Billionaire, Let's Divorce!

Sydney's POV

My heart sank as Bella relayed Tavon's response and reaction when she suggested that he conduct a paternity test.

I slumped on the woven chair I sat on in the garden terrace. The garden terrace was one of my favorite spots in this mansion. Apart from the fact that it was secluded and quiet - the perfect spot for meditation - it has now served as the perfect spot to hold our meetings and be rest assured that no one could easily eavesdrop without getting caught. And it was also a bit of a walk from the mansion.

I closed my eyes, the sound of birds chirping and flowers rustling slightly filled my ears as I thought of our next course of action and what we could do. The warm spring breeze caressed my face, but I found little solace in the tranquil garden surroundings with the weight of our predicament hanging over me.

Since Tavon didn't in any way care if Dylan was truly his nephew or not; in fact he had gotten so riled up when Bella suggested it that Bella knew it was only smart to not talk about it with him again. And that meant that our plan in getting rid of Dylan was in vain, invalid. We were back to square one in our quest for vengeance against the man who had put me through such unspeakable horrors.

I could have found other means to get rid of Dylan from the family. I could make Tavon kick him out of the Esposito family and leave him stranded and wretched to live the rest of his life in misery and abject poverty - what he had feared that brought about all of this issue in the first place. Cast him out like the parasite he was, leaving him to rot.

But the revenge of a miserable and bitter person who fell from grace to grass would be worse and more brutal than any other revenge. He would not hesitate to ruin me, Mark, Grace and my precious son Aiden. Or worse, forcefully take my baby from me. I couldn't let that happen. The thought made my blood run cold - I had to exterminate this threat to my family once and for all, by any means necessary.

Besides, I didn't want to get rid of him from just the family and make his life a living hell, I wanted him off the surface of this earth. I wanted him several feet beneath my feet. I wanted him in hell, suffering eternally for the pain and trauma he inflicted on me and mine.

"I have an idea though..."

I looked up to find Bella swirling the wine in the cup of glass that she held. Her casual, almost bored tone immediately put me on guard.

"What's it?" I asked cautiously as I sat up straighter. With Bella, you never knew what twisted scheme she might propose.

She shrugged and said casually, "Why don't you just give up?" She raised her eyebrows, a mocking glint in her eyes. "You do know there are some things in this world that you can't accomplish no matter how much effort you put in, right?"RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

I caught her by surprise when I snatched the glass of wine from her hand. She watched me warily as I downed it in one go, the rich liquid emboldening me.

"I'm not ready to give up," I said after swallowing, resolute. "There should be other ways. There definitely are. We just have to look more thoroughly and think harder."

Bella chuckled derisively. "I advise you to give up and leave when you still can."

I frowned, immediately suspicious of her motives. "What do you mean?"

She took her time before responding, letting the silence hang heavy between us. "I saw several notices plastered on the streets and on walls. It's a notice of a missing person...and the missing person is you." I raised my brows in surprise. "Me?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes. It must be Mark using his power and influence to look for you. If you stay here any longer, he might think you're dead, and then your way back home will be completely cut off." A cruel smile played across her lips, taking perverse delight in my discomfort.

I was a little taken aback when I heard Mark's name. It was true, I had stayed far longer than the time I had told them I would for this trip, made even worse by not communicating at all. Of course they would think something was amiss and use all available resources to locate me.

Guilt gripped my heart as I imagined how distraught Grace would be if they truly believed I was missing or worse. And my poor Aiden...he was just a baby, he needed his mother. I wondered how many of Mark's men were scouring Italy right now, that missing person notices with my face were already being circulated. For him to take such a drastic step, he must have been frantic with worry. An ache blossomed in my chest as I realized just how much I missed them all - Grace's warmth, Mark's strong embrace, but most of all, holding my sweet little Aiden, watching him grow each day.