His Sweet Revenge: Chapters 1–5

Bryan's POV

The car comes to a halt in front of the small house that can pass for my gateman's quarters. I tilt my head aside to look into the house, with my anger at its peak for being cheated.

The light from the house illuminates the window making me see a shadow of a woman who I presume to be her, the woman who ran away with something that belongs to me.

She seems to be doing some chores as she moves about the room and turns to look at someone before she continues her work.

I keep looking, remembering what happened between us three years ago and how she disappeared into thin air. At first, I was worried about her but she was too dumb to leave traces of where she was going and within two weeks, my men found her staying with her old aunt in Los Angeles. I told them to let her be.

Now that I know she has something that belongs to me, I can't just overlook it and I am here to take it back. I don't care what she thinks or what she says, I am getting it back and I will punish her for denying me the right to know about my heir.

"Open the door!" I command, without taking my eyes off the window.

Kelvin, the driver comes out and opens the door to the Ferrari for me. I take a last look at the window and step out with my suede shoes shining brightly in the darkness. I turn my head slightly to look at the head of the bodyguard, coming from the other car.

"Maxwell and Patrick, follow me."

"Yes, boss", they answer and step forward immediately to do as instructed.

I adjust my aggressively tailored Italian suit with confidence and dip my two hands inside the pocket before taking a step towards the small house.

I do not have any idea why she is doing this, hiding my baby from me and depriving me of the right to know of his existence but I know whatever reason she has isn't genuine enough. Running away is an error on its own and the offense of not telling me about her pregnancy is a crime that deserves punishment.

I stand in front of the door and without the courtesy of knocking, Maxwell pulls the door open and I walk in. I hear a gasp and a soft scream of panic from the woman inside as she runs to her baby.

I venture fully into the house until her gaze falls on me, leaving the two hefty bodyguards at the door.

"Bryan?" She calls with her eyes bulging out in surprise.

I fold my arms and look around her little living room. It is still the same way it was when I offered her a life-changing opportunity that she misused. She left before the end of our contract and without getting her final pay. I thought she was going to come back for her pay but she never did.

She picks up the little boy whose eyes are on me. I watch him intensely and I can see his blue eyes and the clear resemblance between us. I need no soothsayer to tell me this baby is mine but I know she is going to deny it.

"Bryan...."

"Long time no see, Celine", I cut her off, staring at her outfit. She has an apron tied around her neck region, explaining why she was walking up and down the room when I was outside. She was obviously cooking a meal for herself and my baby. I can't believe my child is living in a shabby home like this and eating crumbs. The thought of this is making me more pissed.

"What are you doing here?" She demands, breathing heavily and hiding the boy's face.

"To take what is rightfully mine", I say without beating about the bush.

"What? What...d..do..do you mean by what is rightfully yours?" She stammers in question.

"My child", I point towards the boy. "I know he is mine."

She drops him back on the couch and folds her arms defiantly as she moves closer. "He is not yours!"

Before I can say anything, the little boy calls. "Mommy."

She turns back abruptly at his voice. "Yes, baby." She squates to his height on the couch.

The boy points at me. "Zaddy?"

She shakes her head. "No, baby. He is not your daddy."

"I am your daddy", I tell him.

Celine gets up immediately and rushes to me.

"He is not yours", she affirms with a confident and unwavering look.

"Whose child is he, then?" I question, my eyes wandering to the boy with piercing blue eyes like mine.

Celine narros her eyes with her hands clenched. "He is mine."

"What about his father? Who is his father?" I drop my hand lazily and watch her intensely, studying her expression. Everything about her shows how bad she is at lying.

She is quiet for a while before she answers defensively. "That is none of your business."

"Then it means he is mine then and I am taking him", I conclude with a smile and walk past her to pick up the child who is already dozing off.

"No, no, no!" She chants blocking my way. "Please, don't take him away. I beg you!"

I stand staring at her crying face. She is still the same cry baby I know her to be but it does not affect me. I can't let my son stay here.

