ROBERT
(unedited)

"What do you mean you are going back to England?" My mother's tone was angry. "Your wife prepared a welcoming brunch with some very important guests."

My wife. It was not until now that I remembered that Daisy was my wife, not Eleanor. How would Daisy react when I told her Eleanor and I had a daughter? Would Daisy be understanding and step aside so I could get my family back? Would that be too much to ask from her?

Daisy had always been a sensible person. Although many people expected I'd marry her, Daisy always told me to marry the woman I loved. Aside from my brother, Daisy was happy about my engagement with Eleanor. She'd always supported me. Surely Daisy would understand that my daughter needed both her mother and me?

"Tell her I am sorry," I replied. "But the matter I need to tend to cannot wait."

"What could be more important than your wife?" My mother asked. A few seconds passed before she gasped loudly. "Do not tell me you are returning to England because of that woman!"

"Mother—"

"Do you not remember what she did to you? How could you even think of going back to her?" My mother's screechy voice was giving me a headache. I knew she would not stop her rampage unless I told her the truth.

"I have a daughter," I said calmly, and my mother fell silent.

"A-A daughter? But how?"

"Eleanor was pregnant when she left," I explained. "I saw her, Mom—my daughter. She looked so beautiful. If only you could've seen her. She looks so much like me, and her name is Emma."

"How do you know she's yours? That woman was having an affair. She cheated on you, Robert! For all we know, that girl is a product of her infidelity. The father of her child probably left her, and now she wants to put the responsibility on you."

I could not blame my mother for not believing me. If Katie hadn't told me the truth about Eleanor's identity and the past she had with Ethan, I would have carried on believing Emma was Ethan's daughter—a product of Eleanor's infidelity. But now I knew Eleanor had never cheated on me. I had been blind to her feelings for so long, but now I knew the truth. She had loved me all along.

"I have a DNA test," I lied. "Emma is my daughter, and I plan to bring her home."

I knew I could not tell my mother I was also going to England to get the woman I loved back. She'd hop on the first plane and drag me back home.

"You should have consulted with your wife first. Although I am glad that woman was able to do one thing right, you should have thought how the news would affect your wife." My mom let out a long sigh. "Daisy wanted to be the one to give you a child. Knowing that your ex-wife gave you the child she may never have will devastate her."

My mother's words were the harsh reality I had ignored. I had not stopped to think about Daisy's feelings. I hated I was being selfish, but Eleanor was the woman I loved. I could not let her go.

"I've already made up my mind, Mother. All that I ask is that you keep this a secret from Daisy until I am back," I urged.

"Alright," my mother sighed in defeat. "I do not blame you for wanting to be with your daughter, son. All that I ask in return is that you leave that woman where she belongs — in the past."

"Goodbye, Mom." I hung up the phone before she could begin another rampage.

I did not want to think of how she'd react when I returned home with Eleanor by my side. I did not know what I did to break her heart, but I would not return until she forgave me. I prayed she could forgive me.

My phone began to vibrate against my hand. I looked down and expected to see my mother's name flashing on the screen. Instead, there was an unknown number. I hesitantly pressed the green button and brought the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I answered.

I could hear the other person breathing nervously on the other side of the phone. There were a couple of seconds of silence before the person spoke.

"Katie told me you were coming back," the familiar female voice said. I could feel the butterflies in the pit of my stomach forming at the sound of Eleanor's voice. "There is a cafe in the airport called Regency Lane. I will meet you there after your flight lands, and we can talk."

"Yeah, of course. I am gl—"My sentence was cut short by the beeping, indicating the call had ended.

Despite our short conversation, I could not help but grin widely. Eleanor had reached out first, and she wanted to talk. I felt like it was a sign of hope. Maybe we could work it out after all?

〰️〰️〰️
ELEANOR

I looked down at the phone with a teary gaze. I knew that everything was going to change. Just as I was starting to have a happy life, Robert had to come back and mess it all up.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Elle?" Ethan asked gently. He reached out for my hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "We can call Amar, and this can all go away—he can go away."

The idea was quite tempting, and I thought about it as soon as Katie called me. The power I had could make sure Robert never stepped foot into my life again or Emma's. I could make him stay away for good, but Emma did not deserve that.

"There were many instances when Emma would look up at me with innocence and naivety, and she'd asked why her dad didn't want her." I pushed back the lump inside my throat. "She noticed her cousin had both parents, but she only had me. I remember I would curse Robert for my daughter's hurting, but deep down, I knew I was the one to blame."

"Do not say that, love. None of this is your fault," Ethan assured, but I knew better.

"I allowed the anger and hatred I felt towards Robert to hurt my daughter. It was selfish of me to keep Emma from her father." The tears I had been holding back broke free. "I should have told him when I had the chance. Now, Emma will hate me for keeping her from her father. And I cannot blame her for it."

Ethan pulled me into his embrace, and I cried into his chest. He did not seem to care if I stained his expensive suit. He held me close and rubbed my back in soothing circles.

"Emma is a smart girl like her mother. She'll understand that you were trying to protect her," Ethan reassured. "Plus, you did try to tell Robert about Emma's existence the night we left, and he decided to accuse you of cheating when he was the one that messed up. So trust me when I say none of this is your fault."

Ethan's words eased the guilt that I felt.

The privacy divider rolled down, and the chauffeur turned to look at me. "Mr. Davis' plane has landed, Your Grace," he said.

