[Matilda]The bell chimed softly as the last customer stepped out of my bakery. I forced a smile, my lips stretching just enough to mask the exhaustion weighing on me"Thank you so much, have a good day. I hope to see you again!" My voice was warm but my body achedAs the door clicked shut I flipped the sign to closed. I leaned against the glass door releasing a heavy sigh"That was a lot!" I murmured, tilting my neck from side to sideFrom the corner of my eyes, I stared at Aiden and Austin seated quietly near the counter. My heart softened at the sight of them, their tiny feet swinging beneath the chairIt was the weekend and I had brought them to my store today since their nanny was not available to stay with them so I had no option but to take them with meAustin's eyes turned towards me like he could sense I was looking at them. He smiled. "Mummy, can I have another cake? Aiden already finished the one you gave us." Austin asked softly but I was quick to shake my head. They've ha
[Matilda] It's been a week since Kaden's visit and my mind was finally starting to find some peace. Maybe I was just overthinking things Maybe he truly believed me when I said the kids aren't his I took a slow deep breath walking out of my store as I marched to my car. I had lost track of time! I was already thirty minutes late from picking up my kids from school. The more reason to hire an extra hand soon to help in my bakery I slid into my car and hooked my seatbelt, and just as I ignited the engine my phone rang. My lips stretched into a smile as I saw the caller ID. I connected it to my car's Bluetooth and drove off "Look who finally decided to call me huh?" I rolled my eyes even though I knew Leo couldn't see me "I'm sorry baby, I know you're mad at me right now and I deserve any scolding, it's just been a whole lot!" Leo's husky voice echoed through the speakers, making me shake my head, with my eyes fixed on the road "It's fine. I know you're busy," I replied softly, hea
[Matilda] My jaw clenched hard as I tightened my hand on the steering wheel! I couldn't stop the anger that was brewing inside me no matter how hard I tried What exactly was Kaden on about? To the extent of going to my kid's school? Not me thinking that he had backed the fuck down. I fucking knew it, I could damn feel it all this while. My instincts were just all over the place that he was up to something I took a deep breath my eyes shifting to my phone as Leo's call kept coming in "Mummy your phone has been ringing!" I blinked back as Austin said from the back. Taking a slow deep breath I picked up the call and Leo's voice rang out, panic laced in his tone "Tesoro, what's wrong? Why did you hang up like that, is everything okay? Are the kids okay?" Before I could even say a word Austin and Aiden yelled from behind "Mummy is that Uncle Leo?" They screamed from the back and I heard Leo let out a sigh of relief "Aiden, Austin!" Leo called out and they giggled. "Uncle Leo
[Kaden] My hand dug into my scalp as I slid into the backseat of my car "Drive!" I instructed my driver and he ignited the engine driving out of the school compound I know that I needed to get close to the kids but that wouldn't deter the fact that the lady was being careless! If she was handling my kids and made this type of mistake, I would make sure she got sacked from the school It just took taking her to the side and telling her that I'm the uncle to the kids and giving her a seductive look and she lost it and believed me instantly I was even thinking that she would ask the kids if I was truly their uncle but she just stood there staring at me. I had to send her out at some point to get me a bottle of water so I could ask the kids the question I wanted to ask them And I had gotten all the answers I needed "We haven't seen our Daddy, mummy said he works very far away but we have never seen him, can you help us find our Daddy?" The innocent boy had explained to me and
[Kaden]The moment I stepped into my house, I could hear the chaos all over the place, my mother's sharp commanding voice echoing through the walls."You need to stop this nonsense and face the truth!" My mother's voice rang out. "Six years Cherry, how long do you want my son to wait?""You think I haven't tried, do you think we are not trying?"I clenched my jaw, my steps quickening as I turned toward the corner leading to the living room. I took a deep breath as I stepped into the living room, watching the both of them as they exchanged words not even noticing that I stepped in"No, you're not trying enough, it's either you give him a child or...," "That's enough!" I said sharply, their attention snapping towards me in an instant. My eyes flicked to Cherry. "Go upstairs!"She whipped her head towards me, her hand fisting into a ball. "Are you serious right now?""Cherry, I said go upstairs and let me handle this,""Don't you dare tell me to go upstairs like I'm the villain here, y
[Matilda]"So what do you intend to do?" Julia asked. I took a deep breath, cradling my wine glass in my palm before gulping down the contents. The warmth of the liquid did little to settle the unease twisting in my chest"I have no idea, Julia, as much as I try to push it aside, I just can't. Why would he go to my kid's school? I thought he believed me when I said they weren't his and now this!" I said softly, my eyes darting around the restaurant where Julia and I had come out to have some fresh air this eveningJulia exhaled, shaking her head. "He's doing too much,"I shut my eyes, but the smirk on Kaden's face from two days ago replayed behind my eyelids like a tauntI knew Kaden was up to something"I still don't think it's the reason to stop the kids from going to school. That's why you moved to New York in the first place remember? Maybe you should talk to the head teacher of the school and report the incident to them!" Julia mumbled and I stared up at herWhy hadn't I though