"Give me one good reason why you decide to host a billionaire's son in this slum", I say softly, careful not to wake the sleeping boy.

"I'm sorry, Bryan. Please, don't take him."

"I am taking him and there is nothing you or anyone can do about it", I stroll past her with the boy in my arms as she follows behind, pleading in tears.

I get to the door as Maxwell throws it open for me and I whisper to him. "Don't let her come out until I am gone."

Maxwell nods and slams the door shut behind me. I hear her muffle screams as I take long strides toward the car with my son in my arms, sleeping peacefully.

Kevin is out waiting for me and he opens the door for me to get in as soon as I am close by. I slouch into the car carefully so as not to wake my son.

Kevin walks back to the driver's seat and enters. He ignites the car into action and as he drives off.

I hear her scream of "No!"

I realize she is watching me from the window as she screams again, her voice echoing round the entire residence. "No!"

Celine's POV

The moment I realize he is gone and not coming back to hear my pleas, I slump to the floor and burst into fresh tears.

"Please, Bryan", I beg, burying my head in between my legs, wishing he can hear me or feel my pain. The pain of being separated from my child. Jason is my life, he is all I got and he is the reason why I left Bryan's mansion, without letting him know.

I didn't want Bryan to take custody of my child, denying me the right to know and cater for my son. I didn't tell him I was pregnant before running away.

Now I regret it.

What is the essence of running away when the past has now come to haunt me? How can I survive without my boy? He is the only one I have and my source of strength and motivation.

The burnt smell of what I am cooking hits my nostril but I am too weak to stand up and turn the stove off. I feel like dying. I thought Bryan has forgotten all about my existence but I know I am wrong now. I shouldn't have come back here, I should have stayed in LA for a long time before coming home.

The bodyguards he asked to stop me from following him go out of the house too, leaving me all alone to wallow in self-pity. The door opens and I refuse to raise my head to see how the intruder is until I hear his voice.

It is Paxton, my next-door neighbor.

He runs to my side. "What the hell happened?" He asks, a few distances away from me before hurrying back to turn the stove off and drop the burning meal.

"Paxton, he took him", I cry and finally raise my head.

"I heard your scream, what happened?" He questions and scoops me up in his arms. "Who? Where is Jason?" His eyes scan the living room and I see reality dawn on him as I keep crying my eyes out.

"Who took Jason?" He asks sharply as if he has a supernatural ability to go after him and bring my son back. I wish this is it, I won't hesitate to give Paxton Bryan's apartment address so he can rescue my son from the wicked man's grip. Bryan is a wicked and heartless fellow, he made me go through hell during the period of our contract which was to last for just a year.

I didn't run away because of the torture he made me go through, I ran because of his child growing in my womb as a result of one night of mistake that led us to have sex. Bryan never touched me during those periods except on that fateful day and when it resulted in pregnancy, I knew I had to leave. I was having mixed feelings and doubts about my pregnancy.

First, I was doubting if he would accept the child as his since I was just an unwanted bride. Secondly, because I know he is a billionaire and our contract is going to end soon. I was sure if he wanted his child, he would never let me have a say in his life, visit him or let him know me as his mother. That got me scared and I ran.

"Bryan", I answer his question and continue crying.

"Who the hell is Bryan? Do I know him?" He asks in impatience. Paxton is a good friend and neighbor. He shows so much care to Jason and Jason loves him.

"Jason's father", I reply as my cries turn into sobs. The deed is done already, I just need to look for a way to make sure that he gives Jason back to me even though it seems like a tough dream to achieve.

He goes silent for a while and I did not look at him. I decide to tell him what actually happened and how I met with Bryan. We haven't talked about this before but I know he is curious to know.

"Before my grandmother's death, the doctor said we needed a million dollars for her leg surgery", I begin and look at him.

He nods for me to go on. "There was no way I could raise such a huge amount. I didn't want grandma to die because she was the only family left of me. I was having sleepless nights because I was thinking of how to raise the money. My salary for a whole year won't be enough so I decided to ask my boss for assistance, promising to pay back installmentally." I sniff and pause for a while before I continue.

