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

What is he hiding from me? Could he, instead of the traffickers, have stolen the newborn baby? If that’s the case, Evander must have been planning this charade

ruminate further, she opted instead to investigate the matter thoroughly at her own

had gone out to play when the bell in the kindergarten rang a long time ago, but Floretta remained in her seat with a colored pen in her

looming close, the teachers called for every

in the parent-teacher conference, Floretta honored

group of boys who came barging in. They gazed in Floretta’s direction

rest, arrived before Floretta with his chest puffed

his gesture, her

things, Mark? Give my drawing back to

shoved Floretta away and perused the sketchbook with

here. Instead, all you have is a

“You’re lying!”

her feet angrily. Her features contorted with

who insists on being my mother and must have

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 born. Besides, Aunt Olivine said she’ll put you in the orphanage when

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

rubbing her eyes. “I have a mother. She’s Angeline Sorelle, the

good at lying Floretta is! She’s

and, along with his friends, began

about? My mother is Angeline

tried to convince them, but despite her

all the harder at

a movie star! How could she

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