[Matilda] "I've been trying to reach you since last night!" I leaned my back on the kitchen cabinet, with my phone pressed on my ear "Sorry love, I'm here now!" Leo mumbled. I could tell he already knew what I was about to ask "Tell me you don't know what I'm about to ask you? When did you do all of that without my knowledge?" I asked and I heard him chuckle "Tesoro, What are you talking about?" "Don't do that Leo, when did you register me on a baking show without letting me know? I got the call yesterday and your name was mentioned so don't lie to me about it," I mumbled and that was when he chuckled loudly "A few days back! I heard of it from a business partner of mine and well I had to fix in one of the most pastry chefs I've ever seen!" My face turned crimson shade as Leo mumbled making me bite down on my lip "I got their message after the call and it doesn't look like an ordinary competition Leo, how did you manage to get me a slot in it? It looks like a show high-e
[Kaden]"You're insane, I said they are not...," Before she could finish her statement, with a flick of my wrist, I threw the envelope to her, watching as it landed on her feetHer eyes darted to it. She stared at me and then back to the envelopeI could feel my anger burning as I chuckled"Go the fuck on and check what that is, you fucking selfish thing!" I roaredShe inhaled deeply, her eyes flickering back to me again before she snatched it off the ground, rolling her eyes, she tore the envelope immediately. Her eyes scanned the paper, a mixture of shock and disbelief danced in her orbs but the next thing she did suddenly caught me off guardShe threw her head back, her hand tightening on the paper as she laughed hysterically, making my brows crease together"This is insane, oh what the fuck is wrong with this man!" Tilda scoffed, shaking her head as she stared back at me. "You think I'll give you a listening ear for this trash. Tell me, since when does DNA happen without both par
[Kaden]"What exactly is going on here?" I snapped, my brow creasing together as I watched the dude take a step back from my wifeCherry opened her mouth to speak but quickly shut it back. I was about to say another word when she quickly beat me to it"Baby, hi...I...you said you're supposed to be in court, I...,""I asked you a question and don't make me repeat myself. What exactly is going on here?" I snapped and she bit down on her lip, taking a step toward me"Baby, meet...meet my cousin's brother, Liam," Cherry said making my brow crease even more"Liam, my husband, you...the one I was just telling you about,""Cousin brother?" I gritted out watching as Cherry took a step back, her lips pressed into a thin line"I'm Liam, your wife's cousin. It's nice to meet you, I've heard so much about you," My eyes shifted from the dude's face to his hand. I blew out a breath and turned back to my wife"What cousin of yours do I not know about?" I gritted out my words. Cherry's parents reside
[Kaden]The second that gavel slammed down, my jaw clenched so tight it hurt. My eyes darted to the damn judge watching as he rose to his feet and the next second he was making his way out"What the fuck does this old man think he's doing?" My eyes shifted to Tilda and she was already on her feet as they all made their way toward the exitWhat the hell does he need my kids in court for?I blew out a deep breath as Richard walked back to where I was seatedI think I know exactly what to do."Sir, are you...,"I didn't wait for Richard to finish his statement. I rose to my feet and headed for the exitJust why the hell would he postpone the damn thing. Shouldn't he have given me what was expected of him? Full damn custody of my kidsMy heart clenched and for some reason, I felt like relieving this anger before it exploded but just before I could take another step ahead, my legs came to an instant halt as I watched Tilda right in the hallway with her phone pressed firmly against her ear
[Matilda]"Objection overruled. Counsel, you may proceed," the judge said clearly. I lifted my head, locking eyes with Richard, who wore that damn smirk on his face. The tears betrayed me, spilling freely no matter how hard I tried to fight them."Miss Matilda, your ex-husband visited a few days ago and met you in an intimate position with your lover? Then I would have no option but to ask this question—what exactly have these children been exposed to? They're minors. This kind of environment—well, I don't think it’s suitable..."I couldn’t take it anymore "That’s a damn lie," I snapped, my eyes burning red. "And throwing accusations with no proof? That’s not only wrong, it’s unprofessional. Leo is my friend. That’s it. Nothing inappropriate ever happened," I said, choking on my tears.This wasn’t the time to cry. Not for that bastard. Not for someone so vile he’d twist everything just to hurt me. Why the hell would he make all this up?"But is it true or not?" Richard pushed, voice