"That boss of mine is Bryan and he said he has an offer for me if I truly want his money. I told him I was in without considering the consequences. His offer was for me to be his secret wife for a year and we signed a contract. Since he said there will be no strings attached to it, I saw nothing wrong in it."

"He gave me the money and grandmother did the surgery but unfortunately she died. He reminded me of the contract and I had to just go along with it.

One day, we had some visitors and we all got drunk. I wasn't as drunk as he was and I tried to help him to his room. He was always harsh on me and I have never been to his room before.

I was in awe of how big and well furnished the room was that I didn't know when he stood back up from the bed. I tried to help him back to the bed but he pulled me to himself on the bed and we had sex. I discovered I was expecting a child after two months and it broke me."

"I felt he was either going to reject my child too or take him away from me so I moved away from his house, without getting my final pay from him." I raise my head to see Paxton listening attentively with a serious look on his face.

"I don't know how he got to know about Jason, I was careful not to go out with him all the time but now he knows and my baby is gone", I begin to cry again and he rocks me to his body.

"He is punishing me for not telling him about my pregnancy. How is this my fault when I didn't even know if he wanted the child the way I wanted him?"

"It's ok, Celine." He assures.

"My baby", I cry again.

"I will do something about it", he says and I jerk my head up. He nods and smiles. "I will find a way to bring him back, don't worry."

"God bless you!" I pray for him with sincerity in my heart. But when I remember how dangerous Bryan could be, I begin to shed tears all over again, Losing hope.

"Jason will be back, I promise", he vows again and hugs me to himself. I snuggle to his chest, ignoring the fact that I didn't tell him all the story and the other reason why I left Bryan's mansion.

Bryan's POV

I didn't make plans for Jason to have a nanny before he was brought into my house. I stared at him in amazement, finding it very hard to believe that the boy in my arms is my flesh and blood. He looks handsome just like me and when I noticed the rashes on his skin, I cursed beneath my breath, blaming Celine for making my son look and feel like a pauper that he isn't.

I have never thought of having a child again which is what led me to offer Celine a contract. My mother wanted me to be married and have a child but I was less interested in being a committed family man.

I didn't want any more commitments because of my past and my realization that women are all the same, except of course my mother who has a golden heart.

I wanted to make her happy so I told Celine about my offer and she agreed immediately to my relief. I had been nursing the thoughts for a while even though it sounded ridiculous and I thought it will look stupid if I tell anyone about it.

Celine came for me at the right time and I decided to take advantage of her helplessness.

It was supposed to last for just a year, then we can go our separate ways but she left before then. I knew about the sex we had when we were drunk and I knew that was how Jason was conceived.

I know his name is Jason because of the rusty silver pendant I saw on his neck last night. I got home and asked the head maid to take care of him till I find a suitable nanny for him.

I could see the happiness on her face when she took Jason from me, I know it was because she knew instantly that he was my son but I doubt if she knows who the mother is.

I already told her to place the job vacancy out for any interested candidate capable of taking care of my son to come for an interview. I am going to make sure that Jason looks completely different in a week. He will no longer look like the pauper that his mother is, he will look like the billionaire's son that he is.

I yawn and get out of bed, after smiling sheepishly to myself for several minutes of thinking about Jason and how happy my mother would be when she gets to know about his existence.

After Celine left, it was my excuse to tell my mother that our marriage didn't work.

Before Celine became my wife, anytime I tell my mother that I don't want to be married, she always tells me to give it a try, even once.

She stopped disturbing me when Celine left without traces. But I know she will be happy, even though I still don't know whether to tell her that Celine is the mother of my child.

I move into the bathroom lazily and take my bath. I usually get to work by 6 am so my alarm always wakes me up at 5:30 am. I finish taking my bath 10 minutes later and I begin to get dressed. I have an appointment with an Australia-based businessman at 8 am and I need to prepare my files and contract before he comes.

We were talking about a partnership with his steel manufacturing company the last time we met because of his financial problems and I weighed the pros and cons of partnering with a bankrupt company.

