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.

doubt in her heart

me? Could he, instead of the traffickers, have stolen the newborn baby? If that’s the case, Evander must have been planning this charade and knew that I would only hate him all the more for knowing the truth from all those

daring to ruminate further, she

a long time ago, but Floretta remained in her seat with a

for every child to produce an

in the parent-teacher conference, Floretta honored the occasion

swung open to admit a group of boys who came barging in. They gazed in Floretta’s direction and

of the boys, chubbier than the rest, arrived before

her face flushed

dare you touch my things, Mark?

shoved Floretta away and perused the sketchbook with

you have is a drawing of your family! Aunt Olivine said that you’re a motherless child,

“You’re lying!”

stomped her feet angrily. Her features contorted

Sherrock is the one who insists on being my mother and must have said those things in a fit of embarrassed

calling Ms. Sherrock. That’s my Aunt Olivine,” Mark growled as he pushed her again and jabbed a menacing finger. “Your mother threw you away as soon as you were

fell onto the ground. She was so frightened at the mention of the orphanage that her scarlet eyes blossomed with

while rubbing her eyes. “I

at how good at lying Floretta is! She’s practically

turned around and, along with his friends, began to point and

laughing about? My mother

to convince them, but despite her

all the

Sorelle is a movie star! How could she

she loves Angeline