Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Dante knew that I had a child.

It had taken every inch of me not to show him how much the fact that he knew about Hayley irked me. Dante was too observant and he would have been waiting for even the smallest sl*p up in my demeanor for him to retaliate.

I had managed to keep Hayley away from any attention that may prove stressful to either her or the current situation. However, I did not take in to consideration the fact that he had found a way to dig up as much information about my life than I was prepared for.

I didn’t know what infuriated me more about it all. The fact that he actually intruded in on my personal life or that he had assumed that Hayley was Adam’s child and didn’t consider an alternative reality to the one he had conjured up in his head. It was convenient for him to place the blame on my shoulders and take away the guilt from his own wrong doings.

I swallowed my anger like burning coals and went with his assumption. It would prove easy for me to entertain that route than to try and convince him that Hayley was his own flesh and blood. I scoffed just thinking about how that would have went.

Dante would never believe me and even if he did then who is to say that he will not make the gruesome decision to issue a custody battle. It was not some thing that I would put past him given his current and game plan which seemed to be to get

mindset to me in whichever way he could possibly think of.

It was also information that I hoped he would keep to himself. I didn’t want Pheobe knowing about it at all. As far as she knew, whatever child I had been carrying met a tragic end after what she had administered to me before I left. I didn’t trust her one bit especially since things may not bode well for her if Dante does find out that Hayley is his child.

A throat cleared dragging me out of my thoughts. “Are you ready to order, ma’am?” The blonde waitress stared at me appearing to me mildly annoyed at my lack of acknowledgment the first time she’d asked.

“Yes, yes. I’m sorry.” I folded the menu and handed or back to her. “I’ll have a cappuccino and an eggs benedict.” She nodded, taking the menu back in her hold before flashing Adam a wide, bright smile that she didn’t seem to care to offer me even half of that smile.

“And for you, Sir?” Her voice was high pitched and she stuck her chest out even though her uniform didn’t allow for much cleavage to be visible.

Chapter 14

“I’ll have the same as her.” Adam didn’t notice her obvious flirtation and handed her back the menu without even looking at her.

She left after letting out a disappointment huff leaving me to look at Adam to see if he had deliberately ignored her or if he genuinely did not notice her.

“So, how did the rest of the banquet go? I know Bernie Collins was looking to speak to you. He was more than keen to join in the ranks of investors.” Yep, he definitely didn’t notice the waitress at all.

I looked around the cafe seeing that it had been filling up for the brunch rush but it was a good thing that we chose a table at the corner of the cafe allowing us some privacy.

“It ended of well. I didn’t get to speak to Bernic but there was an email sent early this morning.” Adam relaxed in his chair after having shrugged off his blazer revealing the sky blue button front shirt that he wore beneath it.

“I thought Dante would have more planned than just relocating the meeting.” He scoffed in amusement.

“It would have been better if he had as opposed to what had actually occured.” I looked at Adam and he leaned forward so he could look at me closely.

“What did the man do to you?” He asked, pronouncing each word dangerously slowly. I pondered on how I could answer that question but all options were inappropriate and out of the question. He had done a lot of things that he should not do… to me. I was never supposed to know what his l*ps felt like again after all these years. I was not supposed to be familiar again with the feel of his b*dy press against me or the weight of him that I forgot how much I liked. He was not supposed to grind against my thigh allowing me to feel his arousal and need for me. He should have not done any of that!

“It isn’t what he did but what he knows.” I inhaled deeply smelling the coffee wafting through the air.

“And what would that be?” Adam asked impatiently.

“He knows about Hayley, Adam.” My tone jad grown serious and so did Adams expression.

He knew first hand how much I wanted to prevent this from coming to his knowledge. It didn’t matter what Dante thought but that fact that he knew about Hayley’s existence meant that he could do a lot more digging behind my back and unravel the truth.

“What? How?” Those two words flew out of his mouth in shock.

“He did some digging and-” I didn’t get to complete my sentence because he cut me off.

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Chapter 14

“The gall of this guy.” He spat out. “He is a confusing individual.” Adam ran a hand through his perfect hair and it some how managed to still stay perfect.

“He doesn’t know that Hayley is his daughter though.” I lowered my voice as if someone was evesdropping nearby but that was just how determined I was to hide it away from him.

Adam raised a brow at me. “So he thinks that Hayley is another man’s child. Typical.” Adam scoffed angrily. “What is his explanation as to who the father is?” He questioned resting his forearms on the table between us.

“Funny you ask that question because he thinks it is you who fathered Hayley.” Adam’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“He doesn’t know how old she is then.” It was not a question. “Because if he did then he would know that the timeline doesn’t add up.” Of course, it doesn’t add up that’s why he thinks I was unfaithful to him.

A while we

“Oh, no he knows. He just reached the conclusion that I had cheated on him were still together.” I grit my teeth just thinking about Dante’s nerve of saying such a thing.

“I really thought Dante Crawford was a more intelligent man but I’m starting to doubt that notion greatly.” Adam’s said angrily before exhaling in exasperation. “Did you clear his misconceptions?”

I pressed my l*ps together looking around the cafe. “No, I did not. I thought it better for him to assume whatever he wanted to than to convince him that Hayley was his. I don’t want any more complications that there certainly will be once he knows.” Adam nodded in understanding just as the waitress approached with our order.

The waitress places our food and coffee in front of us before eyeing Adam desperately before giving up and walking away. I ignored her, too caught up with my own dilemma at present.

“I’m trying to piece together why on earth he’s trying so hard to meddle in things that have past as a result of his own decision. It’s like he can’t make peace with the matter.” I reached for the fork and knife but didn’t cut in to the food on my plate yet.

“And have you?” Adam threw me a suspicious look.

“Of course, I did. I had no other choice but to move on. Hanging on to the past is futile especially when I have a child.” I cut at the poached egg a little too violently causing the golden yolk to squirt but luckily it didn’t splash anywhere but on the plate.

“You know that Dante is not going to leave this alone. The man is going to either pester you until you crumble and tell him the truth or he will find out by himself.” Adam

Chapter 14

popped in a fork full of his food in to his mouth and chewed.

I didn’t want to think about it but Adam was right. Dante wasn’t going to stop. He seemed hell bent on investigating what ever he had missed out on.

“He should be more occupied with Pheobe.” I muttered sarcastically.

any thing,

“He should but they don’t seem like the most happiest couple in the room. If we are more happy around each other then those two.” Adam said with a shake of his head.

“They did at one point. I really thought they’d be married by now.” I looked down at my plate surprised by the bitter taste in my mouth from saying what I just did.

A part of me was rejoiced in the fact that they had not tied the knot and thinking about them doing just that didn’t sit well with me. It came as a revelation to me since I didn’t. care after some time but now, after having shared more than one k*ss with Dante, it felt maddening to think of.

My l*ps tingled instantly thinking about that k*ss that we shared last in the parking lot for goodness sake. It had awoken a whole new side of me that was better left dormant. I didn’t want to feel attracted to my ex- husband neither did I want to crave his touch but I did. It was a good thing that I stopped things before it could go too far. I couldn’t help but think what would happen should I have actually felt his hands over my b*dy.

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