BBAP CHAPTER 99
“Carden! What brings you here?’ Brooke approached when she saw the man standing up. Carden smiled at her however, his eyes immediately shifted towards the face of the woman behind her.
Dalmi Arizona, in a beige body-hugging dress and black heels, was standing proudly at him with her chin held high.
“You are here...too,” he whispered and smiled at her. Although he feels a little awkward, he couldn’t deny how the woman’s presence sent him a glint of happiness. It was not an everyday chance that whenever he’d come out of his place, he'd have an unexpected encounter with the woman and what he hated about that is that he doesn’t look prepared and fine with the clothes he was on.
Dalmi, on the other hand, tried to make her facial expression as calm as possible. Of all the days, why did the man choose to visit Brooke’s pastry today when she was around? Not that she was insinuating that the man
BBAP CHAPTER 100“Where is Dalmi? I thought you two are having fun?” Brooke asked as she handed the paperbag where the oatmeal cookies and banana cake were. She glanced from side-side, searching the area in hopes that she'd see the woman walking towards them, but she ended up glancing at Carden Thompson who was then, frowning in his seat.“I will go now, Brooke.’ he stood up and left the money on top of the table without smiling at her.“What? You won’t help me find her?” she asked in confusion and scratched the side of her forehead. Carden lifted his arm and waved his hand without looking at her.If he would wait until Dalmi comes back, it’d be too a
BBAP CHAPTER 101At the back of Carden Thompson’s mind, he already wants to go back to his house and just keep it to himself. What is it to him if she ever has one? It would only make him more anxious and hurt. If ever the woman had a new husband who was in Chicago, he would be forced to just stop seeing her and move on, which, he thinks he couldn’t do at this point.If she ever has one, then he will need to forget about her. He was afraid he would be left wondering why the woman could marry another man while he, on the other hand, still had her in his heart.Maybe it was not as intense as his former love for her, but he was sure he still loves her. How could one’s love be as complex as this? All he wanted was to come back to her.
BBAP CHAPTER 102“Carden?” Dalmi Arizona, who just walked out of the kitchen, glanced at the familiar build of a man who was fighting with one of the staff. Her eyes narrowed as she went closer, as though she couldn’t see the man’s face clearly. When she realized it was the man, she immediately came forward and asked the man to release him from his hold.“What are you doing here?” she asked while the man fixed his shirt and smiled at her. Although he felt a bit awkward that the woman had to see her in that state, he was thankful that the woman came just in time before he could be dragged out of that place.“Ah! I was about to get some water and try to talk to Brooke but this man won’t let me in,” he said and glanced at the man with his sha
BBAP CHAPTER 103Six years ago, she was someone who didn’t want to work nor do the things that she thought were a burden. Every time her father would tell her to lead the company she’d always tell him she wanted to live the best life and travel the world so she could see the beauty in it. But when she got married, she lost the chance to. When they got separated and she had to go to Chicago alone, even though her parents wanted to take care of her and help her raise the child, she didn’t want to.It was her child, and from then on, she felt the need to provide for her child alone so she worked hard and paid for all their needs. She hired a nanny for her child when she was new, but when she began to be a home base employee, she gained all the time she had to take care of Denver, and hearing what Carden said right now felt like an irritating police alarm for her.She was deeply offended. How could one be so insensitive that he could say those word
BBAP CHAPTER 104“Mom! Can you please call Papa?” Denver came out of the pool with a shark-designed lifesaver hanging on his waist. His hair was wet, and he had this wide smile plastered on his face. Dalmi was then sitting at the round table in their Garden while holding a lemonade and small umbrella on top. Her brows creased.“Uncle might be busy today, love. It was morning, he was probably working right now,” she answered and sipped on her juice.“Denver! Come back here we will still play!” Damiar Arizona laughed as he waved his goggles in the air. Dalmi smiled at his father and held on to Denver’s arm.“We will call Uncle Johannes later, alright?”Denver pouted and shook his head. “But I want to talk to him! I keep on spending time with Lolo but I think he is tired!”The pain came across Dalmi’s face when she saw how the child looked sad and bored. In Chicago, they wo
