I Fell For The Boy His Daddy Was A Bonus

Chapter 36: Something Shiny

In the extravagant home of the James, the fifth-richest family in Braeton, Luca James was drowning himself with liquor. His face was flushed, his eyes were red, and his hair was disheveled. He gulped down another glass of brandy, hoping to relieve himself of the growing discomfort in his chest. “Sir, there is a man here to see you,” one maid called his attention from inside his study. “He said his name is Mister Holmes.” “Let him in,” Luca answered in a hoarse voice, his heart racing from the anticipation. He had been waiting for Mister Holmes the whole day. It did not take long for the man named Mister Holmes to enter his study. The man sat in front of his table and handed Luca a sealed envelope. For a moment, Luca darted on the envelope. His hand struggled to reach for it. As he lazily opened the contents, Mister Holmes revealed, “It’s true. Based on what I have gathered, Scarlett Barnes is in a relationship with Kaleb Wright.” “I also had my men follow Scarlett around these past few days. She goes to send off Mister Wright’s son to school. In the afternoons, they spend time together at the lobby of the Third Diamond Hotel.” Holding a picture of Scarlett and a young boy in front of the school gates, Luca gasped. He cleared his throat and asked, “Kaleb – Kaleb Wright has a son?” “Yes, Mister James,” the man answered. “He is about six years old now.” “I cannot determine for sure if Scarlett is living with Mister Wright, but it would seem that way. She has been returning to the same hotel building every day. She does not leave at night,” Mister Holmes revealed. “It was very hard to extract information from the hotel staff. They were all very suspicious of my men.” Luca’s hand was wobbling while holding a picture of Scarlett and Kaleb in each other’s arms. There was that smile on her face that she used to make only for him. He swallowed air down his throat with the realization that the woman that used to be so in love with him… was probably in love with someone else.

‘Was I wrong? Why is Scarlett caring for Kaleb’s son? Is she just pretending to tend to the boy? ‘He thought to himself. ‘I should love Courtney. After all this time, I should not care about her, not Scarlett.’

It was easier said than done. It had been a year that he tried to convince himself that he no longer had feelings for Scarlett. He let his hatred take over, but now, seeing Scarlett with another man, Luca could not deny his uneasiness. All the more, seeing Scarlett care for a boy that was not hers. His heart ached. He could feel the heaviness in his chest that tears threatened to fall in the corners of his eyes, but seeing the investigator before him study his reaction, he swallowed his actual emotions down her throat. “Did you find out how long they have been together?” Luca sought. “Nothing definite, Mister James. I asked around. I went to find Scarlett’s previous known address. It did not seem like she was seeing anybody. It would also appear like she just recently moved into The Third Diamond Hotel. Moreover, it wasn’t long before she left her job at the Herbal Twist Restaurant,” replied Mister Holmes. “Her previous co-workers mentioned nothing about her being in a relationship.” “Thank you,” Luca said. “That will be all for now.” Just as the investigator was about to leave, Luca’s gaze landed on the photo of Scarlett and Liam. He called, “Wait! Can you find out more about Kaleb’s son? Who is his mother?” “I’ll dig deeper, Mister James,” said Mister Holmes. “Get back to me soon,” Luca ordered. When Mister Holmes finally left. Luca found himself gawking at Scarlett’s pictures, especially at the photos of her and Liam. Something about those pictures of her and the boy sparked something in him that he could not let go of. He wound up picking up his phone and calling Courtney. When the phone rang, he said,“ Courtney.” His fiance was quick to answer, “Yes, Luca, my love? You had me worried. You have not replied to my texts all day! And why didn’t you come to the house yesterday? I thought we will plan out about the will – ” “I think we need to hold off the wedding,” Luca interrupted. “What? Why?” Courtney asked, her voice raised, yet panic was evident in her tone. “There are some things that I – that I need to think about,” he said before putting the phone down. He did not even give Courtney a chance to speak. When he peered back down at the photo of Scarlett and the boy, he committed to himself,“ Scarlett,

you and I need to have a talk.” *** At the Third Diamond Hotel Penthouse. Scarlett loved the feeling of Liam in her arms. To her, he was her sleeping pill. The way the scent of his bath soap permeated her nose, put her at ease, and the way his little hands hold her fingers made her feel loved. She gave Liam’s cheek one last peck before saying goodnight, “Sweet dreams, baby.” “Goodnight, Scarlett,” Liam answered, and a yawn followed. He also dozed off easily. Minutes turned into hours, with Scarlett sleeping like a rock, not until she felt herself getting pulled off, away from Liam. She jerked awake, only to find herself in the arms of Kaleb. She gazed back at Liam before turning to Kaleb. In a whisper, she asked, “What are you doing?” “I can’t sleep,” he revealed. “I need you to stay with me.” “But I promised to stay with Liam! Are you going to compete with your own son?” She asked, her voice nearly turning solid. A groan left Kaleb’s lips before he surrendered and suggested, “Fine. Then I’m sleeping with you both.” In the end, the three cramped in Liam’s double bed. Scarlett was embracing Liam and Kaleb are hugging Scarlett from behind. With a sigh, Scarlett suggested, “If both of you are going to be this clingy, you need to buy Liam a bigger bed.” “Or we can stay in my bed and yes, with you, I intend to be clingy,” Barely a whisper, Kaleb replied. “Until you become Misses Wright, I probably will be extra clingy.” “Pfft.” Scarlett was not thinking straight. She just thought of challenging Kaleb’s words. She muttered, “Put a ring on it, Mister Wright.” She returned to closing her eyes when she faintly heard Kaleb reply, “You know what, kitten, I will.” *** The next morning, Scarlett woke up to the sound of her alarm. She had set her phone to wake her up at five in the morning, knowing it was her first day at work. Plus, she wanted to help Liam into his uniform. It was the least she could do, knowing she won’t be there for him at school anymore.

Kaleb was no longer next to Scarlett, but that did not surprise her. She rolled down the blanket that covered her frame, but as soon as she did, she caught a glimpse of something big and shiny dangling around her finger. “OH, MY GOD!” “KALEB!”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.