I finally gave him my reply last week after several months of thinking about it. I know I will benefit from the partnership more since he has agreed to make the revenue share 70%-30%. I will get the 70% since I will be funding the company from scratch while he takes the 30% and that is when the company is back at its peak.

I finish dressing and take my briefcase before checking my watch to see it is already 5:48 pm. I leave home early because of the distance which usually takes up to 30-40 minutes drive from home.

I stride out of my room and almost bump into Camila, the head maid in charge of the affairs of the house and now in charge of taking care of my son.

"Where are you rushing to?" I ask as I step back before she can bump into me.

"Sorry, sir. I came to inform you that Jason has been crying since 4 am that he has been awake." She says with a bow.

"Crying? Pacify him then", I wave her away, walking past her to go to work. I really don't want to be delayed by anything.

"Sir", she stops me, shaking tremendously like a cold leaf dancing on the tree. "Jason wouldn't eat too. He is crying so hard and I am scared he will fall sick. I didn't wake him up to eat last night because of how soundly he slept but when he woke up with a cry this morning, I thought he was hungry and prepared some food which he pushed away." She explains.

"Pushed away?" I am amazed at her choice of words. How can a two-year-old child be stronger than a 50-year-old maid?"

"Yes, sir."

"Find a way to make him stop crying then", I say with irritation.

I signal to her to stop talking with my hand as I walk to the door. I am about to go out when I hear a loud yell, making me turn back abruptly to see where the sound disturbing the calmness of the house is coming from.

"It's Jason", Camila points to the other maid bringing the crying boy into the living room. Jason is struggling to get out of her hold.

"What the hell!" I hurry back into the house. The maid, Leila moves closer to me and when he sees me, he falls silent.

"Jason, why are you crying?" I ask him in a soft voice. I don't want him to know I am angry so he won't be scared of me.

"Mommy", he murmurs and begins to cry again.

"It's ok, baby", I throw my briefcase to the nearest armchair and take him from Leila.

"I want mommy", he keeps saying while crying.

"You want mommy?" I ask back and he nods. "Alright, I will go and bring your mommy now, ok?" He nods again.

"But promise me you will eat and stop crying", I say but he is silent. "Jason, will you eat?"

"I want mommy", he burst into fresh tears and I sigh heavily, looking over at Leila and Camila who have a pitiful look on their faces. I never thought of the efforts that come with harboring a child. I thought having him close to a woman who is mother-like to him will make it less difficult.

"I will go and bring mommy, now. Don't cry again", I say, trying so hard to control my anger.

What sort of stubborn child is this?

"Will you?" He ask me with doubtful eyes.

"Yes, I will. Now go and eat and stop crying, ok?"

He nods as I hand him over to Camila. I pick up my briefcase and exhale deeply before turning to the door.

"Bye-bye, daddy", I hear him say as I walk out to meet my driver.

So much for being a single father, I muse to myself.

Celine's POV

I snuggle closer into the bed, raising my comforter to my chin with my eyes wide open when I hear the slight knock on the door. I have been awake since last night and Paxton offered to stay up with me but I refused.

I don't want to inconvenience him and I am sure he is the one at the door. He has been a good friend since he moved into the apartment next to mine. I don't know much about him because I am always scared to ask questions about him so he won't do the same.

My past with Bryan isn't something I regret because of the beautiful thing that came out of our relationship but I was ashamed to tell anyone how all of this came to be. I don't want people to judge me or call me a manipulator. Sometimes, I feel like one.

The knock persists and I force myself to get down from the bed, ignoring my weak body and heavy eyes as I stroll to the door with the comforter wrapped around my head. I turn the doorknob and the door opens.

"Hey", Paxton grins at me as he stands by the doorway in a clean t-shirt and faded blue jeans trousers.

"Hi", I did not return the smile. I turn back and walk into the house. He trudges behind me calmly after closing the door.

