Free Web NovelChapter 142: Chapter 142 Living Reminder
Serena’s POV
Those devastating words I had thrown at Derek still echoed in my mind, words that would have never escaped my lips in calmer moments.
Yet I understood now that my desperate attempts to cling to him only drove him further into the shadows.
The guilt swimming in his dark eyes offered me a sliver of hope though.
He had never once denied the whispers or dismissed the accusations that Bella still owned his heart.
Too many confessions had spilled from his mouth for me to pretend otherwise, but I refused to surrender to that reality.
Deep down, I believed he was simply lost, uncertain of his own desires.
His gravitational pull toward her stemmed from one painful truth - I couldn’t bear his children. That weakness became his convenient excuse to drift back into her waiting arms.
But change was coming, I could feel it stirring in my bones.
I remained in his bedroom, observing how he maintained careful distance between us.
After his evening run, he collapsed onto the leather couch, muscles still gleaming from his shower, exhaustion weighing down his broad frame.
His body probably craved Bella’s presence, aching from their separation.
Then I remembered something else, a slip of his tongue during one of his love confessions. He had whispered the word "mate" when speaking of her.
I had been lurking in the hallway during that conversation, a moment he never knew I witnessed.
Confronting him about it would only embolden him, and I wasn’t prepared for that battle yet.
A gentle rap echoed from the door.
I shot up from the mattress, gesturing for Derek to remain still.
I had made promises to myself about changing my approach - no more explosive outbursts, no more verbal attacks, no more crushing his pride the way I used to.
But disappointment crashed over me when I opened the door.
Lord Morris stood there wearing that predatory smile, the one that fed on chaos and manipulation.
Before I could utter a word, he waved me aside with the same dismissive arrogance he had shown me ever since discovering my fertility struggles.
He marched directly toward his son.
"He needs rest," I said, trying to block his path.
Derek’s voice drifted from the couch as he pushed himself upright.
"That exhaustion will disappear once he sees my surprise," Lord Morris declared, his hands rubbing together as he shared a conspiratorial glance with Derek.
Even Derek appeared puzzled. "What surprise?"
"Follow me and find out." Morris extended his palm like he was tempting a reluctant child. Derek ignored the gesture but trailed behind him anyway.
I scrambled after them, terror clawing at my chest.
Their sudden reconnection sent warning bells through my system.
Derek had carried emotional scars for years, deep abandonment wounds that left him vulnerable, and his father possessed the perfect roadmap to exploit every single one.
I knew because I had weaponized those same weaknesses for half a decade. But my control was slipping away.
Since Bella’s return, Derek had been slowly healing those broken pieces. Once he became whole again, he would slip beyond my reach forever.
They halted near the living room entrance. I peered around Derek’s broad shoulder and my stomach plummeted.
Perched on our expensive sofa sat a miniature version of my worst nightmare. A living, breathing reminder of Bella’s permanent place in Derek’s world.
"Leah?" Derek’s voice exploded with pure joy.
He lunged forward, sweeping the little girl into his powerful arms and spinning her through the air before crushing her against his chest.
Her response was notably cooler than his enthusiasm.
"My sweet Leah is here," he breathed, absolutely radiant.
"How did she get here? Why is she here?" Reality began penetrating his euphoria as he gently lowered her to the floor.
"It required extensive arrangements throughout the night. Is this the gratitude I receive?"
Morris’s tone shifted as his attention moved to Leah. "Come to your grandfather, precious one."
He crouched down with outstretched arms, but Leah wrapped her small arms around herself and retreated behind Derek’s legs.
"Are you angry about my earlier comments regarding Zack?" Morris asked.
These children possessed frightening intelligence.
Most kids would forget such moments quickly, but they were Bella’s offspring - they absorbed every detail and knew exactly how to transform adult mistakes into powerful weapons.
"I was merely speaking carelessly. You’re actually my favorite," Morris continued.
Felicia materialized carrying a box of premium chocolates. The pair of them acted as though Leah was their personal possession rather than Derek’s responsibility.
Leah wavered, then began moving toward Morris, but Derek immediately placed his protective hand on her shoulder and drew her back.
The transformation in Felicia and Morris’s faces was instantaneous and ugly.
"Father," Derek said firmly, "explain her presence. Why isn’t she with her mother?" frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
His question sent shockwaves through me. He had desperately wanted time with Leah, yet his first instinct was concern for Bella’s feelings.
As Derek interrogated his father, his gaze found mine.
"Serena, would you take Leah to our room and ensure she’s comfortable?" His voice gentled, and I immediately recognized the golden opportunity before me - my chance to prove I wasn’t the monster they all believed me to be.
That I possessed maternal instincts despite my broken body.
I nodded eagerly and approached Leah’s side.
"Would you like to come with me? We could watch cartoons on my tablet," I offered softly.
She threaded her delicate fingers through mine, and something sharp twisted inside my chest - a painful mixture of longing and loss.
Perhaps it was my desperate hunger for a child of my own.
Perhaps it was simply the agony of knowing that dream would never become reality. Either way, the emotion cut deep.
