Chapter 101

Chapter 101

Brian’s gaze held a weight that made Madelyn squirm, her quilt making it impossible for her to meet his eyes.

“Why was he playing outside alone?” Brian’s voice broke the silence after a few seconds of contemplation.

Madelyn fumbled for words, her reply barely above a whisper, “I… I was preoccupied with Sofia’s trouble, and I just… I took my eyes off him, and he wandered off!”

As she spoke, her face was a canvas of remorse.” Sorry, it’s my fault. I should have watched Nate better!”

“You’re lying!” Nate’s little face flushed with anger as he accused.

Madelyn panicked and quickly turned to Brian for support. “Brian, you have to believe me. It was an honest mistake. Nate’s never gotten into trouble when he’s been with me before. It was just a lapse, I swear!”

Brian’s eyes held a complex mixture of emotions as he stared at her. After a moment’s pause, he spoke in a softer tone. “Don’t interrupt. Let Nate tell the story.”

Fidgeting in Sadie’s arms, Nate struggled to get down until Brian bent over and scooped him up, cleaning the tears on his cheeks. “Tell Daddy what happened,” he soothed.

“Madelyn said I was noisy and annoying.” Nate wouldn’t even glance at Madelyn as he buried his face in Brian’s neck and mumbled.

Madelyn’s gaze fixed on Nate’s small form, noticing how much more articulate he seemed than before.

“So, you sent him out because of that?” Brian’s brows furrowed as he pressed Madelyn for an explanation.

“No!” She gestured frantically, “I had a bit of a migraine. You know I’m prone to them. I just asked him to keep it down. I didn’t say he was being annoying!”

Nate never lied, and Brian never tolerated deceit from any of the caregivers around Nate.

Moreover, a three–year–old child had no reason to fabricate stories about an adult.

“This is my home,” he said, his voice low as he locked eyes with Madelyn. “Do you understand?” “Brian, I didn’t…” Madelyn began, but she could see he was pissed and tried to explain more quietly, “You know how I’ve been with Nate. You’ve seen it all along. You…”

“Whether he’s the liar or it’s you, I believe this manor is no longer a fitting place for you,” Brian cut her off frostily.

Madelyn’s world had crashed down when she got pregnant out of wedlock. Her boyfriend and

Chapter 101

Brian’s best friend, Robert Smith, had vanished in a plane crash and was still missing.

The Smith family refused to acknowledge her child, and the Harris family, ashamed, turned her away. Alone and destitute, living in a company dorm without even the money for an abortion, Brian had pitied her. He’d paid for the procedure and offered her refuge to shelter from the storm until Robert returned, thinking that was what he could do for his friend.

Brian had never stopped searching for Robert despite official declarations of presumed death. Madelyn always insisted that she felt Robert was still with her and that she’d wait for him forever if needed.

But recently, Brian felt Madelyn had changed and was almost beyond recognition.

He watched her for a few seconds before speaking again, “Clear out your things by the end of the month.”

His words struck her like a bolt from the blue. Madelyn stared at Brian, speechless.

Clutching Nate, Brian turned and walked upstairs without another look.

“Brian, I’ve come to think of this place as my home!” Madelyn’s senses snapped back as she hurried to the foot of the stairs, pleading, “You can’t just throw me out!”

Brian paused and continued without looking back at her, “We have no blood ties. We’re just friends. You may think of this as your home, but that’s not the reality.”