Simon for you and Zoey. Within three months, I’ll have you two legally hitched! You’ll never escape the Bradshaw family’s grip in this lifetime! Then, I’ll have all the time in the world to wear you down and pry out every bit of info I want!”
This was his last ounce of leniency towards Athena.
Athena was so mad her scalp tingled! “Newman! You lunatic!”
She yelled in anger, but the man, holding a rabbit doll, spelled it out for her, “When it comes to this woman, I am insane!”
With that, Newman turned his head and growled, “Delia, show the guest out!”
At Newman’s roar, Delia hurried out from a nearby room. As she passed by Newman, his overwhelming presence sent shivers down her spine.
“Ms. Dempsey, right this way, please.”
Athena stood in the distance, shouting at his retreating figure, “Newman, you’ll regret this!”
Her voice echoed in the empty space, but the man didn’t seem to hear her at all, not pausing for even a split second.
In the hot spring changing room.
“Here are the results of our paternity test.”
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12:24
Chapter 53
Payne showed his phone to Kevin, who wasn’t much of a reader. The report on the screen might as well have been hieroglyphics to Kevin.
“What does it say?”
Payne told him. “We’re real brothers!”
Kevin took a deep breath, his eyes as big as grapes sparkling like stars. He was over the moon, “So I’m the older brother now! Yay!”
“I’m the older one!” Payne corrected him.
Kevin, hands on hips, challenged, “Does the report say who the older brother is?”
Payne pursed his lips. “The DNA test doesn’t say, but I’m sure I’m the older one!”
“I’m the older one; I’m taller than you!”
“Kevin, you’re standing on tiptoes; I’m taller when I do that too!”
The kids started comparing heights on their tiptoes, arguing over who the older brother was. During their endless debate, Kevin suggested, “Let’s ask Mommy who’s the older brother!”
At the mention of Mommy, Payne clutched his phone tighter, “Kevin, the results with Belle Athena came out too; she’s my real mom!”
Kevin jumped for joy, “Pineapple, let’s go tell Mommy the news!”
He grabbed Payne’s hand and bolted out.
“Kevin!” Payne couldn’t keep up and stumbled, crashing to the ground.
Kevin spun around to see Payne on the floor. His hand was clasped by Kevin; only his legs were touching the ground, and a pang of pain from his knee made his eyes well up with tears.
“Pineapple, you okay?!”
Kevin was scared and quickly helped Payne up, but Payne stopped him from touching his knee. “I’m fine; don’t touch me.‘
99
He could tell his knee was scraped, and it would hurt like hell if Kevin accidentally touched it. Kevin’s eyes were filled with caution and a twinge of guilt, thinking Payne didn’t like him and didn’t want any physical contact anymore.
“Pineapple, I’m sorry; I won’t drag you running again. From now on, I’ll carry you, okay?”
Payne muttered under his breath, “How are you going to carry me?”
They were the same height; Kevin couldn’t possibly carry him.
Payne picked up his phone, which he’d dropped during the fall, hanging his head low with a dejected expression, “Can you keep it a secret from Mommy that I’m her baby too?”
12:24
Chapter 33
“Why?” Kevin was puzzled.
“My health isn’t great; I’d just be a burden to her. I was left with my daddy and never saw Mommy once; there must be a reason, Kevin, can you ask Mommy if she knows she has another kid? What are her thoughts on her other child? If she wants to see me, I’ll appear right in front of her! But if Mommy doesn’t want me, I’ll hide away and secretly watch her, making sure she never finds out.”
Kevin was confused, but seeing Payne’s lowly and helpless expression, he nodded in hall–understanding.
“Okay, Pineapple, I’ll ask Mommy for you. As soon as she says she wants to see you right away, I’ll bring you to her!”
Seeing Kevin agree. Payne lifted his head and smiled.
Athena was practically kicked out of Cozy Retreat by the Bradshaw family’s servants. She never imagined that giving a doll would tip Newman off.
Back when she was with the Bradshaw family, Newman couldn’t care less about anything related to her. She had hit the hay with that guy so many times, and five years later, they hooked up again, and he didn’t even recognize her.
What was with the bunny doll that’d got Newman so worked up? Athena was all over the place, feeling utterly ridiculous for making such a blunder.
She would never admit to Newman that she was that silly girl. Newman had got kids with Yolanda now, so what did that make her, his ex–wife?
The Bradshaw family would never let a child with their blood run through their veins stay out of the family.
Her Kevin was going to leave her! And no way did she want Newman treating her with the same crappy attitude he had for, the silly girl back in the day.
Only an idiot would keep on loving a man who found her repulsive and nauseating. Athena sniffled, her nose damp, she needed to figure out a way to get out of this mess.
She whipped out her phone, which was buzzing with a call from an unknown number. She hit the decline button without answering.
That was when a text message popped up, “Your two kids have both grown up safe and sound.”
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