Chapter 3
426words
Suddenly, a bright little voice called out: "Godmother! We came to rescue you from work!"
I turned to see Sophie racing toward me, beaming. Her mother—my best friend Lu Xinlan—trailed behind, calling out, "Easy, sweetie! Don't trip!"
At the sight of Sophie, the evening's humiliations melted away. I scooped her up with a genuine smile. "You little munchkin, couldn't wait in the car, huh?"
I was so wrapped up in Sophie that I completely missed the brooding figure approaching us.
Until a cold voice cut through the air: "Clara, who the hell gave you permission to secretly bear my child?"
I was floored by Julian's wild imagination. Rolling my eyes, I turned to face him:
"Mr. Vance, newsflash—this isn't my kid. Which means she definitely isn't yours either."
His brow furrowed. "I heard her call you 'mother.'"
"Your hearing needs checking," I squeezed Sophie's hand. "Honey, what did you just call me? Tell this gentleman."
Sophie clung to my neck, whispering loudly: "Godmother, this man is creepy. I don't like him. Can we go home now?"
"There you have it. I'm her godmother. She's my best friend's daughter."
I thought that would settle it.
But Julian, stubborn as ever, wasn't buying it:
"Don't use your friend as a cover story. You think I'm that gullible?"
"I remember perfectly how desperate you were to have my baby." His gaze turned razor-sharp. "Clara, if you had the audacity to hide my daughter from me, you should have prepared for the consequences when I found out."
"I won't let my flesh and blood grow up without the Vance name."
I know Julian's bulldog personality all too well. If I don't nip this in the bud, he'll never let it go. Sophie's too young to be caught in adult drama, so I motioned for Lu Xinlan to take her away.
Once they were out of earshot, I turned back to him:
"Sophie is genuinely my best friend's daughter. She has nothing to do with me biologically."
"They were having dinner nearby and swung by to give me a ride. That's it."
"Julian, use your brain. When were we ever together without you taking every possible precaution? How could I possibly have gotten pregnant?"
His lips curled in derision. "You tried poking holes in condoms before, didn't you?"
"So I have every reason to believe you might have secretly carried and birthed my child."
Well, I'll admit it—my love-addled brain once made me do some pretty desperate things.
