Mr Billionaires Secret Baby

Chapter 82

At some point during eating and conversing, | began to relax a little bit. The attention around Hayley being the result of Dante and | being involved at one point had soon died down amongst the table making it easier to just be present.

Hayden and Melinda were great conversationalist and shared many things from their travels and experiences that we all eargerly listened to with either Dante or Scott adding to it from their travels.

The Grey’s were clearly very big on touring the world and it’s corners and it was evidently some thing that they both enjoyed doing together as a couple.

“Melinda loved to travel before we had even met.” Hayden chuckled but his face softened as he recalled some thing. “in fact, | believe we actually met when both of us had been coincidentally touring Indonesia.” Hayden looked at his wife lovingly and with so much of amazement.

“| hate to sound corny here, Scott, because | know you hate it but | really thing it was fate that | met Hayden. | mean what were the odds?” Melinda had a giddy smile about her, one that you would never thing to see on a woman of her stature but | guess when a woman was loved properly, these pure emotions just spilled

over.

Scott made a sound of utter distraught like he was choking on the affection shared between them and Melinda laughed.

“You know what Scott, go shove it.” She said jokingly and Scott grinned at her. “Some day a woman is going to come along and sweep you of your Italian leather covered feet and then I'll be the one laughing at you.” Melinda said but Scott looked terrified like that had been the worst fate he could face.

“Please, not every ones aim is to settle down and be bound by the endless issues that arise after one is tied down.” Scott’s cold tone was a clear indication that the man truly held no care for the institute of marriage.

| mean, to each their own | suppose but he was so firm and adamant in his refusal but | had to agree with Belinda. Scott probably hasn't met his Miss Right just yet and when he does, he will eat dirt.

“| agree with Belinda, Scott. As much as you try to run away and look at settling down like it’s the plague, you'll eat your words one day.” | looked at him and he threw me a look of betrayal.

“I'm ready to eat my words right now if you’re the one we're talking about.” He

m

wiggled his brows at me with a wide smile and the entire table, including me, groaned at his words.

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Dante, who | had momentarily forgotten about, stared daggers at Scott before he looked at me accusingly. As if he wasn’t the one sitting with his date right across from me. What was he even accusing me of? Ugh, | couldn’t care less.

T

“| don’t think you’re Sophia’s type.” Jessica spoke for the first time since this discussion began.

Jessica looked at me assessingly and | realised a sardonic brow at her questioning how exactly she to know or taste in men at all when she had just

ad

my type

met me.

“And what exactly do you mean” Scott look a sip of his drink as he looked at Jessica challenging her to choose her words carefully.

Jessica parted her I*ps to respond but Dante took it upon himself to respond for her but also to get his own opinion across.

“It is clear what she implies by that. You’re not the most stable kind of man in terms of what you prefer. No respectable woman would consider you her type solely on the basis of reputation.” Dante said each word with as much contempt and bitterness as he could muster.

Scott glared at him and the lightness of a once jovial conversation had been dampened entirely. The air had grown thick and it was clear to all seated around the table that there had been a lingering discontent between these two men.

“Be nice.” Jessica mummered to Dante in warning but he didn’t heed her at all.

“What? | can’t say the-” Dante began c ockily but Scott cut him of.

“And you are better than me?” Scott asked, letting his anger show for the first time with Dante and his comments. “I can’t recall the last time you had given a woman stability and all that you claim | can’t offer. At least there is no delusion in my preferences and ways unlike that of yours. You think you can offer a woman better but you cannot.” Scott shot right back and Dante.

This was getting very uncomfortable and it was a good thing that Hayley had been away from the table and at the small table to the side of the deck where there had been art supplies brought in for her to keep her occupied.

Melinda and Hayden exchanged uncomfortable glances whilst Jessica looked at me for a brief moment before placing a hand on Dante’s bicep to calm him down. He

didn’t shake her hold of and that had infuriated me.

“This topic needs to come to a close. We are all having a good time and it shouldn't be ruined by both of your combined egos.” Hayden attempted to cool things down. “I do not think this yacht is mighty enough to bare the weight of such a thing.” He added lightly but Dante and Scott were locked in a staring battle.

“Of course.” Scott said tightly before being the bigger person by breaking the silent battle of stares.

The tension had taken a while to calm down as we indulged in a bright and citrus tart but Scott gradually began conversing with me again. Hayden and Melinda formed their own bubble with the others present on their half of the table.

Jessica looked bored and it didn’t help that Dante was still brooding and upset. Scott picked up on that and included her on the conversation leaving Dante to

back as he headed over to

excuse himself from the table. | watched his resation leaving Dante to

Scott excused himself as well but had taken himself to the railing to overlook the deep blue waters that this yacht had been keeping afloat on. It had left me for the first time alone with Jessica. Gosh, this was going to be awkward.

| had so many questions that | would never ask. For one, did she know about the history between Dante and I? Did she dislike me? Did Dante make me the bad one in his story?

Jessica glanced at me uncomfortably but | saw her exhale like she was saying ‘What the hell’ before leaning forward.

“| have been meaning to ask you this but | never got a chance until now.” She spoke freely and the change in energy caught me off guard but | welcomed it.

“Sure, go ahead.” | urged her on and her eyes scanned the top of my dress.

“Where did you get your dress from? | hope you don’t mind but | absolutely love it.” She whispered and | found my I*ps spread in to a smile involuntarily.

“Oh, thank you. It’s actually from a boutique on Leonard’s.” | informed her and her eyes immediately widened in recognition. “Ahh, Jacqueline’s Boutique. | love her designs! Costs a pretty penny but so worth it.” For a moment it felt like | was having the lightest conversation with Lucy and not my ex-husband’s new arm candy.

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Wed, 13

As we spoke, | learnt that Jessica was a lawyer who loved what she did. She was smart, friendly, and so easily likable and | hated it but not in a bad way. It made me understand why Hayley had taken so easily to her because she was just nice over all. 72%

When it had been time for us to depart and the yacht had docked back to the point that it had started, we exited carefully and I was certain to keep Hayley at my side until we were on steady ground.

“Patrick is out for the day. I'll take you home.” Scott offered just as | began to look around for a ride home.

Melinda and Hayden had bid us farewell as did the others but Dante and Jessica were still around.

Hayley yanked on my hand gently. “Mama, | want daddy to take us home.” Hayley whispered but it was still loud enough that it reached Dante's ears.

“Maybe some other time, Hayley, but right now we don’t have much of a choice.” | said back to her gently.

“But daddy-”

“Of course, | can take you home.” Dante interrupted like it was not even a question.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

| looked at Scott apologetically but he didn’t seem to mind and waved it off understanding the adamant tendencies of a child.

“| can drop Jessica off, then. | have a few things to discuss with her anyways.” Scott said in a businesslike tone and Jessica nodded already walking to his side like she didn’t mind at all that Dante would be driving Hayley and | back to the house.

Il

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