Damon Reyes was my father’s attorney and now mine. He had a calm demeanor, sharp eyes, and was one of those attorneys that you could tell he already knew your answer, and would only ask how sure you were if you were unsure.
He came into my kitchen and saw the bottles on the counter, my legal files, and Lily sleeping in my arms, and only said one thing.
“When you file a lawsuit , how “public” do you want the fallout to be?”
“And all of it,” I replied.
He nodded and presented me with what I needed to file suit against Adrian.
The first thing was a DNA test.
Adrian Vale is 99.9998 percent likely to be the father of the child.
The second thing was the money transfers.
The money that Adrian transferred to himself through a [earlier referred to as] trust fund that my father left me after his divorce. Initially, small amounts were taken as management fees, but later as larger payments were transferred through an investment that Adrian had tricked me into.
The third thing was emails.
Adrian emailed Celeste stating that she would be unable to catch on until too late, and that they would move the funds prior to the final judgement.
Celeste replied to Adrian stating that he should ensure I have signed the modified disclosure form. If I was angry, I would not read carefully.
And finally, he had a notarized declaration from Adrian’s former accountant.Damon plopped down one more folder on the table.
“This came in yesterday,” he stated.
I opened it.
Celeste was having a baby.
And not by Adrian.
There was no way Adrian could be the father of Celeste’s child based on the timeline. The probable conception date would fall during Adrian’s business trip to Singapore.
I let out a laugh that lacked any sense of humor.
Adrian had called to tell me about a baby he would never be able to call his own.
Damon studied my face carefully when I reacted that way. “We can exploit this, but we must tread lightly.”
I looked down at Lily. “We’ll exploit the truth.”
Although my body was still in pain on my wedding day, my hands were now steady.
I had picked out a black dress to wear. This was not black to mourn or black to signify that I was a widow; it was just a long elegant dress that had sleeves and a high neckline. Nora had pinned my hair back and fastened my mother’s pearl earrings on for me.
The woman that stared back at me in the mirror did not look weak; she looked as if she could hold the weight of the world on her shoulder.
She looked as if she were a locked door.
Lily was dressed in a cream coloured knit dress, and Nora was holding her close and secure.
“You know for sure?” Nora asked.
I rested my hand against Lily’s cheek with a tender caress. “Since he invited me to his family, it’s only right that I bring mine.”
We arrived at the Whitmore Conservatory just as the sun was setting. The building shone gold through the glass walls. Inside were white roses, crystal chandeliers, and silk dresses hanging from the ceiling.
When I walked inside, everyone turned to look.
Adrian’s ex-wife.
She really did show up.
Poor lady.
I just kept walking.
Adrian was laughing and talking to colleagues at the front of the room. He looked polished, happy, and perfectly well-dressed. He had always been able to give off the appearance of being trustworthy.After taking a moment to gather myself, I realized Adrian’s attention was fixed on me before I could finish gathering my thoughts. Adrian’s smile had faltered momentarily but regained its sharpness as he took in my appearance.
“Mia,” Adrian exclaimed. “You made it!”
“Of course I did!” I replied.
Adrian’s eyes then scaned over my black gown. “Black is certainly dramatic!”
“It seemed fitting,” I stated.
“It’s fitting for my wedding?”
“It’s fitting for a conclusion.”
Adrian’s attention then shifted to the covered baby carrier that Nora was holding.
“What’s that?” Adrian asked.
Nora’s smile was cold as she responded, “It’s a baby, Adrian. Babies are commonplace at weddings, especially for people with families.”
Adrian’s attention quickly returned to me.
“You have a baby?” he asked, still in disbelief.
“Yes.”
“Whose baby is it?”
I stepped closer.
“Mine.”
For the first time in his life, Adrian was speechless. He laughed loudly; almost hysterically.
“That’s impossible!”
“Is it?”
Adrian’s voice then lowered. “Mia, don’t be foolish.”
Again, his favorite weapon was used against me.