His words hung in the air, and Tasha struggled to process them. Her whole life had been a journey shaped by loss and resilience. And now, the man sitting across from her was revealing himself as the father she never knew. “What... what do you want from me?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. Mr. Belvoir’s gaze softened, his voice gentle. “Nothing, Natasha. I just want a chance to know you, to be the father I should have been.” Tasha's lips trembled as she struggled to hold back her tears. “I... I can't do this. Not right now,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. She stood abruptly, turning away before the tears spilled over. Without another word, she walked out, leaving Mr. Belvoir sitting alone, regret etched into his expression as he watched her go. Back at the apartment, Aunt Linda noticed Tasha’s troubled face when she returned and quickly poured them both a cup of tea, guiding her to the kitchen table. Tasha sat down, hands wrapped around the warm
Venessa’s face tightened with a mix of frustration and hurt as she struggled to keep her composure. “So, that’s it? You’re really choosing her, just like that?” Daniel leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Yes, Venessa. I chose her a long time ago.” “After everything, Daniel?” Her voice dropped, almost pleading. “We had plans. You used to talk about a future, about the life we’d have. How can you just throw that away?” Daniel’s gaze was unwavering. “What you and I had ended the moment you tried to tear down someone I love. That wasn’t love, Venessa. That was manipulation. And I don’t owe my life to someone who only wanted control.” Venessa scoffed, her face hardening as she crossed her arms. “You’re such a fool, Daniel. She’ll betray you just like everyone else. Mark my words.” He stood, signaling the conversation was over. “If you’re finished, Venessa, I have work to do.
Daniel hadn’t expected to wait so long. The sterile smell of the clinic mingled with his impatient thoughts as he stood in the corridor, his mind racing with questions. Tasha’s sudden reappearance in his life had pulled him down a path he thought he’d closed long ago. And now, waiting for Dr. Hart, he felt the tug of tension and hope at war inside him. As he leaned against the wall, he noticed a doctor walking briskly down the hall. Daniel’s eyes narrowed, there was something uncomfortably familiar about him. He was certain he’d seen that face before, though the name escaped him. Memories surfaced, jagged and half-formed, of a time filled with deception and doubt. Then it hit him: five years ago, at the hospital with Venessa. His jaw tightened as he recalled Venessa’s lie, the hospital stay she’d fabricated, and this man, this doctor who had assured Daniel everything was true. It was that same face, though now aged and a little wearier. The doctor paused, catching Daniel’s gaze. T
Daniel’s heart raced as he stared at the message from Tasha: “Ethan misses you.” It was the last thing he expected, a crack in her usual guarded tone. He stood up instantly, dialing her number. The phone rang, each tone stretching longer than it should, but there was no answer. He tried again. This time, he paced across his office, feeling the weight of uncertainty hanging over him. After several rings, the call went to voicemail. Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair, unsure of what to do. He texted her back: “Tasha, please pick up. I’d like to talk about… about everything. Just give me a chance, I'm sorry.” Seconds ticked by, feeling like hours. But there was no response. Daniel found himself thinking about all the times he’d tried to get close to Ethan, about the bond he’d begun to form with the boy. And now, he could feel the distance widening again. He wasn’t going to let that happen, not without a fight. Daniel was deep in thought when Stanley knocked and stepp
Venessa arrived at the hospital for a routine checkup, her mood impatient and restless. As she waited in the lobby, a familiar figure caught her eye. It was Mike, Daniel’s personal driver, walking briskly down the hallway. What on earth is Mike doing here? she wondered, eyebrows raising in curiosity.She slipped from her seat and discreetly followed him, watching as he approached the nurse at the lab desk. She moved closer, trying to listen, and her interest spiked when she heard the nurse mention something about a “DNA test result.”DNA test? For Daniel? she thought, feeling a strange satisfaction building up. It wasn’t hard for her to guess that if Daniel was requesting a DNA test, it was almost certainly for Tasha’s son, Ethan. This was the perfect opportunity.She lingered until Mike left with the envelope in hand. Then, with her mind racing and a plan forming, she stepped into an empty corridor and dialed Dr. Robert the doctor who had helped
