Chapter 279

near large Sitting the I carry her, and we head to the library. One of my favorite places in the house. windows, I pull down my camisole and bra. She attaches immediately and begins to feed.

I watch her as she feeds. Her beautiful blue eyes staring at me with wonder and trust. I let out a small laugh when I realize that none of my kids have my eyes. Both took their dads‘ eye color.

Running my finger down her soft cheek, I continue staring at her. Wondering how Ethan looked. Iris looks. like me except for her eyes, so I have nothing to draw on when imagining how Ethan looks.

After she’s done, I stand up and burp her. She isn’t really a fussy baby and usually sleeps after feeding, but right now she was putting up a fight. She was crying and refusing to quiet down.

I all but gave up after a few minutes of trying to soothe her when Rowan walks in. He had discarded his coat, and his sleeves were folded. Silently, he takes Iris from me, and she immediately quiets down.

“Why is my princess crying?” he asks, smiling and in a really sweet voice.

Iris stares at him with so much wonder and fascination. If I didn’t know better, I would think she worships him.

I take a seat and remain quiet as Rowan continues having a one–sided conversation with my daughter. I had so much on my mind. So much to figure out. My head was a fucking mess.

“I didn’t mean to shout at you,” his soft and remorseful voice pulls me from my musings. “You have to understand that I get jealous and angry every time I think of you and Ethan.”

His confession catches me off guard. I don’t know how to react to it, so instead I just keep quiet.

“It kills me knowing that I almost lost you to him. That my fucking stupidity and foolishness drove you into another man’s arms. That’s why I get so angry any time he’s mentioned, because he did the one thing no other man has been able to do. He was able to touch your heart, a heart that has always belonged to me.

I He is right… And that’s what I’m struggling to understand. How was Ethan able to do it? I don’t feel anything towards the man right now, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’d felt something or was starting to feel something towards him..

“Where is Ethan, Rowan?” I am afraid.

I’ve seen Rowan’s possessiveness back when Emma was all he saw and breathed, and what lengths it drove him I was afraid he might have done something to Ethan.

He sighs before answering “Prison My eyes widen at his answer, “Say what?”

I couldn’t have heard him right.

“Ethan is in prison.”

Well, I did not see that coming at all.

“What the hell happened?”

He proceeded to tell me everything. How Ethan was Nora and Theo’s adopted son. He told me how he played me and how he ended up being caught and sentenced to prison.

“Holly Shit,” I exhale while staring at Rowan in shock. “I was having sex with my adopted brother while he was planning my untimely demise the whole fucking time. That shit only happens in movies.”

The deep growl that leaves his mouth startles Iris, who was beginning to fall asleep.

“What did I tell you about mentioning you, Ethan, and sex in the same fucking sentence?”

I shake my head, still trying to grasp everything he’s told me. “Sorry”

We are quiet for a while. Each of us lost in our own heads. I can’t believe I went through all that and still remained sane.

I mean, damn! The father of my daughter is my real parents‘ adopted son, and he tried to have me killed because he wanted to be the CEO of their company. That is CRAZY.

“I thought I would let him be around Iris; do you think that is a good idea?” I ask him, genuinely worried. I didn’t want a psychopath around my child.

Rowan groans before exhaling deeply. “I hate to say it, but yes. Let him get to know his daughter. Sure, he started this with the wrong agenda, but I also admit that, in the end, he was deeply regretful. It seems he’d fallen in love with you.”

It’s clear the words he said were uttered begrudgingly, but it was enough for me.

Thank you for telling me. All I wanted was the truth.” I stand up, move, and then sit next to him. I lean my head against his shoulder, ignoring the troubled look that flashed in his eyes.

Right now, it didn’t matter what he was hiding. I was going to find out sooner or later. What mattered was how the hell I was going to visit Ethan in prison without triggering another fight between Rowan and me.