Filed to story: Finding the Secret Daddy for My Baby Novel
Startled, she came out to the balcony with the phone in her hand and saw the man standing next to the RV and staring up in her direction. Despite the distance between them, she could vaguely perceive his steady, intense gaze.
Another text message rang on her phone, and Ellen took a glance at it. It read, ‘Sleep early. See you tomorrow.” She even saw Jared wave to her in the moonlight before blowing her a kiss. After being stunned for a few seconds, she returned to her room with her heart in turmoil.
Even though she was sleepy, she couldn’t fall asleep that night, as her mind was preoccupied with the man in the RV outside. She thought of lots of things, including how Jared had looked on the verge of death at ten years old. She also wondered why she had chanced upon him in the first place.
Had she not gotten to know him, her uncle and aunt would never have told her the truth behind her brother’s heart donation. It was like there was an imperceptible force that led her to meet him and learn about all of this. Could her late brother’s spirit be guiding her through all of this?
In the master bedroom on the second floor, Lambert was holding a glass of red wine in his hand. Despite having a dressing gown draped around his shoulders, he wasn’t sleepy at all.
Instead, he was feeling deeply depressed. Jared’s so protective of Ellen! That’s causing me trouble right when I get a little interested in her. Seems like it’s not gonna be easy to steal her from him, eh?
When the sun rose from the east early the next morning, sparkling dewdrops were still clinging to the RV. Autumn had arrived, bringing a slight chill to the morning air.
The RV door was pushed open, and a figure stepped out from the inside. Jared stretched his limbs for a while; obviously, he hadn’t slept comfortably in the RV last night. He stared at the balcony on the third floor with unblinking eyes, wanting to know if Ellen had gotten out of bed inside.
Stanley, his assistant, came over with a set of breakfast in his hand. “President Presgrave, here’s your breakfast.”
Jared only took the cup of coffee from him. Then, he pulled out a chair and sat down, drinking coffee while keeping an eye on the third floor. The autumn wind tousled his dark hair in the sun, but the windblown hairstyle didn’t diminish the opulent and noble air he had about him in the slightest. His masculine and yet exquisitely handsome features were simply God’s masterpiece.
“It’s windy here, President Presgrave. Would you like to drink your coffee inside?” Stanley asked with concern.
Jared replied, “No, it’s okay.” He was in high spirits; even the pedestrians staring at him and his retinue in astonishment from the road nearby didn’t affect his good mood at all.
As soon as Ellen opened her eyes, she dashed to the balcony to see Jared. Compared to last night, she could see more clearly during the day. Consequently, she saw him sitting there surrounded by a bunch of people; not only that, he even waved to her, shouting, “Ellen!”
She let out a sigh. What on earth is he up to? Coming downstairs with a jacket draped around her shoulders, she stepped out of Lambert’s villa and came toward Jared’s RV.
Jared immediately stood up and dismissed Stanley and the bodyguards around him with a wave of his hand. He looked at Ellen with a pained look in his eyes, as though the lady had wasted away overnight. “Are you ready to talk to me?” he asked tenderly.
Ellen looked up. The sun shone on her pretty face, bringing out a kind of fragile beauty in her. A breeze brushed her dark hair away from her forehead and caressed her fair and pretty face, like a serene painting that made one’s heart flutter.
Ellen looked up at him, asking, “You said… you only learned yesterday that my brother was the donor, right?”
Jared apologized, “Yeah, I only learned that yesterday. I didn’t know the donor back then was named Kevin Reiss until your uncle suddenly came asking me for money. Sorry, it was my fault for not noticing.” Had he learned about this sooner, he would have shown her his gratitude already.
Ellen asked, “My uncle asked you for money again?” She was both surprised and kind of angry. How could Uncle Connor take advantage of my brother’s heart donation to keep asking for money?
“That’s right. He demanded about 15 million from me, saying he needs the fortune to pay off his many debts. Ellen, I know they didn’t give you a red cent out of the 15 million that my family gave him previously.” Jared’s heart ached terribly as he looked at her. He continued, “You should get at least half the amount.”
Tears welled up in Ellen’s eyes. Some memories were so unbearable to recall, she had to bury them deep down. She remembered how Jessica had once run out of cash and had to turn to Connor and his family when she got hospitalized for cold-induced pneumonia.
Even though Connor had only given Jessica a mere 150 in the end, Jessica had told her at her bedside that she had to be grateful to him and repay his kindness in the future.
Unbeknownst to them at the time, however, Connor and Olivia were splurging everywhere and flaunting their wealth in front of their friends and relatives with the money they had received for Kevin’s heart donation.