BBAP CHAPTER 105Jack must’ve expected that something was going on between me and Johannes.This was the first thing that Dalmi thought of the moment she heard Jack’s words, but she only glanced at him with her blank expression. At the back of her mind, she was thinking whether she would disagree or not because the man would always find ways as to how he would make it work for him.Even if she says that there was nothing between them, he would still push. But if she wouldn’t, the man would believe a lie.“We are just friends,” she uttered and shifted back her glance at the kids, but the man walked and stopped in front of her.“Friends? But why does your child address him as his Papa?” he furrowed his brows. “You think I wouldn’t notice because I am not with you in Chicago?”“And Brit often tells me that Johanne’s father is a great man. She said he always tells her storie
BBAP CHAPTER 106Of all the places he could go to, Carden Thompson never expected that he would see his ex-wife in this gym. Even a small percentage, even the slightest chance, he had never thought that they would cross paths but the woman in her tight leggings and white racerback in front of him proved him wrong.Dalmi Arizona, with a bright smile on her face and a pink tumbler on her hand, walked inside the mirrored room and stopped right beside Jack Amores.“Carden! You are also here!” Jack finally greeted back. If only Dalmi wasn’t here right now, he would have focussed on talking to Jack like they were close but now that she was here, he could no longer take his eyes off her.The man stared at Dalmi with his surprise
BBAP CHAPTER 107When the woman wore her earphones, Carden Thompson already knew that he stood no chance of talking to her. He wanted to talk and be friends with her again so he could once again build their relationship but it was already obvious that she didn’t want anything but be alone so instead of insisting, he just went down and focused on lifting weights with Jack. They talked about him soon to open a business, and although he wasn’t asking for a business partner, the man offered him help.“Are you sure? You’ve done lots of things to me already, I am not paid yet,” he said and gout his dumble down to stare at him. It was just confusing that the man kept on helping him when he was one of those people who watched him fall into the pit. If anyone would be frightened to be one of his investors, it sh
Hi. This is the end of the story. Thank you for reading!EpilogueCarden Thompson’s POV“And the winner of this competition is….” the drum rolls made my heart thump fast. My eyes were too focused on the contestants that lined up on the stage as I watched how Cadmus Thompson waved his arm while holding a trophy by his hand.Holding my wife’s hand beside me, I dragged her towards the stage and stood beside my little boy as the official photographer’s camera flashed multiple times. The flashes were shocking, but endurable enough.We are inside Cadmus’ school in Chicago and he joined a poster making contest. I hadn’t thought about it much, but out of all the talents he could have
Chapter 143: When They Thought Things were fixed “This is why I don’t trust you, Carden. I don’t want my child to marry someone as incompetent as you.” The way the old lady said it to him felt like it was a dagger sent to his chest. To hear his wife’s mother those words were too painful to swallow, and his mind couldn't accept. “You...don’t trust me? Auntie, I was just worried about my son!” “Because you know you cannot protect him! You know you can’t protect your family because you are incompetent! I already knew you are that kind of man when I met you!” Carden had never thought that Dalmi’s mother could be like this. Never in his entire life, he had imagined for one of the
Chapter 142: I Didn’t Know You Can Do ThatDalmi’s whole body froze. Cold sweat numbed her fingers, and her heart hammered fast.“D-Denver is w-what?” as if she suddenly became deaf, she tapped her ears with her hands.“D-Denver is missing, Dalmi-”“How the hell would that happen, Carden? You were with him!” she yelled when it dawned on her. She was expecting the man to deny it, or to say that he was just joking and would laugh, but she was wrong!Her eyes turned sharp, and her cheeks burned in anger. “Tell me you are joking right now, Carden! Bring him to me or you’ll never want to experience my anger!&rd