Tasha stepped onto the balcony of her London apartment, dialing Claire’s number. She needed to hear her friend’s voice, to process everything that had happened with Mr. Belvoir. After a couple of rings, Claire’s familiar voice answered on the other end. “Tasha! How’s it going over there?” Claire asked cheerfully. Tasha sighed, her eyes drifting to the bustling city below. “Well… it’s been a whirlwind. I met him... I met Mr. Belvoir, Claire. Turns out his my father. He’s—” She hesitated, struggling to find the words. “He’s not what I expected.” There was a pause, and then Claire’s gentle tone filled the silence. “Tasha, that’s huge. I can’t imagine what that must feel like. Woah, Mr Belvoir? How are you holding up?” “It’s surreal. He’s saying all the right things, you know? That he wants to know me, that he regrets not being in my life. I mean, maybe I've been searching for this my entire life, and now he’s here,” Tasha admi
Tasha's phone buzzed, and she glanced down to see Robbin’s name on the screen. She hadn’t heard from him in so long especially with everything that had happened lately, his absence had been puzzling. She stepped aside, answering with a cautious “Hello?” “Tasha, hey… it’s been a while.” “Robbin,” she replied, her tone mixed with relief and curiosity. “Where are you? I thought you’d be in London by now, you said you’d be here last week.” A slight hesitation filled the line before he spoke. “I know, and I’m sorry. I’ve been tied up with some… kinda family issues in Paris. Something came up last minute, and I couldn’t get away like I’d planned.” “Family?” Tasha questioned, surprised. “You’ve never mentioned any family in Paris.” Robbin’s voice s
After the Visit to Mr Belvoir's house, Tasha relaxed in her room as her phone buzzed, and she glanced down to see Claire’s name flashing on the screen. She smiled, picking up as she walked back inside. “Hey, Tasha!” Claire greeted, her face filling the screen with a warm smile. “I’ve missed you! How are things over there in London?” Tasha relaxed, her smile widening. “It’s been a lot, Claire. But good, I think. Mr. Belvoir, 'Daddd' wants me to step into this big role in his company. Can you believe it?” Claire's eyebrows shot up. “Belvoir Couture’s queen in the making, makes total sense to me! You’ll handle it beautifully.” Tasha laughed softly, shaking her head. “I don’t know, Claire. It’s a lot. But hey, how’s New York treating you?” “Oh, New York is... well, it’s never dull, that’s for sure.” Claire hesitated, her tone shifting. “There’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about. It’s… odd.” “Odd?” Tasha’s curiosity piqued. “Go on.” Claire leaned closer to the
Ethan had always been an observant child. He wasn’t the type to ask too many questions, but he noticed everything. And lately, things felt... off. His mom was home now. She was healthy again. That should’ve made everything better, but it didn’t. Because something was missing. Or rather, someone. Ethan sat on the couch, hugging his knees as he watched his mom laughing softly at something Robbin said. She looked happy, but it wasn’t the kind of happiness Ethan was used to seeing. Though, not like she often smile at his dad. Not like when his family felt whole to him at some point. His little heart twisted. “Mom?” he finally spoke up.
Daniel stood outside the estate long after the doors had shut. The weight of Tasha’s words crushed him. "I don’t trust you." How had it come to this? He clenched his fists, inhaling deeply. He could feel Robbin watching from inside, probably smug, thinking he had won. But Daniel wasn’t giving up. Not this time. With one last glance at the estate, he turned, heading to his car. His mind was already working. If he couldn’t force his way in, he needed another way to reach Tasha. And he knew exactly where to start. Tasha lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Her head ached. Her body was exhausted. But her mind wouldn’t stop spinning. Seeing Daniel had unsettled her in ways she hadn’t expected. His presence had stirred something deep inside, something familiar, something
Daniel sat across from Stanley in his dimly lit apartment. The room was still in shambles, glass shards on the floor, the remnants of his drunken rage evident in the broken furniture and toppled whiskey bottle. His head throbbed, and his heart ached even more. Stanley handed him another bottle of water. “You need to get a grip, Daniel.” Daniel scoffed, taking a sip. “A grip? hmm... Tasha doesn’t even want me around. My own son looks at me like he’s afraid I’ll disappear again. And on top of that, Vanessa is still out there. What exactly am I supposed to get a grip on?” Stanley leaned back in the chair, sighing. “You want Tasha back, right?” Daniel shot him a glare. “What kind of question is that?” “Then act like it,” Stanley snapped. “Drinking yourself into a stupor won’t fix anything. If you’re going to win her back, you need a plan. Right now, all she know