I could feel the anxiety building up in my chest again, but I tried my best to remain calm. I had promised myself I would not allow Robert to intimidate me.

"Do you still wish to go alone, my love?" Ethan asked with concern, and I nodded.

"This is something I must do by myself," I replied. "Wait for me here. I shall not take long."

"You got this, Precious," Ethan said with a comforting smile.

"Thank you." I stole one last hug from Ethan for courage before I stepped out of the car.

For my safety, I had brought my best security. My bodyguards were hidden undercover around the airport while the head of the team, Butch, trailed close behind me.

"I shall be right outside, Your Grace," Butch said as he stood guard outside the cafe.

I stepped inside the noisy cafe filled with tourists. Despite the long waiting line, there were multiple empty tables. I walked over to a table near the back, away from prying eyes.

"May I get you something, ma'am?" The waitress asked.

"A pearl black tea and a black coffee with no sugar, please," I answered.

"Got it. I will be back shortly," the girl chirped.

"I can't believe you still remember what I like." Robert's voice sent a chill down my spine. I looked up to find him standing beside the table, wearing a navy blue suit.

"How could I forget your favorite type of coffee? You always liked it black—like your soul," I sassed. Robert looked taken aback by my snarky remark. Of course, he was. He was used to the quiet and obedient Eleanor. "Take a seat. I do not have much time."

"Right. As the Duchess of Veneto, I assume your schedule is quite busy," Robert mused as he sat down. So, Katie told him.

"How much did my dear friend disclose to you?"

Robert looked down at the table with guilt. "Everything," he confessed. "Your real name. The fact that you are filthy rich. And how you broke off your engagement with Ethan to marry me."

My heart stung at the reminder. How could I have left a good man like Ethan to marry the selfish man next to me?

"I am guessing she also told you the truth about Emma?" I mused, and Robert nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked with a pained expression. I scoffed at the audacity Robert had to ask such a question.

"I was going to tell you," I replied coldly. "That night at Naresh Patel's wedding. I went looking for you to tell you the good news. I'll admit, part of me hoped it would help mend our relationship. But then, you lashed out at me. You accused me of cheating on you and even rubbed the fact that you loved another woman in my face. So, that is why I didn't tell you because I knew you'd say Emma was a product of my supposed infidelity like you did when you first saw her."

Remorse clouded Robert's eyes. He looked like he was on the verge of crying. I wanted to break down in tears so he could see how badly he had broken me, but I decided to stay strong. He did not deserve that I shed any more tears.

"That day I first saw her, I prayed that you would tell me she was mine. I wanted her to be mine." Robert wiped away a tear that had managed to roll down his cheek.

I rolled my eyes at his statement. Was that supposed to make me feel better?

"Now that you know the truth, what are you planning on doing?" I asked in a stoic voice. I did not want him to think I was worried about his next move. There was no way he could take Emma from me.

"I want to know my daughter and for her to know me. She needs to know she has a father. I want to be present in her life from this point on." Robert's answer eased my mind. He did not seem to have an intention of fighting over custody. "And I'd also like to know how to fix things between us."

"What?" Was he being serious?

"I want to know what I did that drove you away from me." Robert reached for my hands, but I moved them away. "Eleanor, Katie told me you loved me. She said the only reason you left everything behind was because of the love you had for me. So, please, tell me how I can fix us because I also love you."

The sudden confession knocked out the air in my lungs. My head began spinning in circles that I could barely think properly. All I could do was laugh. I laughed so loudly that it attracted confused gazes from the other customers inside the cafe.

"Here are your drinks," the waitress said awkwardly. She seemed to sense the tension. "Would you like anything else?"

"No, that will be all. Thank you." I handed her twenty pounds from my purse. "Keep the change."

"Thank you, ma'am!" The girl walked away with a bright smile.

I turned back to Robert, who looked at me, expecting an answer. I wanted to punch him, yell at him, or kick him. The anger boiling inside me became hard to control. I had wanted him to say those words for so long, but it only fueled my hate now. How could he say he loved me after what he did?

"Do I need to remind you that you have a wife, Mr. Davis?" I gave him a cold glare, and Robert looked away.

"I plan on divorcing Daisy," he confessed. Katie had not warned me about this.

"What?" What was this man playing at? Why would he spur such lies? "T-This is all too much. I have to go."

My legs felt like jelly as I tried to stand up. I held onto the table and clutched my throbbing temples with my free hand. My vision had become blurry, and the noisy cafe was doing nothing to help.

"Eleanor, are you okay?" Robert reached his hand out, but I rejected his touch.

"I'm fine," I slurred. The pounding in my head had grown louder. I could hear each beat of my heart. It was as if it was right against my ear. "I'm fi. . ."

Word Count: 2318

Author's Note: Who else thinks that Robert is being a selfish jerk? 🙋‍♀️ Do you think he has any redemption left? How will Ethan react when he finds out Robert's real plan? Will Eleanor tell him? Let me know what you think in the comments down below. This novel is finally going to start picking up pace and there will be more drama to come. Next chapter should be out next Friday. After next Friday, I hope to have two chapters out each week. Fingers crossed 🤞. See you then my lovelies!

Also side question: Should I start adding pictures at the end of each chapter to show off the outfits the characters are wearing? Would you guys like that? Let me know in the comments.