Chapter 479
“What is it?” Alex finally asked after a long while of silence.
“I need to call my father,” Irene said, still in a daze.
She grabbed her phone and swiped across the screen until she got to Gavin’s contact number. Then she pressed the call button, her breathing shaky. She’s hoping that her tone doesn’t sound as frantic as her mind.
She stared down at the small baby, still in the carrier and wrapped in a pink blanket. She was so tiny; it was clear that she was born early.
Irene’s heart tugged at the sight of her, knowing that she was Ethan’s baby, made it difficult, but this baby was innocent and adorable.
“This is not a good time, Irene,” Gavin’s voice cut through her inner monologue.
Irene winced at the harshness of his tone, and she knew she had to be quick or else he would hang up on her.
“Dad, it’s an emergency,” she went on to say in a single breath. “Ethan’s baby is here, and I don’t know what to do.”
Tears broke free from her eyes before she could stop them.
She could feel Alex stiffening as he listened to the phone conversation.
“What are you talking about?” Gavin’s voice was still harsh, but had lost some of its depth.
“I mean, there is a baby in the villa right now with a note from Ethan’s mistress saying that she couldn’t give the baby a good life and that she’s worried Ethan will find out about her. She knows I come from a good family and wants me to raise this baby… Dad, I’m so confused. I don’t know what I’m going to do. There’s a literal baby in the parlor right now.”
Her voice cracked at her last sentence, her entire body trembling as she suppressed the sobs that wanted to consume her.
There was a long stretch of silence at the other end as Gavin processed her words.
“On my way.”
The line went dead after that, and Irene couldn’t keep it in anymore; she sat on the couch as a sob escaped her lips.
“Is this really Ethan Cash’s baby?” Alex asked, watching Irene warily as she cried awkwardly in front of him.
She nodded, wiping her flushed and wet cheeks with the back of her hand.
Alex shifted in his spot, feeling the tension in the air.
“Well, this was left next to the carrier,” he told her, lifting a backpack in the air for her to see. “It’s fitted with diapers, wipes, baby formula, a bottle, and some extra clothes.”
Irene could barely listen to what he was saying, she was numb as she remained on the couch, her eyes glued to the baby. Alex awkwardly placed the bag next to the couch and then cleared his throat
“I’ll leave you alone now,” Alex said as he walked towards the door. “I’ll keep a lookout for the Alpha.”
Irene slowly nodded as more tears fell down her cheeks. Once Irene was alone, she let herself break down for a few minutes. She
vel
couldn’t seem to stop the tea net
But
once she had her share of crying and was able to calm herself down, she looked down at the baby who was starting to get fussy. Her heart started to beat faster; she blinked away the remaining tears in her eyes and scooped the small bundle into her arms.
“Hey…” Irene whispered. “It’s okay… don’t cry.”
She rocked the baby gently in her arms, surprised that she started to subside in her crying.
“That’s it, baby girl,” Irene said, her heart melting a little.
Just then, she heard someone enter the parlor. She lifted her gaze to see her father’s stunned face, beside him stood Judy who was equally stunned if not Moreso.
“Is that a baby?” Judy asked, her eyes fixed on the small bundle in Irene’s arms. Irene bit her lower lip.
“Yes,” Irene replied. “This is Emalyn…”
“Emalyn?” Gavin asked. “She has a name?”
“According to this letter, yes,” Irene said, holding up the letter for Gavin to take.
He took the letter and read it with a deep frown. Once he finished, he let out a deep sigh.
“So, it’s true…..” he murmured. “She expects you to raise this baby?”
“It seems so,” Irene said, rocking the baby in her arms again.
“Whose baby is that?” Judy finally asked, her voice loud and confused as she
stared from the baby to Irene, and then finally to Gavin.
After a beat of silence, he turned to her, his expression softened, and his voice gentle.
“It’s Ethan’s.”