The hours dragged by, each minute stretching into what felt like eternity. Daniel lay there on the floor, his mind a jumbled mess of regret, anger, and sorrow. The apartment felt colder now, the silence almost suffocating, pressing down on him from all sides. He didn’t want to move, didn’t want to face the reality of it all. The world outside could go on, but he was stuck, paralyzed by his own thoughts, unable to find a way out. The sound of the doorbell rang through the stillness, but Daniel didn’t even flinch. His eyes were heavy, his body unmoving, as if he had become a part of the room itself. The ringing continued, insistent, but he ignored it. Let them come. He wasn’t in the mood for company. He didn’t want to see anyone—especially not now. But the door clicked open, and soon enough, the sound of footsteps approached. Stanley’s voice broke through the fog in Daniel’s mind. “What the hell? Daniel?” The words were sharp, filled with concern, but Daniel didn’t react. He didn’t
Tasha’s words hung heavily in the air, slicing through the tense silence. "I see no one is going to tell me," Tasha continued, her voice firm despite the exhaustion in her frame. She took a step back, the IV stand rattling slightly as she steadied herself. Her eyes were sharp, filled with a mixture of confusion and coldness that hurt Daniel to the core. Daniel’s chest tightened as he opened his mouth to speak, but Tasha held up a hand to stop him. “I don’t want you coming here like you have the rights,” she said, her tone cold and final. It wasn’t the tone of the woman he once knew weeks ago. This was a stranger, a woman who, for the moment, couldn’t remember the sincerity they had shared for the past weeks. Daniel wanted to argue, wanted to explain everything, but when she cut him off again, the words stuck in his throat. “I don’
Outside the Room… Robbin stepped into the hallway, exhaling sharply as he ran a hand through his hair. His mind was still spinning from everything that had happened, Tasha waking up, her memory loss, the way she had looked at Daniel like he was a stranger. He should have felt relief that she was alive, but all he could focus on was the uncertainty of what came next. The sound of measured footsteps drew his attention, and when he turned, Mr. Belvoir was standing a few feet away, his expression unreadable. The older man regarded him in silence for a moment before finally speaking. “I see how much you care for my daughter.” Robbin straightened, swallowing the emotions that had been simmering inside him. “I do,” he said simply. “Everyone knows that.” Mr. Belvoir gave a slow nod. “And you’ve been there for her, protected her, even when I couldn’t.” Robbi
Tasha’s confusion deepened, but her instincts told her that there was more to the story. She tried to piece together the fragments of memory. “A truck? But I don’t... I don’t remember it.” Claire gave her a reassuring smile, though her own expression was tinged with concern. “Don’t worry, Tasha. It’s normal not to remember everything right away. The shock, the trauma, it can make things hard to recall. But you’ll get there. You just need time.” Tasha’s heart ached with the gaps in her memory. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something or someone was missing from the story. “Ethan... he was in the car with me, wasn’t he?” she asked, her voice soft, almost fearful of what she might hear next. Claire nodded, her expression softening. “Yes, sweetheart, Ethan was with you and he’s safe now. You don’t have to worry about him.” But as Claire spoke, Tasha couldn’t ignore the nagging se
The drive to the precinct was tense, every second ticking by like a countdown to something bigger. Daniel’s mind raced, replaying every detail of the accident, the threats, the calculated attack. When Daniel arrived at the station, the officer led him through to the interrogation room. Behind the glass, a man sat hunched over, his face hidden beneath his hands. The officer motioned toward him. “This is the guy,” the officer said. Daniel nodded but said nothing, studying the man carefully. He didn’t recognize him. There was no familiar face. Just another man who had been caught up in whatever game Vanessa was playing. The officer turned to Daniel. “We’ve traced everything back to this guy. He was hired to take Ms Belvoir, but his story’s all over the place.” Daniel stepped forward as the officer unlocked the door and en
Daniel stood at the back of the room, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. He didn’t say a word. Tasha frowned, her brows knitting together as she tried to piece together the fragments of her memory. “I remember meeting Mr. Belvoir… Dad,” she corrected, looking up at him. “I was in his house. With Ethan.” She hesitated, her fingers tightening around the blanket. “Then I went back home.” Claire shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the others before asking cautiously, “You mean… in London?” Tasha nodded slowly. “Yes.” The room went still. Robbin’s gaze flickered toward Daniel, but Daniel didn’t react. His jaw was set, his eyes locked onto Tasha, but he remained silent. Mr. Belvoir, standing near the door, exhaled softly. “That was nearly two years ago.” Tasha’s eyes widened. “What?” Claire sat beside her, gently taking her hand. “Tasha… you’ve been here for a while. You left London.” Tasha shook her head, confusion flashing across her face. “No. I— I would remember