[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
[Matilda] "Fuck off!" I shoved my hand away from the bastard in front of me and pushed my door open. I stepped in and banged the door shut My heart was thumping as I clicked on the door, making sure it was locked. I took long strides towards the stairs, heading straight to my room The moment I reached my bed, my body gave out, and I collapsed onto the mattress. Tears poured down my face, ragged sobs shaking my entire frame "No!! No!! This isn't happening!" My heart pounded louder in my ears, as I clutched my chest tightly. He did... He did a DNA test. How could this man? How did I not think about this? My vision blurred as the words on that paper burned themselves into my brain, looping over and over like a curse Paternity test between Kaden Donovan and the twins, Aiden and Austin: 99.98% What does he mean by the hard way? Would he forcefully try to snatch my children from me? I know Kaden Donovan would likely walk out freely with anything, but this isn't happening I d
[Kaden] My fingers tapped against the bar counter as I tilted my neck from side to side trying to shake off the tension tightening my muscles "They are better off without a father," my jaw clenched tightly as Matilda's words echoed in my head She's fucking playing with fire and I'll make sure it burns her deeply I'll make sure she never sees Aiden and Austin again. She'll know exactly how it feels "So what exactly are you trying to say?" Ryan snapped, pulling me from my thoughts. "And could you stop fuming? This is the mother of your children for crying out loud!" His words made my jaw clench so tight, I could hear my teeth gritting Ryan will always find a way to defend her. Even after I laid everything out —told them exactly what happened a few hours ago, he was still on her side I exhaled sharply, shifting my eyes to Mason who had been silent the entire time, before shifting my gaze back to Ryan "Did you just say mother of my kids?" I growled, and Ryan raised a brow at me l
[Matilda]"Mummy, why are we not going to school today?" Aiden asked me as I set their breakfast on the table. His big silver eyes, locked onto mine waiting for an answerI hesitated, glancing at Austin who was already digging into his food, completely unbothered. Taking a slow deep breath, I pulled out a chair and sat down"Because you're going to be schooling from home for now baby," "Really?" Austin perked up instantly, his face lightening up. "Does that mean I can watch swimming sessions and Spiderman at home, yeah!" He grinned, stuffing a forkful of pancake into his mouth Aiden's brows pulled together, his lips pressing into a pout. "But Mummy I don't want that. I want to go to school so I can see my friends," His voice carried a stubborn edgeGod, I knew this would be hardCall me a coward — I wouldn't mind, but was I scared of what Kaden could do? YesI could report the incident that happened last time to the school and make sure my kids are protected. But his last words befo
[Matilda]The next day"Mummy someone's at the door, I think it's our teacher!" Aiden's voice rang out from the dining roomI frowned, glancing at my watch. It was only 7 am. The teacher and Nanny weren't supposed to arrive until 9. Why would they come this early? I wiped my hands on the napkin and quickly carried the kid's breakfast to the dining before heading toward the doorAs I stepped into the living room, my feet frozeCould it be...?" My heart pounded hard in my chest as the thought of who it could be crossed my mind. It can't be Kaden right?The doorbell rang again, snapping me out of my trance. What am I even doing, when I can just check through the peepholeI wiped my sweaty palms against my dress and stepped closer. Pressing my lips into a thin line - I peeked through the hole — only to find nothing My brow creased even further as I stared again and still no oneIf this happens to be Kaden, I would fucking call the authorities on him. I gripped the door handle, pushing
[Matilda] My stomach dropped. My eyes darted from Leo to the kids who had their eyes fixed on the food "Let's talk later!" I mumbled and Leo's eyes narrowed before he nodded, turning his attention back to his food I bit down on my lower lip as I tried to take another bite of my food but my appetite was already messed up. I could see Leo from my peripheral vision staring at me now and then Once we were done eating, I cleared the plate. Leo who I knew was eager to know the reason the kids weren't going to school, helped me out as we cleared the dining. I could feel his eyes boring into mine but I didn't say a word to him as I focused on washing the dishes "You're not saying anything?" Leo's voice pulled me out of my trance. I ignored him, wrapping a few left over the nanny would warm up for the kids later I turned to Leo who had his eyes fixed on mine, his brows creasing together "Why are my boys not going to school? Did something happen at school?" I took a deep breath, swallowi
[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