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Dylan was still taken aback by Taylor's sudden appearance and didn't have a moment to go inside and inform Larisa. He tried to gather himself and opened the door, allowing Taylor to enter, assuming Larisa hadn't heard them.
"How did you manage to get to New York so early?" Dylan kept his gaze fixed on Taylor as he took a seat on the chair to the right.
"Excuse me, let me change my clothes," Dylan quickly said, leaving the living room and heading inside, where he spotted Larisa standing near the door, eavesdropping.
"How did he find out I was in New York?" Larisa whispered, her voice hushed.
"I don't know, he must have taken the night flight. Stay calm, stay here. Let me go and talk to him. I came here to inform you," Dylan replied, forgetting to change out of his nightwear. His primary intention was to let Larisa know that his brother was around, unaware that she had overheard their conversation.
When Dylan returned to the living room, still clad in his nightgown, Taylor asked, "I thought you were going to change your outfit."
"Oh! I got sidetracked," Dylan responded, taking a seat and glancing at the time. It was nearly 9 am in the morning, and they had gone to bed around 3:30 am after a night of passion and watching a movie together.
"Welcome, Taylor. What's going on? Who told you that Larisa was in ?" Dylan inquired.
"It's reliable information, and I heard it directly from Larisa's mother. Larisa is avoiding me, despite everything I've done for her and her mom. She should at least appreciate my efforts. I don't like the way she talks to me—so cold and sometimes arrogant. I have two objectives here : find Larisa and bring her back home. I want your support in what I've come here to do. If I see her and she refuses to come with me, then I'll take legal action. She can't deny me and our baby. It's only natural for an infant to recognize the voices of their parents. Larisa can't deny me my parental rights."
"So what are you suggesting? You want Larisa to come to your place? Don't you think that's like imprisoning her..." Dylan trailed off.
"No, no," Taylor interjected and continued, "what I mean is I need to know where Larisa is staying. If she doesn't want me to visit her place, she should at least agree to meet me once a month. Taking my unborn child away feels like suffocating the future. I want to experience that paternal care, accompany her to the hospital, know our baby's health, and be there for any emergencies. Also, I want to sign the birth certificate. No one can strip me of that right. I have enough resources to provide for my child. The anticipation of holding my own baby in my arms in a few months is an indescribable feeling. I might not know my way around very well, but I want to stay here and search for the mother of my child."
"Stay right here," Dylan cleared his throat, stood up, and went to the bar. He retrieved a bottle of wine and two glasses. Pouring himself a drink, he took a sip and placed the open bottle on the table in front of Taylor, then sat back down.
Suddenly, Dylan's phone began ringing, and as he reached for it, a sound of a phone hitting the floor echoed through the room, capturing both Taylor's and Dylan's attention.
"Who's there?" Taylor asked. Dylan quickly stood up and was about to go inside when he noticed Taylor moving closer.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it," Dylan assured him, and went inside. As he entered his room, Larisa was already feeling anxious. Dylan embraced her and whispered in her ear, "Lock the door and stay calm."
Larisa had been standing near the door, which was about forty feet away from the living room. She had Dylan's phone in her hand, trying to listen to the conversation between Dylan and Taylor. However, when the phone suddenly rang, she was startled and dropped it.
Dylan returned to the living room, and before he could settle down, Taylor asked, "Was that Tessy?"
"No, no," Dylan replied, a pained expression crossing his face at the mention of that name. Taylor remained silent for a moment, sensing Dylan's change in mood. Dylan finished the remainder of his wine in one gulp and spoke up.
"I don't think it's appropriate for you to stay in my house and search for Larisa," Dylan said, his anger still evident. Taylor realized that Dylan was still upset, and this wasn't the same Dylan he had been talking to just minutes ago.
"Brother, haven't you forgiven me for what happened in the past? Please, let's put it behind us..." Taylor pleaded.
"I'm not referring to the past; I'm talking about something else. Leave the search for Larisa to me. I'll find her as long as she's in New York, and she'll come to meet you by the end of the month once I locate her."
"The end of the month? That's too far away," Taylor responded.
"Are you the one searching for her, or am I?" Dylan asked firmly.
Seeing that Dylan was still angry, Taylor said, "Okay, if you can guarantee that she'll come to my place by the end of the month, then I don't have a problem with that. My main concern is my baby. But please, don't tell her that I told you."
"So, there's no need for you to stay here," Dylan stated.
"Are you kicking me out?" Taylor asked.
"No," Dylan quickly replied. "How can I kick you out? I have a lot going on, and besides, I'm not the only one who lives in this mansion."
"I almost forgot. This building is quite expensive. How did you manage to acquire it?" Taylor commented, and Dylan simply smirked.
"I didn't want to tell you, but I believe in honesty. That's why I might not allow you to spend the night here."
"No, no. I completely understand and I'm not upset. You don't have sole ownership of this property."
"Let me take a shower so we can go out to one of the restaurants and grab a meal. You must be hungry."
"Yes, and more importantly, your determination to help me find Larisa makes me happy."
"Why are we brothers? Since she came here for a job interview, I should be able to locate her, and I'll keep you updated. Definitely by the end of the month. But if I can't make it this month, please be patient with me. Oh, and before I forget, send me Larisa's phone number." Without delay, Taylor sent Larisa's phone number to Dylan's phone, pretending he didn't already have it.
"If you need some rest, I can offer you my VIP ticket to a prestigious hotel..." Dylan suggested.
"No, no," Taylor smiled proudly. "I didn't come to New York to take advantage of you financially. My taste for luxury is too high. I'll take a break for a while and either leave this evening or tomorrow morning."
A few hours later, Taylor left Dylan's house, and Dylan accompanied him to one of the finest hotels. Dylan saw Taylor off and returned home around 12 pm.
When Dylan entered the house and opened the front door, the first words out of his mouth were,
"Hi sweetie, I'm home?" He went to their bedroom, but she wasn't there. He checked the other two bedrooms on the ground floor, but she wasn't there either. Despite his usual reluctance to use the upper rooms and sitting area, he decided to go upstairs.
"Sweetheart, where are you?" He pulled out his phone and dialed her number. It rang, but she refused to answer. Eventually, he found her in one of the rooms upstairs, sitting near the window with tears streaming down her face.
"Dear, what's wrong?" He hurried over and stood beside her, placing his hands on her shoulders and gently shaking her. "What's the matter?"
But Larisa remained silent, refusing to utter a word.
"Is it because I mentioned that I'll find you and bring you back to meet Taylor? Is that why you're upset? Do you think I'm about to betray you? Why would you even think that? I love you, and I would never hurt you emotionally. You belong to me, and only the baby belongs to Taylor. After nine months, you'll be free from Taylor, and all this chasing after you because of your pregnancy will stop. Taylor's only concern is finding you because of the pregnancy."
Larisa continued shaking her head and biting her lower lip.
"Please, I don't appreciate this kind of behavior. Be honest with me. What have I done? Your silence is deeply affecting me."
After a moment of silence, Larisa wiped away her tears and said,
"Who is Tessy to you? She was the one who called this morning when your phone slipped from my hand. She called fifteen times and later sent you two messages, and you told me you never had a girlfriend. Who is she?"
"Did you read the messages?" he asked.
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