Chapter 480
Judy’s POV
I stared at Gavin in shock; he wasn’t smiling or laughing… he wasn’t joking. The baby in Irene’s arms belonged to Ethan. But it definitely wasn’t Irene’s baby. I turned to her as her eyes found mine, and I could see the conflict in her own eyes. She had been crying before we arrived; I could tell before there were still traces of her dried tears on her cheeks and her eyes were a bit bloodshot.
“How did you end up with Ethan’s baby?” I found myself asking. “When did he even have a baby? Why am I just learning about this now??”
“Her name was Stella…” Irene murmured. “I found out he’s been seeing her behind my back, along with some others.”
“And was pregnant?” I asked, raising my brows.
“Yes,” Irene whispered. “I caught her outside of Ethan’s house. She was already pregnant when I met her a couple of months ago. I… uh… might have given her money to leave and never return.”
“How much money did you give her?” Gavin asked, his irritation clear on his face and in his voice.
Irene’s face flushed red as she nibbled her lower lip.
“Almost a million…” she admitted, making me gasp. “I wanted to give her enough to start a new life. But apparently, she didn’t leave right away, and Ethan found out about her pregnancy. He threatened her… he wanted her to abort the baby and told her that he would kill them both himself if she didn’t comply.”
My wolf whimpered at the idea of her mate being that cruel to another woman, especially one he got pregnant. I couldn’t take my eyes off the baby that Irene was holding; that was my mate’s baby.
Why does she trust you if you gave her money to leave and not return?” Gavin asked, his tone gruffer than usual.
“I don’t know why she trusts me… maybe because I come from the Landry family, and we are the most prestigious family in the world?” She said, glancing up at her father. “All I know is that Ethan can never find out that Emalyn is his daughter. She’s only an innocent baby, and she doesn’t deserve that monster to be her father.”
“We can agree on that,” I murmur, folding my arms across my chest.
“I’m not really sure what to do, Dad…” she whispered, tears filling her eyes.
Gavin pulled out his phone and swiped along the screen a few times. After a minute, he put the phone to his cheek.
“I need you to come to the villa,” Gavin said into the phone. “Yes, right now.”
He hung up the phone and then turned to Irene.
“Stay in here with the baby for a bit. I’ll be back,” he told her.
She sniffled, but nodded, holding the baby tighter.
Gavin turned to me, his expression softening as he placed his hands on my shoulders, his thumbs lazily tracing the nape of my neck as he held me in place.
“Stay with her while I make arrangements,” he said in a low tone, for my ears alone.
He didn’t have to tell me twice; I nodded without hesitation.
Irene let out a sob as soon as her father was gone.
I went to her and sat beside her on the couch. The little baby girl was so adorable that it tugged at my heart. I couldn’t believe Ethan had a baby with another woman.
“It doesn’t feel real,” she whispered, breaking through the silence that consumed us. “I mean… this is Ethan’s baby.”
“He can’t know about her,” I whispered. “I don’t trust him enough to know about her. You know what he’s capable of…”
“I know,” Irene said, silencing my flow of words. “He will never know that this is his daughter. I will fight to protect her if needed.”
“Your dad will know what to do,” I said, leaning back on the couch, letting out a sigh. “And you aren’t alone in this. I’m here too. I’ll help you however I can.”
“Do you think you can hold the baby for a second?” Irene asked, tears filling her eyes. “I need some air…”
I nodded and took the small baby
from her, placing her in my arms. I watched as Irene left the parlor, leaving me alone. I stared down at the baby who had Ethan’s nose and ears, her little lips parted slightly as she took steady breaths. Her eyes were closed as she slept She was a beautiful little baby, and my heart swelled at the sight of her. It was a strange feeling I had, and my wolf felt a surge of protectiveness. This was our fated mate’s baby… she wasn’t our baby… and yet my wolf felt the need to protect her.
A small whine came from the baby, and my heart lurched.
“Shh, it’s okay,” I said, bouncing the baby gently in my arms. I spotted the open backpack beside the couch and saw some much-needed supplies. They were untouched, so I assumed she hadn’t been fed yet.
Balancing the baby on my lap, I made her a bottle of formula. She wrapped her lips around the bottle and began to suck down the formula hungrily. A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I fed the baby.