Chapter 3
"Let me introduce you. This is my daughter, Maddie," I said.
James looked up at me, his expression suddenly darkening.
"Your biological daughter?" he asked.
I nodded.
James finally blew up at me, yelling as he'd totally lost it.
"Amalia, how could you get married and have a kid without even asking me first?" he shouted.
I kept my cool, not bothered at all by his tantrum.
"Mr. Easton, wasn't it you who said as long as I didn't mess with you and Yara, I could do whatever I wanted?" I shot back.
Maddie was so scared, she curled up in my arms.
James glanced at Maddie, as if a memory suddenly flashed across his face.
Then he crouched down, his voice gentle now.
"Your name is Maddie, right?" he asked.
Maddie nodded.
"Hi Maddie, how old are you?" James asked gently.
Maddie glanced at me. I nodded, and she finally replied.
She held up her hand, showing all five fingers.
"I'm five years old," she said.
James shot me a look, his face turning even darker.
"Maddie, can you tell me who your father is?" he asked.
I scooped Maddie up and turned to leave.
James grabbed my wrist in a flash.
"Amalia, is this really necessary?" he said.
I turned back to face him.
"What do you mean?" I shot back.
James let go of my hand.
"You really need to quit these impossible dreams.
"Do you seriously think having a kid like Yara will make me jealous, change my mind, and come running back to you?
"That's just ridiculous," he snapped.
I wasn't even planning to respond to him, but honestly, he seriously made me speechless.
I gave a few cold snorts.
"James, stop being so full of yourself. This kid has nothing to do with you," I shot back.
Before I left, I threw out one last parting shot.
"Oh, and after the wedding, I'm taking Maddie overseas. We're never coming back. So relax, Mr. Easton. No games about using Maddie to mess with your fiancée's spot. That show's not happening."
I didn't bother looking at James's face, but I bet it wasn't pretty.
Because I heard a waiter tell him that Yara was looking for him.
He shot back, sounding totally fed up.
"Got it. It's not like she'll die waiting for me."
Once we were out of earshot, Maddie finally dared to ask.
"Mommy, who was that man just now?" she asked.
I really didn't know how to explain my relationship with James to Maddie.
The Easton and Shaw families were longtime family friends.
After the Shaw family went bankrupt, my dad ran off overseas, and my mom left me in Victoria Easton's care before vanishing.
I pretty much grew up at James's side. We were the classic childhood sweethearts.
When we both got into the same college, we started catching feelings for each other.
He turned down an arranged marriage with another wealthy family and chose to be with me, with no hesitation.
Tatum and Victoria Easton were really fond of me. Not only did they never object to James and me being together, but they actually treated me like I was already their future family.
James and I had always been solid. Until Yara came into the picture and shattered everything we had.
Maddie noticed I was lost in thought and tugged at my nose.
"Mommy, why aren't you talking?" she asked.
"That man you just saw is my brother," I replied.
"How come I've never heard you mention having a brother before?" Maddie asked.
"We're not close, and you've never met him, so I guess I just forgot to mention it. That's on me," I said.
"Mommy, does that mean I should call him 'uncle'?" Maddie asked.
I looked at Maddie, caught off guard by her question, and just couldn't bring myself to answer.
The wedding was still a way off.
The flu was making the rounds, and my sister was the first to get hit.
After spending so much time with her, Maddie and I didn't stand a chance either. We both caught it.
Maddie kept burning up with fevers, and nothing, pills, shots, you name it, seemed to work. So I had to drag her back to the hospital, hoping for a miracle.
But I totally didn't expect to run into James at the hospital, with Yara and Rosie tagging along.
James was holding Rosie, who looked pale and out of it. She was definitely not doing well.
Yara was the first to speak.
"Amalia, is Maddie okay?" she asked.
"She's fine, thanks for asking," I replied.
"This flu is such a hassle lately. Rosie's been coughing nonstop at home, but thankfully, James has been taking great care of her. Kids getting sick is no small thing. You should really keep an eye on Maddie," Yara said.
I couldn't help but cough a few times.
To be honest, I was really dizzy today.
But even though I felt terrible, I had to tough it out and bring Maddie to the doctor.
James, still cradling Rosie, instinctively stepped forward.
"Uh, is Maddie alright?" he asked.
Yara shot him a look, obviously not thrilled, but she just played it off with a joke.
"Hey, when it comes to our kids, moms can handle anything. Seriously, stop worrying about us so much," she teased.
"Mommy, I feel really awful," Rosie whimpered.
"James, Rosie isn't wearing a mask, and the hospital's super crowded. It's not safe for her to get exposed again. Let's not keep Amalia and Maddie any longer. If we hold them up, Maddie will just end up feeling even worse," Yara said.