If it was on a different circumstance, I would have been happy to have him here to kill the boredom in the house and help me play with Jason while I do the house chores but right now, I just want to wallow in pity, lay on my bed, thinking about my baby and probably wish for the world to go on without me. I see no reason for living if my baby isn't here. He is the reason why I am still standing strong and brave to face the challenges life has thrown at me so far but without him, I have nothing to motivate me to keep going.

I would have smiled in return at Paxton when he grinned but I am in no mood to smile or do anything exciting. I just want my baby back and I know the smile will come naturally if he can be brought back to me.

"Celine, don't be hard on yourself", he says and towers over me as I sit back on the bed and rest my head on the headboard with my eyes closed. I am not answering and I feel his height on the bed the moment he sits in.

"Celine", he calls and I blink and breathe out before facing him with my red sleep-deprived eyes.

"I can't help it", my voice is shaky. I am on the verge of tearing up.

He stares at me for a while before asking. "Did you get any sleep at all?"

I shake my head. He sighs. "Have you eaten?"

"I'm not hungry", I tell him.

"You should eat something at least", he persuades but I shake my head again and close my eyes.

I can't hear him saying anything after a few moments of silence and I open my eyes in curiosity to see him moving to the kitchen. I know what he wants to do but I won't stop him.

This isn't the first time he will cook for Jason and me. The idea seems familiar but different because Jason is not here. He is just going to cook for me alone.

The sob I have been holding in escapes my throat and finally comes out. I quickly sink into the bed and cover my whole body with the comforter, including my head. I don't want him to know I am crying. I feel this is what I need to do to get it all out.

Besides, the more I think about everything, the more it seems impossible to have my son back. I know Bryan will fight me with everything he has and I have nothing. I am just a poor woman finding it hard to fend for myself and my son.

The court of law wouldn't hesitate to give Bryan the full right of Jason because it is obvious I am incapable of taking good care of a child that is supposedly a billionaire's child.

The realization makes me wail beneath my comforter without giving a care in the world if Paxton will get to know again or not.

****

Paxton's POV

I have always known that there is a story behind the sad smile and eyes of Celine. She is a strong woman who has kept all of this inside without letting it out for long.

She caught my eyes the moment I saw her when I moved into this vicinity. At first, I didn't even know she had a baby until I became closer to her, because I was always looking for excuses to either help her to the door with her grocery bag or give her a free ride to town.

When I saw Jason, I fell in love with him too. He is a cute boy and I was relieved when I didn't see any man coming to see her or claim to be the father of Jason. I wanted to mean so much to her and her son.

I came here to disguise myself as someone else but the tears of Celine are making me have a rethink about letting go of my disguise for a while and show my true identity to whoever the bastard is that is causing her so much pain.

I called Caleb last night to inform the guys about the recent happening and the help I will be needing. Caleb promised to come this morning and I am still expecting him as I cook for Celine while she is crying.

My phone rings after I finish dicing the onions. I wipe my hand with the towel and bring out my phone from my pocket.

Caleb's name flashes on the screen and I know instantly that he is here. I drop the phone in a hurry and open the saucy pasta before pouring the diced onions into it. I stir for a while before closing the pot.

As soon as I am done reducing the heat, I pick up my phone and walk to the living room. Her bedroom and living room are attached so I call out.

"Babe, I will be right back", I say to her and move out without waiting for a reply. I see Caleb's car in the garage and I move closer before he comes out with Ryan and Logan.

"Where is she?" Caleb asks me.

"She is inside", I point at her door before leading the way. We walk back swiftly to the door in silence and I open it to see Celine up. I am amazed to see her dried eyes already.

"Celine", I say and she looks up at me from the kitchen. Her gaze moves past me and rests on Caleb's.

I beckon to her to come closer and she did with a puzzled look on her face. I ask Caleb and the other guys to go sit in the living room.

"Who are they?" She asks more like a whisper with her disheveled hair.

"That's my brother and his friends", I introduced with a smile. She looks over at them before staring back at me.

"Why are they here?" She demands again in a soft tone.

