Desmond exhaled slowly, debating whether to even begin explaining. But the weight was too heavy to carry alone.
“I was called to help someone in a hospital today,” he began. "It was a critical case—life or death.” He paused, and his mother’s eyes widened in surprise. “You? Called to a hospital?”
He nodded. “Yes. And when I got there… I saw Anabel.” He said, and his mother’s expression faltered for a moment. “Anabel? Your ex-wife? What happened to her?”
"Nothing happened to her. She was fine. Her father was the one sick." Desmond replied.
"Her father? I thought she only had a mother. How come she has a sick father?" The mom asked.
"That was what she told us, but she has a father. And the surprising part was that her father is Sir Orton. The CEO of Orton's group. She is a billionaire heiress, Mom." He said, and his mother froze. For a second, she didn’t react. She just stared at him, as if trying to process the words he had just spoken.
“You mean… Anabel is Sir Orton’s daughter?” She asked, and Desmond nodded. She covered her mouth with her hand as she absorbed the truth.
“We misjudged her,” she whispered. “All this time… we thought she left because she had found someone richer. But she....she was the wealth.”
"She was the one behind my success,” he admitted. “She was my secret helper. It was because of her that Orton’s Group gave me multiple contracts. And when she divorced me, they stopped.”
"This is unbelievable." She exclaimed.
“She never told me. She hide everything from me.” He said.
“But why did she do that? Why would she keep such a big secret?” She asked, and Desmond sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t know. I’ve been asking myself the same thing.”
His mother was silent for a moment before looking at him. "What is your plan? What are you going to do?”
“First, I need to rest. Anabel is mine. I'm going to have her back." He said
"If you need any help, you can tell me." She replied. “And...food is ready. Once you are done resting, come downstairs, and I’ll serve you.”
Desmond gave her a small nod before turning and heading toward his room. He stripped off his clothes and stepped into the bathroom.
Under the shower, as the warm water was cascading over his skin, he let his thoughts go wild.
Why did she hide her true identity from him? Had she never trusted him, and why?
And, most importantly, how would he win her back?
.
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(NEXT DAY)
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The evening breeze drifted through the restaurant as Anabel sat at the corner table, absentmindedly stirring her juice with the straw. Her eyes flickered toward the entrance every few minutes, searching, waiting.
She has come to the restaurant to know if she could see Desmond. She has blocked and removed his number from her phone. So there was no way she could be able to reach him. She didn't want to ask Jethro for his number.
Desmond normally visits the restaurant mostly on Fridays. So she believed she would meet him there. All she wanted was to appreciate him.
She sighed softly as she continued to wait, leaning back in her seat. The minutes ticked by, stretching longer than she anticipated. Maybe he wouldn’t come after all.
But just as she was about to finish her juice, the restaurant door opened, and there he was.
Desmond walked in wearing his business suit. He didn't notice Anabel. He scanned the restaurant briefly before heading toward a quiet table near the far end.
He sat down and ordered a bottle of wine immediately. He wanted to cool off his head before going home. A few minutes later, the waitress came back with a bottle of red wine. She opened it for Desmond and poured a good amount into the beautiful glass cup.
Anabel watched him drinking the wine like someone who wants to drink to forget something. She sat up from her seat and walked across the restaurant toward his seat.
When she reached his table, she didn’t say anything at first. She simply pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.
Desmond glanced up, slightly startled by her sudden appearance. His expression remained calm, but there was a flicker of curiosity in his eyes.