Her Precious Baby

He expected Angeline to blame and scold him instead of opening up like this. It was as if she had numbed herself to her fate.

The only thing more dangerous than a fight in a relationship was a cold shoulder, which was proof of her increasing disregard for him.

Evander felt empty in the stomach at that thought. He reached out and grabbed Angeline’s arm.

“Why did we have to break up?” he asked, gritting his teeth in dismay.

“Was I not clear enough?”

“I want the real reason.” Evander gazed down at her, his voice husky. “Why did you react that way when you saw the Heart of the Ocean I gifted you? What are you hiding from me?”

He only realized the shift in Angeline’s emotional state after he calmed down. Though he was unclear of the reason, he surmised upon further thought that it must have been due to the necklace.

“Is that important?”

Angeline’s heart skipped a beat at Evander’s words. She turned around to face him while feigning a calm she did not feel.

“Everybody has their secrets, Mr. Golding. That must be why you won’t tell me who Floretta’s real mother is.”

Initially prodding Evander to see if she could discover something, she did not expect such a hostile reaction from him.

“You are becoming bold, Angeline!”

“Forget I ever asked.”

Angeline scoffed and again struggled to free herself of Evander before turning around to leave abruptly.

her heart

hiding from me? Could he, instead of the traffickers, have stolen the newborn baby? If that’s the case, Evander

she

children had gone out to play when the bell in the kindergarten rang a long time ago, but Floretta

the teachers called for every child to produce an artwork to be presented

together in the parent-teacher conference, Floretta honored the occasion by applying herself

the classroom door swung open to admit a group of boys who came barging

arrived before Floretta with his chest puffed up and grabbed her

his gesture, her face flushed red with

things, Mark? Give

shoved Floretta away and perused the sketchbook with

Instead, all you have is a drawing of your family! Aunt Olivine said that

“You’re lying!”

feet angrily.

being my mother and must have said those things in a fit of

jabbed a menacing finger. “Your mother threw you away as soon as you were born. Besides, Aunt Olivine said she’ll put you in the orphanage when

withstand the oppression of his bulk, Floretta fell onto the ground. She was so frightened at the mention of the orphanage that her scarlet eyes blossomed with

will never do that,” she exclaimed indignantly while rubbing her eyes. “I have

good at lying Floretta is! She’s

turned around and, along with his friends, began to

are you laughing about? My mother

despite her earnestness, none of

laughed all the harder at those

a movie star! How

has been binge-watching ‘The Journey,’ and she loves Angeline in it. She’s the