"To help us get Jason back", I say. I didn't assure her that I was going to get her son back for nothing. When I said I was going to get Jason back, I meant it.

She shakes her head. "No, you can't."

"What?"

"You can't. I know the kind of person Bryan is. He is a dangerous man, you can't go there and come back alive. He will do all he can to make sure Jason doesn't come out of his mansion again", she explains with fear clouding her eyes.

I smile inwardly. She has no idea who I am and how dangerous I can be when I want to be dangerous.

"Don't worry. We can do this." I touch her arms but she moves away.

"No, I am not going to support this. Tell them not to bother anymore. I will have it sorted out myself", she mutters and turns her back to me before waking away and I stare at her with mouth agape.

Bryan's POV

The first sound that hit my ears is the crying sound of Jason disturbing the peace of the house. I furrow my brows in confusion, wondering if he has been crying since I left for work in the morning.

When I said I was going to bring his mother, I didn't mean to do that. I just said that to him to make him stop crying.

Why the hell is he still crying?

I hiss at intervals as I walk into my room and peel off my clothes before going into the bathroom to take a shower. I am damn tired and I want to eat and go to bed early so I can prepare for tomorrow's convention. I finish taking a shower and come out. I look up to see the wall clock and the time says it is 10 pm.

I walk furiously to my briefcase and pull out the chocolate box I got for him before strolling out. The thought of him wanting Celine is annoying me. I am his father and I am supposed to be the most precious thing to him. I can give him what Celine can't.

I ignore the maid that greets me at the door and enter without knocking. A room has been prepared for him and Camila sleeps with him in the room.

The moment I enter, he turns on the bed to look at the person intruding on his crying sessions. I see Camila bent in front of him in tiredness, probably begging him to stop crying after her failed attempts at consoling him.

"Mommy here?" He stops crying immediately and asks me. I suddenly feel bad for giving him a fake promise. I have no intention to beg Celine or bring her here. I am done with her.

Taking Jason away from her was meant to end whatever connections between us. If Jason was still with her, then it means a part of me was still with her. I would have just gotten a better apartment for her, bestown her with a lot of money to take care of herself and Jason but I am doing this on purpose to punish her for what she did and not to have anything to do with her anymore.

She betrayed me by not only going against our contract but also running away without telling me about my seed growing inside her.

What the hell was she thinking? I growl within me.

"No, Jason. You need to stop crying.....", I say in a low tone, pushing my anger away but he interrupts me by bursting into fresh tears.

This time it tucked at my heart and I can feel how pained he is that he is no longer going to see the woman he has been with since he came to the world. I guess he is finding it hard to adapt to the environment here, even though it is better than Celine's home.

His room is big enough to accommodate 20 guests. I am doing this to give him the life he deserves but I guess he is still a child to understand all of this.

Camila shifts her gaze to me, looking as though she is going to join Jason's crying sessions.

"Camila, you can go", I order her. She nods and moves out, after looking back at Jason who didn't even notice she is gone. I take her place in front of him, hiding the chocolate box behind me in my right hand.

"Baby, stop crying", I coo him, hoping it will work. He wipes his tears and stares at me angrily.

"I want mommy", he emphasizes.

"Mommy is not available", I lie, hoping he will understand the message that his mother can not be here at the moment. He watches me for a while as if trying to read through me.

"You bad man", he says.

It sounds like a question but I understand what he means. He sobs with his chest heaving up and down. I decide to present him with the chocolate before he goes into another fit of tears. I pull it in front of him and grin, waiting for the excited smile on his face but there is none.

He glances down at the chocolate box and finally takes it from me, making me feel relieved.

"Stop crying, son. You will be just fine", I touch his black curly hair. He is not saying anything, nor is he eating the chocolates.

He gazes at me with his tear-stained face. "Mommy give you this?"

I gasp in surprise. What a smart boy! He is already having trust issues at this stage. What did Celine teach him?

"Yes, mommy gave me this. She said she will come to visit you soon", I smile at him and pull his cheeks.

"Really?" His face breaks into a smile. He looks adorable.

