Chapter 2The $1.5 Lemonade That Cost Him Everything

I froze.

For a moment, I thought I'd misheard his furious roar. Now I understood. He actually thought Leo was his child.

In his eyes, was I really that pathetic? The kind of woman who would secretly have his child and raise it on her own?

"You're mistaken. He's not your son."

"Now, if you'll excuse us, I'm not really in the mood for a reunion." My husband would be here any minute, and if he saw this scene, that jealous man would find some way to "punish" me later.

But Daniel didn't move. He just stood there, squinting at my son.

Ava clung to his arm. "Daniel, darling, don't scare the little one. You'll upset Charlotte."

"This child looks like he's barely three. He can't be yours." She stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear, "If you really want a child, we could get married and have one of our own..."

Daniel cut her off, his voice firm. "He is my son. That handsome, who else could he belong to?"

He was certainly confident.

Leo has his father's eyes and nose. The rest is all me. Even if he is handsome, it's thanks to me and his father. What does that have to do with Daniel Kane?

The crowd of onlookers was growing, their whispers like a swarm of bees.

"Could he be Mr. Kane's illegitimate son?"

"The mistress and the fiancée, face to face. This is going to be good."

"I'll give her one thing, though. She's got guts, raising the kid on her own all this time without asking him for a dime."

Their speculation, so sure and confident, was making Ava's face paler by the second. She shot me a wary look, but her voice was deliberately soft. "Charlotte, we're getting married soon."

"Even if... even if this is Daniel's child, please, continue to raise him yourself. Don't disturb us."

"We've been through so much to get to this point. I don't want some random child to ruin everything." She leaned her head on Daniel's shoulder, the picture of vulnerability. "Darling, maybe we should just give her some money for child support? I really don't want to be a stepmother."

Daniel's eyes were fixed on me, his voice tight with suppressed anger. "My son is over four years old, and you've let him get so small and skinny. He's obviously malnourished!"

"If you didn't have money to raise him, why didn't you come to me? Doesn't it kill you to see your own flesh and blood like this?"

I almost laughed out loud.

Leo was just over three, and he was perfectly healthy for his age. How did he become malnourished in Daniel's eyes?

"I'll say it again. He is not your son."

"He was born in May. He just turned three. This is a normal size for a preschooler."

Daniel's brow furrowed. He pulled out his phone. "Give me your number. I'll transfer the child support right now. And I'll need a way to contact you when I want to see my son."

"That won't be necessary," I said, my voice flat. I was done with this conversation.

But his tone turned cold. "The child isn't just yours. I want to be a father to him. Are you denying me that right?"

I sighed in frustration. "Are you ever going to stop? We broke up five years ago. What's the point of all this?"

Daniel seemed taken aback for a moment, then gave a condescending smile. "Charlotte, I think you're getting the wrong idea. I just don't want the Kane bloodline to suffer with you. This has nothing to do with any lingering feelings I might have for you."

"Don't worry, even if I have your number, I'll only contact you about our son. I wouldn't want Ava to get the wrong idea." His gaze shifted between me and Leo, a complex emotion clouding his eyes. "Or is it that you've hated me all these years? Are you trying to get back at me by neglecting our child? Trying to make me regret breaking up with you... trying to win me back?"

I quickly shook my head. "I love Leo more than anything, and I don't—"

"Charlotte!" he cut me off, rubbing his temples wearily. "Stop pretending. I admit, the breakup was sudden. It was hard for you to accept."

"But I love Ava... If I had known you were pregnant, I would have told you to get rid of it. We wouldn't be in this embarrassing situation now."

I froze.

There it was. He'd finally said it. Even if I had been pregnant with his child, it would have been nothing but a burden to him, an embarrassment, something to make Ava uncomfortable.

He didn't have to tell me. If I had been pregnant back then, I wouldn't have kept it. A man whose heart belonged to someone else... why on earth would I have a child with him?

After a moment of silence, I decided to end this once and for all. I pulled out my phone. "He's really not your son. I'm married. My husband is wonderful to me... Do you want to see our marriage certificate?"

That should convince him, right?

As I was about to unlock my phone, he clamped his hand over mine. "Photos can be faked."

"Since you're so determined to hide the truth, you've probably covered all your bases."

I was speechless.

"Think whatever you want."

The murmurs from the crowd grew louder. I picked up my son and turned to leave. Leo was too young to be exposed to this kind of ugliness.

But Daniel suddenly grabbed my wrist, his eyes on my son filled with a raw emotion.

"Leo," he said, his voice thick. "Say, 'Daddy'."