Now that she thought about it, she thought Connor and his family were not human. They were so heartless and cold-blooded that they didn’t deserve to be her relatives and elders at all. She recalled again how Connor and Olivia. had responded coldly when she borrowed money from them prior to Jessica’s death. They were already so loaded, but they wouldn’t lend her a single cent more.
Feeling bitterly disappointed, she looked up at Jared, saying, “You’re right that I should get at least half of my brother’s money. I want to get it back.”
Jared nodded. “I’ll help you with that. I asked the hospital director who signed the agreement with your uncle and his family back then, and he said there was no element of coercion or threat involved. Your uncle and aunt were your brother’s legal guardians at the time, and the agreement was signed with their consent, nor did my parents ever pressure them with their power and influence.
Please trust me, Ellen, my parents are not this kind of people,” he said under his breath in hopes that Ellen wouldn’t get the wrong idea about his family again. “Of course, I’m very sorry for using your brother’s heart. If you have a problem with it, I can have it taken out and leave it at your disposal,” he added in a choked voice.
Ellen felt a catch in her throat; her eyes reddened. “What nonsense are you talking about? When did I ever ask you to take it out?”
Jared looked at her quietly. “I just hope that you won’t hate me.” “I don’t hate you.” Ellen let out a sigh. “My brother was a kind person. I think he would’ve saved you, too.”
Jared strode over, held her hand, and placed it gently on his heart. “No wonder I felt kind of close to you and wanted to protect you when I first saw you. Turns out this was because my heart came from the person who loved you most.”
Ellen couldn’t help shedding tears in silence as the person who loved her most tugged at her heartstrings.
As she felt the beating of the man’s heart, a large hand gently wiped her tears away. “I’m your brother from now on. I’ll protect you and love you for the rest of my life.”
Ellen bit her lip and turned her face away with a slight blush. Just then, someone hemmed loudly from behind. “Ahem!” Ellen immediately withdrew her hand, whereas Jared darted a glance at the thoughtless person.
Lambert walked leisurely in their direction with his arms folded across his chest. “Ellen, I’ve made breakfast. Let’s have breakfast together, shall we?” he said to Ellen.
Jared raised an eyebrow and reached out to grab Ellen’s wrist. “I’ve got breakfast here, too. She’s joining me for breakfast.” “I made breakfast myself,” Lambert retorted, implying that his breakfast was more precious.
“I’ll make breakfast for her every single day in the future, so why don’t you save your breakfast for yourself, Mr. Orey? She’s leaving with me now.”
Lambert countered with a frown, “Would anyone snatch a person like you do, Young Master Jared? Miss Reiss is my guest, and she has yet to say she wants to leave!”
Caught between the two men, Ellen found herself at a momentary loss for what to do. “Pack your stuff, Ellen. We’re leaving now,” Jared whispered to her beside him.
Ellen broke free of his grasp before saying to Lambert, “Mr. Orey, thank you for putting me up last night. I’ll stop bothering you after this.”
“What? You’re leaving for real?!” Lambert asked reluctantly. “I have something else to deal with, so I shan’t bother you anymore,” Ellen said to him.
‘It’s nothing! We’re friends, after all,” Lambert replied with a chuckle just to spite a certain someone. “Uh-huh. It’s a real pleasure to be friends with you.” Ellen smiled. Lambert really isn’t a bad guy. she thought.
Lambert’s smile broadened more and more at the sight of Jared’s darkening expression. “In that case, we should go out for coffee sometime.”
Ellen nodded. “That’s a great idea! Well then, I gotta pack my stuff first.” She darted a look at the man beside her, only to notice his long face. I’d better pack up before anything else, she thought.
Lambert followed her back to the villa. After following her upstairs, he stood at the door to her room to keep her company. “Ellen, have you two made it up already?” he asked.
“Something happened between us that has to be dealt with right now,” Ellen explained while putting away the clothes on her bed. Seeing that she was going to make the bed, Lambert strode in and volunteered, “I’ll do it! You pack up your stuff.”
Ellen replied somewhat embarrassedly, “No, let me do it instead.”
However, Lambert insisted on making the bed himself. For some reason, he felt protective toward Ellen, who was really kind of everyone’s darling with her vulnerable beauty.
Ellen was grateful to him from the bottom of her heart. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. We’re friends already, no?” Lambert said while making the bed dexterously. Then, seeing that she had packed her suitcase, he reached out and lifted it up for her, saying, “Let’s go! I’ll walk you downstairs.”
Ellen followed him to the door. After the door opened, he walked her all the way to the door to Jared’s RV while carrying her suitcase. “Here, I’m giving her back to you. But if you don’t cherish her, then don’t blame me for stealing her again,” he said.
