Chapter 416 Ultimatum
Scarlett's POV:
I went back to work after the lunch break.
I was relieved to know that the ecological park project on the west coast was finally being carried out in an orderly way.
While I was reading some documents, my phone suddenly rang.
It was a call from Nina.
I picked up my phone and answered the call at once. "Hello?"
"Caroline, it's been a long time since you came back. Don't you have any plans to meet your best friend?" Nina jokingly asked.
I could not help but chuckle at her clinginess. To be honest, I wanted to see her too, so I immediately agreed to have dinner with her.
"Of course."
After work, I asked Elena to drive me to a fancy restaurant that had a view overlooking the sea.
When I arrived at our meeting place, Nina was already there. She waved excitedly upon seeing me.
"Caroline, here!"
With a smile, I walked over to her and sat in front of her.
"Nina, long time no see." "So you knew all along that it had been a long time since we had last seen each other? Did you know how sad I was when I found out you had come back, but I couldn't come to see you?" Nina complained with a pout.
"I'm sorry. It's all my fault," I apologized sincerely.
"Oh, come on! I was just kidding!" Nina held my hand and comforted me. "I understand that you've been going through a lot. Honestly, I feel sorry for you. You don't deserve to suffer."
I waved my hand in dismissal and let out a snort. "It's okay. Let bygones be bygones."
While we were having dinner, Nina turned to me and joked, "Did Charles pester you after you returned? Judging from his personality, I don't think he'll give up easily."
"I've divorced him. It's impossible for us to be together again. Besides, what he's done is unforgivable," I reminded Nina with a sneer tugging at the corners of my mouth.
Nina shook her head helplessly and changed the topic. "Enough about Charles. Do you have any new admirer? I won't be surprised if you have. You're intelligent, beautiful, and charming. I'm sure many men are chasing you."
Simon's face flashed through my mind. I sighed at the thought of him.
"Well, my father set me up with a guy. But the thing is, all I want is to get custody of my children. How am I supposed to have time to think about anything else?"
A sense of powerlessness washed over me as I thought of my kids.
The Moore family would not just give my children back to me, even though I was their mother. I could not even see them. Getting full custody of my children wouldn't be an easy feat. Nina looked at me with concern. "Caroline, you can fight for their custody and start a new life at the same time."
I sighed. "Can we talk about that some other time?"NôvelDrama.Org content rights.
Nina shrugged. "If you say so. By the way, your birthday is coming. What do you plan on your birthday?"
"I haven't planned anything. But don't worry. I'll definitely invite you if I throw a party," I replied with a smile.
After dinner, Nina and I walked out of the restaurant side by side.
While we were walking in the street, she suddenly gasped in surprise and pulled me to the side.
"What's the matter?" I asked confusedly.
Nina pursed her lips and pointed at something not far away.
I looked in the direction where she was pointing and saw Adam and Susan passing by.
Susan was holding Adam's arm, and her head was resting on his shoulder. They looked like a couple.
I frowned as I stared at their receding figures.
"Since when did Susan and your uncle start hooking up with each other? Be careful. They're not good people," Nina cautioned.
"Don't worry. They can't stir up trouble anymore," I reassured her. But in all honesty, my instincts
told me that they were up to something. I would be watching them.
William's POV:
Scarlett's reminder felt like a thorn in my heart.
Because of this, I contacted a private detective to look for the woman she was talking about.
At last, I received a call from the private detective today. Apparently, he had found Sofia Byrne and gotten her phone number.
So, without further ado, I decided to send her a message. "Sofia, this is William Stevens. Would you like to have a drink with me?"
To my astonishment, she quickly texted back, "I can't drink. Not alcohol."
I frowned. "I see. What kind of drink would you like?"
"Milk."
Upon receiving her reply, I changed my clothes and went out.
Thirty minutes later, I arrived at Sofia's residence. Finding out where she lived was not difficult as she gave me her address without hesitation.
I must admit, I felt a little nervous as I stared at her closed door.
I had to muster all my courage for a moment before ringing the doorbell.
Sofia opened the door a few
moments later. On the way here, I
imagined how she would react when we finally saw each other. I
l.ne
assumed she would be happy to see me. On the contrary, she gave me a cofe look instead.
"Come in," she said curtly.
Her indifference took me by surprise. My mind went blank, and the pleasantries that I had planned on saying got stuck in my throat.
I went into her home just as she had said. Sofia, on the other hand, sat on the sofa lazily.
Sofia was only wearing a thin silk nightdress with her long hair hanging casually over her shoulders. She looked alluring, especially since the lights in the living room were dim. Because she said she wanted only milk, I brought a bottle with me. I put it on the table and went straight to the point. "Sofia, did you give birth to my child?"
"Yes," Sofia admitted without hesitation.
I was taken aback. I did not expect her to be so straightforward.
Seeing that I was at a loss, she chuckled and explained, "Had I told you that was pregnant, you would have forced me to have an abortion. But since I've given birth, there's nothing you can do about it anymore."
"Where's the baby? I want to see her," I demanded.
"I'm afraid you have no right to do so. You love Scarlett, don't you? That's the reason why I hid my pregnancy and delivery from you. If we get together because of the baby then none of us would be happy."
Sofia's tone was casual, yet her attitude was resolute.
"You gave birth to my child. Of course, I should take responsibility for her."
"No need. We don't love each other anyway. Besides, I don't need you to be responsible for me or my child."
"We may not love each other, but that doesn't mean that I won't be good to my child. Sofia, I'm the baby's father. You have no right to stop me from seeing her!"
The more I spoke, the louder my voice became. However, as I looked at Sofia's stone-cold expression, I suddenly felt powerless.
Before coming here, I thought that she would take advantage of the baby so she could get close to me.
I was wrong. It seemed that she did not care about me at all.
"I can take care of her on my own," Sofia replied with a faint smile.
"Sofia, what can I do to make you let me see my child?"
All of a sudden, Sofia lifted her gaze and asked, "Is your company looking for a spokesperson for your new game?"
"What? You want to be the spokesperson of that game?" I asked confusedly.
"Hang on." Sofia took out a photo album and handed it to me. "I just shot these photos a few days ago. Don't you think I look just the heroine of the game?"
My gaze fell on the photo.
Sofia was undeniably outstanding in both appearance and body.
I returned the album to her. "Why don't you ask your agent to send it to the company? It's not my job to choose the spokesperson, after all."
"If that's the case, you can leave now."
Sofia's face suddenly turned cold.
Her attitude infuriated me.
"You gave birth to my child without telling me because you wanted to use her. You wanted my advertising endorsement in exchange for her. Isn't that right?" I asked with disdain. "Believe what you want." Sofia turned her head away and did not say anything more.
Without another word, I stormed out in a huff.
My phone suddenly rang when I was walking downstairs.
"I won't marry the woman you've arranged for me. I've found the one for me!" I shouted in anger. With that, I hung up the call without waiting for a response.