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 gnawed at

to the mention of Floretta’s birth mother? 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 and knew that I would only hate him all the

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

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

teachers called for every child to produce an artwork

it was rare for Angeline and Evander to appear together in the parent-teacher conference, Floretta honored the

open to admit a group of boys who came barging in. They

of the boys, chubbier than the rest, arrived before Floretta with his chest puffed up

gesture, her face

touch my things, Mark? Give

boy’s meaty hands shoved Floretta away

in here. Instead, all you have is a drawing of your family! Aunt Olivine

“You’re lying!”

feet angrily. Her features contorted

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

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,

fell onto the ground. She was so frightened at the

“No, Daddy will never do that,” she exclaimed indignantly while rubbing her eyes. “I

Sorelle from ‘The Journey’? Look at how good at lying Floretta is!

his friends, began

about? My mother is Angeline

but despite her earnestness, none of

they laughed all the

star! How could she be your

she loves Angeline in it. She’s the hottest star right