Chapter 21
His deep, icy voice made Ophelia's breath catch in her throat.
"Darian? What do you mean?" Ophelia asked anxiously.
"Wasn't it you who drugged Cecily, leading her into another man's room? You then sneaked into my room and got pregnant with that child. So, Ophelia, Cecily's remarks about you were not unjust."
Darian's chilling words left Ophelia completely stunned, feeling as though she had plunged into an ice cave.
By saying this, Darian was essentially confirming that she was nothing more than a mistress.
How could he say such a thing about her?
Ophelia's heart clenched in pain.
"Ophelia, I warned you back then not to use such despicable methods against anyone, but you didn't seem to take it to heart," Darian's eyes, dark as ink, bore into her relentlessly.
At that moment, Ophelia was shaking with fear.
"Darian, listen to me, I need to explain... I really do realize I was wrong... Before, I was just too in love with you. I was so jealous that Cecily took you from me, which is why I did what I did...
Darian, if it wasn't for her, I would've been the one with you. She did many things to hurt me, too."
Ophelia wept uncontrollably while covering her chest, "If it weren't for her, my child wouldn't have died. Whenever I see her, I'm reminded of my child, and anger wells up in me.
But Darian, I swear! I swear I won't do it again! Can you please trust me?"
Ophelia's face was a picture of entreaty as she looked at Darian.
While looking at her tear-stained face, Darian was unexpectedly filled with irritation.
Impatiently, he gestured with his hand. "There better not be a next time."
Relief washed over Ophelia when she heard Darian soften, "Yes, there won't be a next time."
"Leave."
Ophelia stood frozen, noting the hint of annoyance in Darian's eyes. Her heart raced with panic. "Darian..."
"I don't like repeating myself. Stay away from here in the future."
Stay away?
But they were about to get engaged; how could she stay away?
Fear overcame Ophelia. Was Darian about to abandon her?
Absolutely not!
Ophelia opened her mouth to say something more when a soft cough from Larkin beside her caught her attention. She cast a pitiful glance in his direction.
Larkin gave her a look, signaling it was time to leave.
Darian had little patience for clingy people, and if she lingered, it would only aggravate him further.
Darian had already been pushed to the brink once tonight, and any more might send him into a fury he’d struggle to contain.
Ophelia pursed her lips, feeling a sting of realization that Darian didn't care for her as she had imagined. Whether it was letting Cecily slip away at the store, not escorting her to the hospital personally, or his current indifference, all of it filled her with dread.
The more she fretted, the more she fantasized about eliminating Cecily, the greatest obstacle standing in her way.
Ophelia faced Darian once more, offering one last attempt at justification, "Darian, everything I do is because I care about you and because I want to be your wife."
After she spoke, Darian remained unfazed. He didn’t even grace her with an extra glance.
With downcast eyes, Ophelia muttered, "You should get some rest. I'll be going now."
As she said this, her eyes, red with a mix of emotion, lingered on Darian one more time before she reluctantly turned and walked away. But the moment she turned, her expression shifted to one of unmistakable chill.
All of this was Cecily’s fault.
Without Cecily, Darian wouldn't treat her this way.
After stepping out of the den, Ophelia's eyes caught sight of two doctors in another room, drawing a small vial of blood from Rowan.
A sense of dread washed over her.
Darian was indeed proceeding with a paternity test for the child.
She cast a cold glance at Rowan—the child that represented her secret. She couldn't let Darian discover that the child was his. That would unearth a past she desperately needed to keep buried.
The doctors finally emerged from the room.
Ophelia approached a group of doctors and asked casually, "What's going on here?"
The doctor glanced at Ophelia. Darian instructed them to keep things under wraps, so all the doctor said was, "The young master has been feeling under the weather, so we've been sent to check on him."
Ophelia's eyes flickered, and she nodded in understanding. "I see."
After speaking, the doctor left with the blood samples in hand.
Ophelia clenched her fists tightly.
After stepping out of the Fitzgerald residence and into her car, Ophelia immediately pulled out her phone and made a call. "The DNA samples for Darian and Rowan have been sent off. Are you sure you can handle this?"
"Don't worry, I've got it covered."
"That's a relief." Ophelia exhaled sharply, "Remember, there can be absolutely no mistakes."
"Understood."
...
In the study, Rowan gently knocked on the door.
"Daddy?"
Darian looked up to see his son at the door, and the chill on his face softened as he gestured for him to come in. "Why are you still awake at this hour?"
"I saw what happened online." The young boy walked over to Darian, looking at him coolly, "Daddy, you should apologize to Mom."
Darian raised an eyebrow.
For some reason, he didn’t find anything amiss with how Rowan referred to Cecily.
"You really are considerate of her."
"You wrongly accused her; you should admit your mistake and apologize," Rowan said earnestly.
Darian knew the boy was right.
He had indeed wronged Cecily today, and he owed her an apology.
But that grudge-holding, crazy woman might not even accept it. It was uncertain whether she would even see him.
"She holds grudges and has a terrible temper. If I try to apologize, she'll probably throw me out."
"Not true. You're the one with the bad temper; Mom is actually very kind."
Mom was the kindest person he had ever met.
Darian frowned, sensing something was off. "You've never spent time with her; how do you know she's kind?"
The boy paused, but quickly recovered, "She just looks very kind, doesn't she?"
In Darian's mind, there was an image of Cecily's delicate and beautiful face, her eyes softly gleaming when she smiled.
But that was Cecily from five years ago.
Nowadays, she could be gentle with everyone else, but it was impossible for her to show any warmth toward him.
Darian managed a bitter smile.
"I'll give it a try."
"Mhm, Dad, remember to keep your temper in check." Rowan gently reminded him.
"Alright, I got it. Go to bed now; you've got school tomorrow."
"Mhm."
After Rowan left, Darian's gaze casually fell on Larkin, who was nearby, and he gestured for him to come closer.
Larkin stepped forward promptly, "What do you need, Mr. Fitzgerald?"
"How should I apologize to that crazy woman?"
It was a tough question.
"Uhm..." Larkin's lips twitched uncomfortably, "I mean... well..."
He was at a loss for words. The issue was that Cecily had so much animosity towards Darian, and with his own stone-cold demeanor, whenever the two were together, it was anything but a friendly conversation—it felt more like they were ready to fight to the death.
So, Larkin really didn't know how to advise him.
"I'm not really sure..."
Darian frowned, "You're useless too."
Larkin looked down, muttering under his breath, "You're asking me because you don't know either."
"What's that you're mumbling?"
Larkin immediately looked up and shook his head, "Just talking to myself, Mr. Fitzgerald."
"Get out."
"Yes, Mr. Fitzgerald. You should get some rest."
Darian frowned. Everyone kept telling him to rest, but could he actually get any rest?
Darian closed his eyes, thinking hard as his head pounded in frustration.
...
The next day.
Cecily was awakened by her relentlessly ringing phone.
Aurelie had not come home last night, and she was now annoyed. She pulled the covers over her head to try and get more sleep.
But when Cecily saw the caller ID, her expression instantly turned cold.
She walked to the living room to answer the call.
"Cecily, what took you so long to answer?"
Cecily's voice was icy, "What do you want?"
"Damn it, can't you at least come home to check in before stirring up trouble?" Raphael Watson's voice was full of vigor as he added, "Get your ass back here right now."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