"Yes. Eat up", I encourage him to open it himself. He fumbled with the box for a while and I decide to help him out. I open it and he takes a bite with a grin. He eats while I am watching him. When he is almost done, he stretch it to me to take a bite and I did.

I can't believe this boy before me is my son and he is this smart and cute. Never in my wildest dreams have I thought of having another child apart from Susie who died with her mother in a car crash. It was a horrible moment for me and I vowed never to fall in love or have a child anymore.

Our family business is a dangerous one and our enemies want us to surrender by hurting our loved ones.

My father is the leader of a mafia group here in New York and he has a strong army to protect him and my mother. My mother supported him and she is capable of protecting herself, without his help.

Helena was my first love. We dated in high school before she left New York. We broke up because I couldn't cope with the long-distance. I dated a lot of women but none of them were like Helena. They were all after my money or my good looks. I felt Helena was the only woman on earth that can love me for who I am and not because of my money.

She realized the same thing and we came back together.

We made a lot of plans for our future but one thing was an obstacle, the fact that I came from a mafia family. It caused a lot of dispute between us, making us postpone our wedding several times. We were engaged for 4 years and she got pregnant and gave birth to our first child, Susie within those years, without sticking to a particular date for our wedding.

I wasn't scared because I had confidence in the kind of army I kept. But she was scared of what the future holds for us and our children. No sort of assurance from myself or my mother helped.

I was able to convince her to let us get married before our second child comes into the world because she was already pregnant. She agreed reluctantly. She wanted me to promise her that I won't engage in any of the family affairs anymore but I couldn't promise.

Our wedding date was fixed but we fought one night because she caught me cutting off a spy's ten fingers. She wouldn't stop crying. She slapped me and ran out of the house. Before I could recover from the sting of the slap, she was gone.

I called my right-hand man and quickly drove out to look for her. It was in the dead of the night and I never knew she left with Susie. She intended to go to the airport that night and go far away from me. I loved her but I didn't realize how much until I lost her.

She was attacked by the men laying ambushed for an opportunity to get my family. She tried to escape but lost control of the wheels and it crashed. I lost three important people in my life that night and something died in me. When the news got to me, my world came crumbling.

The ringing sound of my phone pulls me out of my reverie and I feel the wetness on my face. It's been 6 years already but the memories are still clear and the wound is still fresh. I doubt if I can ever forgive myself for pushing Helena to her death.

I didn't want to get married because of what happened but now that I know Jason is mine, I will do all I can to protect him. I won't let any harm befall him and I won't let the mistake I made years ago repeat itself.

The phone rings again and I pick it up. It is a strange number.

"Hello", I say into the phone but there is silence at the other end. I take the phone off my ears to see if the call is still ongoing or it has been disconnected. "Who is this?"

"Erhhmm", a female voice stammers. "It's me, Bryan'', she adds and I know instantly that it is Celine.

"What do you want?" I stand up from Jason's bed. He is dozing off already with the last piece of chocolate stuck in his mouth. I lay him down on the bed and cover him up with the comforter.

"How is he?" She asks.

"That's none of your business", I growl in anger.

"Please, Bryan. Let me talk to him. I just want to be sure that he is fine", she cries over the phone and I wonder how she got my number.

"I'm hanging up, now," I say.

"Wait", she mutters and lapses into silence. "I'm sorry, Bryan. I know you are hurt but please hear me out. I didn't do this on purpose. I was just scared."

"Are you done?" I am not interested in knowing why she did what she did. If I hadn't investigated, I would still be in the dark until this moment and Jason would be on the street, as an easy target for my enemies to use against me again. Never.

"I'm sorry, Bryan. Please forgive me and let me speak to my son", she sobs but I am not touched. I haven't even started my punishment with her, this is just the beginning.

"He is not your son, he is my son!" I snarl and disconnect the call before she can say anything.

I sigh heavily and keep staring at Jason's calm face for a while before standing upright. I walk to the door and turn off the light.

"Sleep well, son", I whisper into the darkness before closing the door.