CHAPTER 4
"She's, my daughter."
The words echoed in Sebastian's head, loud, sharp, and final.
Then... He blinked.
Silence.
Nothing had happened.
It was all in his head.
A dark, dangerous imagination of what could happen if the truth ever came out.
Sebastian exhaled slowly as he took Janelle back from the furious Nessa, his arms tightening protectively around the child. For a brief moment, fear flickered in his eyes as the thought crossed his mind, what might Nessa have done to the innocent baby if he had dared to tell her the truth? He knew all too well how far her anger and desperation could go… he couldn't let that happen.
Not now.
Not like this.
Nessa crossed her arms, clearly irritated. "I said I don't want that baby here."
Sebastian's jaw tightened, his expression turning cold.
"Don't touch her," he said sharply.
Nessa frowned, taken aback by his tone.
Nessa narrowed her eyes, still displeased, but said nothing.
Sebastian didn't wait for a response.
Turning away, he walked out of the room with the baby still in his arms, holding her just a little tighter than before.
As if, deep down… he already knew letting her go wouldn't be that simple.
The next morning, tension filled the house.
Nessa stood firm, her expression cold and unyielding as she insisted that the baby be taken to an orphanage or reported to the cops. But Sebastian refused.
Instead, he told her the truth, at least, part of it.
He wanted to adopt the child.
"Is this some kind of plan?" Nessa demanded, her voice sharp with suspicion. "Who is she, Sebastian? Tell me the truth."
But he shook his head, maintaining his lie.
"I don't know who she is," he replied. "But I'm willing to adopt her, Nessa. It's not a bad thing."
His words did nothing to calm her.
Her frustration only grew, boiling over into anger.
"If you don't take that child away," she threatened, "then I'll leave, with Kenny and you'll never see us again,"
The ultimatum hit him hard.
After a long, heated argument, Sebastian finally gave in.
Reluctantly, he took Janelle to an orphanage, his heart heavy with doubt and unease. Even as he walked away, something inside him felt terribly wrong.
Claire… had trusted him with their child and he had failed her, just to protect his own family.
Two months later, tragedy struck.
A devastating accident claimed the lives of both Nessa and little Kenny.
In a single, cruel moment, Sebastian lost everything.
The Mansion that once held warmth and laughter became unbearably silent. Grief consumed him, hollowing him out until he barely recognized himself. No wife. No son.
For days, he drifted through life like a broken man, drowning in sorrow and regret.
But then...
Claire.
Her face returned to his mind and so did the truth. He had wronged her. Deeply.
And worse… he had abandoned his own daughter.
The realization shattered him.
Without wasting another second, Sebastian rushed to the orphanage and brought Janelle back home. Soon after, he arranged for a DNA test.
The result was undeniable; she was his daughter.
His flesh and blood.
Determined to make things right, he searched everywhere for Claire, chasing every possible lead. But she was gone, vanished without a trace.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find her.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, yet there was still no sign of her.
Perhaps…
This was his punishment.
Nessa and Kenny were gone, leaving him behind to face the consequences of his actions alone.
Now, Janelle was the only light left in his life, the only piece of his broken world he could still hold onto.
Still, his heart longed for Claire.
He wanted to find her.
To beg for her forgiveness.
To tell her that he had accepted Janelle… that their daughter was finally home where she belonged.
But Claire was nowhere to be found.
And all he could do was wonder if he would ever see her again.
*
Ten Years Later…
At Southern Indiana
Maja had been begging all morning, clinging to her mother's side and refusing to take no for an answer. She insisted on following Claire to the vineyard where she worked, her persistence wearing Claire down little by little.
Eventually, Claire gave in.
She knew exactly why her daughter was so eager, it had nothing to do with the plantation.
Maja only wanted to see Adrian.
"You know his father gets angry whenever he sees the two of you together," Claire said as they walked along the narrow path, gently holding Maja's small hand.
Maja looked up at her, puzzled. "Is it wrong to have friends, Mom?"
Claire sighed softly. "It's not wrong. But I'm sure you don't want to offend my boss. He doesn't like…poor children like you being around his son."
"But I'm not poor," Maja quickly replied.
Claire gave a faint, bittersweet smile. "Maybe not. But I work for him. And he doesn't want his son associating with a worker's child. Trust me, you don't want to get on Mr. Lewis's bad side."
Maja's expression brightened with stubborn confidence. "I don't care. I just want to see Adrian. No one can stop him from being my friend… not even his father."
Claire shook her head, knowing there was no changing her mind.
When they arrived at the plantation, the scenery stretched wide and beautiful, rows of greenery swaying gently under the morning breeze. It was a place Claire had grown to love ever since they moved there.
"Adrian!" Maja called out excitedly.
Moments later, a boy came running toward her, his face lighting up the instant he saw her.
"I thought you weren't coming," he said.
"I had to convince my mom," Maja replied proudly, her one-sided dimple showing as she smiled.
Adrian chuckled. "You must be a real handful."
Maja burst into laughter. "She's the best mom ever. She always listens to me."
Claire raised a brow. "Don't get too excited, Maja. Your grandfather will be here soon to take you home."
Maja's smile faded into a pout. "I don't want to go…"
"And I don't care," Claire teased lightly.
Maja quickly grabbed Adrian's hand. "Let's go play! Where's your sister?"
"She's with Dad," Adrian replied.
Just then, a sharp voice cut through the air.
"You! again."
Jordan approached them with a scowl; her eyes fixed on Maja with clear disdain. Though they were the same age, Jordan had always taken pleasure in intimidating her.
"Are you here to see my brother?" she asked coldly.
Maja hesitated. "Yes…"
She kept her voice low, knowing better than to provoke her.
"Jordan," Adrian said firmly, stepping slightly in front of Maja, "I think Mom needs you at home. Just go."
Jordan glared at them both. "I'm telling Dad, "She snapped before turning and running off.
Claire, who had been watching from a distance, frowned deeply. Jordan was always troublesome.
Without hesitation, she walked over and grabbed Maja's hand.
"You're going home now," she said firmly. "I don't want Jordan reporting this to Mr. Lewis. I could lose my job because of this… this friendship."
"But please, ma'am," Adrian pleaded, stepping forward. "She just came to play with me."
"There are plenty of other children she can play with," Claire replied curtly.
And with that, she pulled Maja along, leaving the boy standing there as the distance between them slowly grew.