[Matilda]"Thank you." I had said those words so many times to Sage since we stepped out of the courtroom. But I couldn’t stop myself. I didn’t know how else to show him my gratitude. He’d somehow managed to flip the script and push things slightly in our favor—giving us a breath of air on a battlefield that had nearly suffocated me.Still, I knew better than to think Kaden was done. His lawyer had made it clear, they were still pushing forward. That statement alone had my stomach in knots. Whatever they were planning, it wasn’t going to be light.“We have to head in. The court will be resuming soon,” Sage said, voice cold, not sparing another glance in our direction as he turned and walked awayJulia arrived just minutes before, standing next to me with her arms folded tightly under her chest.“Why’s he acting so cold?” Julia scoffed loudlyI turned to her, my brow knitting together, clearly telling her to shut up. “You don’t expect him to be all smiley, do you? And keep your mouth s
[Kaden]My jaw clenched hard as I watched Matilda walk right out of the courtroom, with that bastard right beside her, fucking holding her handsMy eyes snapped towards her lawyer. Did I underestimate what he was capable of doing?I almost laughed my ass out when he started questioning the witness not until he flipped every dam thing. The fucking whispers behind me, I heard them loud and clear — people calling the witness a liar and how she was trying to frame Matilda upMy eyes shifted to Richard as he made his way back to where we were seated and without sparing him a glance, I stood up and made my way outI tucked my hand into my pocket, walking right to the lot where my car was parked with Richard following behind meI took a deep breath and leaned against my car turning to face him"I hope you have a way to fix this," I drew in a deep breath, my hand curling right into my pocket. "Because you know that losing is not an option. And like I said if you don't pull through consider yo
[Matilda] I couldn't help the tears that rolled down my eyes as I watched Clara on the witness box spilling things that she knew to herself were all lies Have I ever dropped my kids at Clara's house? Of course. But that were a few times when my kids would ask to go over to play with her daughter This woman who was right at the witness box was the only true friend I had in Miami. I wouldn't say we were so close but we were more than just an acquaintance. She was there for me a whole lot of times because Miami was a new city to me when I relocated. and I was new to so many things. I wouldn't deny that she was a very great help to me But what I didn't expect was for her to stand right there and spill out lies about me I wasn't surprised that Kaden would do this kind of thing. This is a man who would go to any length to see me suffer. To see that I shed tears "Counsel for the respondent would you like to cross-examine the witness?" The judge's voice pulled me back to the moment "Yes
[Kaden] "I would love to call forth our first witness. Mrs Clara Williams," Richard called out and I couldn't help how my lips curled into a big smileMy eyes shifted to Tilda and my lips widened even more as I watched the shock on her faceShe's fucking too little to think she can stand against me. I know she would never in her lifetime be expecting her friend from Miami to be here today as a witnessShe was her very good friend from when she arrived in Miami and was almost the only close friend she had over thereWell I could go any length when I want something and she's fucking too small to think she could win against meMy heart clenched as the image of that bastard hugging her a few days ago in her room made its way to my head again. The fucking statement that left her mouth that day.I tilted my neck, shifting my gaze away from her to the main entrance where the red-headed lady was walking in majesticallyI blew out a deep breath, turning my eyes right back at Tilda, and damn t
[Matilda]"Counsel for the respondent, please step forward," the judge called out and my heart pounded loud in my chestThis is truly happeningI held my breath as Sage rose from his seat, his movement smooth and calculated. I blew out a breath, my hand curling tighter, finger digging into my palmThe air was thick with tension as if the courtroom was closing in on me. I was acutely aware of every second. The tap of Sage's polished shoes against the marble floor as he made his way to the front row of the courtroom, standing tall and composedI took a deep breath, watching as he introduced himself, his calm demeanor making me feel a sense of calm for a split secondThe judge nodded as he was done introducing himself, signaling him to proceed"Your Honor," Sage continued. "I am here on behalf of my client Miss Matilda Millers. Mr Kaden Donovan, my clients ex-husband has filed for full legal and physical custody of their two minor children. While we respect Donovan's right wanting to be
[Matilda]The soft hum of the car's engine barely registered in my mind as I took a slow deep breath. My heart was trembling and despite my best efforts to stay calm, it still felt like my chest was tightening with every passing second. It was finally the day that had given me a sleepless night for a while now. The day I would be facing Kaden in courtMy jaw clenched as I tried to calm my racing heart. My kids haven't stopped asking about him since the day he left a few days back. He had once called to talk to them but I denied him access, telling him that the kids were asleepI blew out a breath, my eyes shifting to the driver's seat, where Leo was seated with ease, his hand firm on the steering wheel, the other hand gripping the gear tightlyMy hand curled around the hem of my fitted black knee length gown"We're almost there," Leo's voice pulled me out of my daze. I turned my attention to him, watching as his eyes locked into mine before he turned his attention back to the roadI