Chapter 141: Where is He?“Mommy! When will Daddy come to pick us up?” Denver pouted his lips and forcibly leaned his back on the couch. It was a Saturday morning and Carden was promised to bring him to the mall and play.It has been a month since that night, and everything was going smoothly. She thought the man was just joking and that he only said it to her because they finished making love, but after a week, with a velvet box and diamond ring in his hand, he proposed to her.It was the second time that they will get married but at that very moment, it felt like it was the first...and it really was. Because they started at a forced marriage and although they had an engagement, there was no love and meaning behind it compared to how it was at that time.Until now, she couldn't believe that she would once again marry Carden Thompson. In a span of a week, the preparations started. The first week became busier than she thought, for it was the t
Chapter 140Carden crossed his arms as he leaned his back at the wall. It was past eleven, and Denver and Dalmi were already in a deep slumber; however, he still couldn’t get himself to sleep.He was standing on Dalmi’s veranda, his back leaning on the wall and his eyes gazing at the deep, night sky. His disheveled hair kept on dancing with the cold wind as if it was upbeat music that won’t stop his hair from moving sideways, but he didn’t mind, for the only thing he wanted right now was to enjoy the peacefulness of the night.Up until now, he still couldn't believe that everything was falling into their right places. Denver accepted him as his father, he and Dalmi were fine...and they’re gonna sleep on the same roof tonight. It felt nostalgic and surreal, like a dream...and he was scared it might be taken away once he wakes up tomorrow because he didn’t want to fall asleep.“I thought you were asleep,” he s
Chapter 139Carden Thompson’s eyes widened when the kid held on to the hem of his shirt.“Are you going to go here again tomorrow?” he asked with his puppy eyes, as though he was telling him to say yes.Did Carden hear it right? Did Denver really call him his daddy or he was just dreaming?“Can you...can you repeat what you just said earlier?” he said. His eyes are still wide from the shock as he glimpsed at Dalmmi who also mirrored what he felt right now.Ecstasy, shock, disbelief...all of it was mixed up in his heart that he didn't know how he would react.“I am asking if you wil
Chapter 138“Mommy! Someone ate my Banana Split!” Denver cried and gripped the white comforter. Tears cascading down his chubby cheeks as his face reddened in anger.“I asked Yaya Linda to find it in the refrigerator but she said there was nothing!”No matter how she tried to act like she was sad about his loss, she couldn't. The kid just said that he didn’t like it in front of Carden, now that he was gone, he was searching for it?“I thought you don’t like it? Why are you asking Yaya to find it for you?” She wanted to laugh, but she knew her child would cry more if she did so she just touched his hair, pushing it upwards to see the whole of his face.
Chapter 137Dalmi’s jaw dropped when she saw how Denver put the spoon down and crossed his arms like a grown-up man. The kid, who obviously looked like he enjoyed the first two scoops when he was tasting it, now looked as though he had tasted the worst banana split he ever had.“I-is he serious?” She shifted her gaze towards Carden who just picked up the spoon and sat at the seat where Denver sat earlier. He picked a portion of the desert and acted as if she was now in front of him.“Carden! Aren’t you offended that your child didn’t like what you did?” she furrowed her brows. If her son was already weird, she already knew that he got it from his father. Instead of thinking as to why Denver had to walk out, he just eats the leftovers! She glared at him.“Why? Should I be sad that Denver walked out?”“Yes! He just said he doesn’t like it!” she retorted and crossed her arms.
Chapter 136“No! Papa Johannes is my father!” the kid’s yell made Dalmi go back to reality. She was then, in gape and shock of the sudden revelation earlier, and seeing how her son ran away from them made her heart hurt.“Denver!” She called and was about to chase after him when he realized that Craden didn’t stand up and that he was still standing on his knees.“Carden, I’m sorry... i'll try to talk to him and explain things,” she said in a troubled voice and sighed. “I told you we can’t just say this to him in a rush, I know Denver would freak out…” she shook her head.But the man just let out a burst of low laughter before he stood up and clapped his hand to clear off the dust.“I don’t want to lie, Dalmi...I am hurt, but I will never give up on him. I promise I will wash off every memory from that man until he accepts me as his father.”That