Divorced Heiress
Chapter 42

Maga arrived home with Tristan an hour before I went to the runway tonight, my heart sank when I saw my son with red cheeks and teary eyes, a clear sign that he had been crying. "What happened? Maga, what happened to Tristan?" I asked worriedly, while running to hug my son, as his lower lip curved into a sad pout.

I checked him from head to toe looking for anything, but I found nothing.

"Nothing happened to him, little Sarah, it's just that I bought him an ice cream and a man bumped into him. He didn't get to taste it. The man was completely rude. He didn't apologize. He just gave Tristan an angry look because he dirtied his pants, and Tristan got scared."

I looked at my son, who had a sad and frightened look, I pursed my lips repressing the anger that was bubbling in my system.

"Who does that man think he is? Maga, do you know who it was?" I hugged Tristan again, who was still affected.

He wasn't used to that kind of treatment, he grew up in an environment full of love where smiles were never lacking, of course he would be scared by a bad look.

"The man is mean, mom." My son whimpered and I left many kisses on his head.

"I have no idea, but he must be someone important, he was well dressed and had a couple of bodyguards."

Although I wanted to find that man to confront him and teach him a lesson, it was almost impossible.

I couldn't find the person responsible for my son's tears, just knowing that he was well dressed and had a couple of bodyguards.

"Don't worry, okay? Forget about that mean man, tomorrow we will get another ice cream."

His hair waved as he nodded his head and I lifted him in my arms to give him maternal warmth.

"Yes, mom."

My phone rang just as Maga was about to speak and I apologized before answering, it was an unknown number.

"Hello?" I spoke with Tristan still in my arms.

"Sarah, I just want to ask you a question and answer me truthfully."

I recognized Alexander's voice immediately, he sounded upset and I started to imagine him walking back and forth while he talked. I furrowed my brow in confusion, not knowing what the hell he was talking about, or why he was so agitated. How did the Lancasters get my personal number? I rolled my eyes and patiently waited for him to speak.

"Do you have a child?"

My hand trembled for a moment and I almost dropped the cellphone to the ground. I felt the cold running through my body and goosebumps forming on my skin as it passed by, the turmoil in my stomach almost made me throw up everything I ate that day. I looked at Tristan, still in my arm, his head resting on my shoulder and it seemed like he was about to fall asleep.

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words stayed in my throat, I found it almost impossible to utter a single word.

"Sarah, I know you're there, I can hear your breathing. Answer, do you have a son?"

Hearing his voice turn icy and desperate, I snapped out of my reverie and approached Maga so she could hold Tristan for a moment.

How did he know?

This was not the way he was supposed to find out, not from someone else other than me, it was a subject that only concerned me.

"Where did you get that from, Mr. Lancaster?" I asked without answering his question, because first, I wanted to know how the hell he found out.

Very few people knew about it, my friends, my family, and the company's staff, but the latter had signed a confidentiality agreement, so they were not allowed to mention anything related to Tristan.

I walked to the balcony, moving away from Maga and my son. The wind hit my body, but I couldn't even feel a bit of cold. My pulse increased greatly and my breathing was heavy.

"Should I take that as a yes?" He asked impatiently and I closed my eyes frustrated because this was going to turn into a question war without answers.

I bit my lower lip hard and tried to calm down or I would end up saying any craziness.

"Mr. Lancaster, I won't give you an answer unless you tell me where you got such information from." I was surprised to hear my calm and serene voice when inside I was dying of nerves and anger at the same time.

I heard a loud noise on the other end of the line, as if he had thrown something to the floor and he let out a long sigh that made my hair stand on end.

"I promised not to disclose the name of the person who told me this, but I will tell you only because I want to hear your answer, in your own voice."

I swallowed hard, while my hands continued to tremble as if I was freezing to death, but my cheeks were burning like hell.

"Michelle Boyer."

My eyes widened significantly and the rage in me increased.

That woman!

That stupid woman dared to keep sticking her nose in my affairs!

She just signed her death warrant, not only did she end with the little patience and tolerance I had left, but she also violated the confidentiality agreement, this would bring her problems with my father and most likely she would be fired directly. "Yes, Boyer. Is it true or not? Tell me, do you have a son?"

I looked at the dark sky, wondering why nothing could go as planned. "Sarah..."

"Yes, I have a son." I responded calmly upon hearing his warning tone.

Silence fell and I could hear the beating of my heart almost shooting out of my chest, my legs shook with nerves and panic that ran through me. It was almost impossible for me to breathe normally because of the stab I felt in my chest.

I rubbed my fingers on my forehead, a headache threatening to appear, that would be the icing on the cake.

"Incredible." He murmured before letting out a humorless laugh, as if he found it hard to believe.

"Is it Paul's or Vincent's? Because you have so many affairs that it's impossible to know whose it is."

I raised my eyebrows surprised by what he just insinuated.

Who did he think I was?

I wanted to hang up the phone and keep hiding that he was his son, but I took a deep breath calming my impulses and thinking that it was time for him to know.

A few more days, a few less, he was going to find out anyway.

"Alexander." I said his name, feeling really annoyed, took a breath and repeated to myself a thousand times that I should continue to be civil with him.

"Do you think that if any of them were the father, I would be answering your sudden questions or still maintaining this unexpected call? I shouldn't be telling you about my private life after the divorce, nevertheless, here I am answering you." I said, completely serious, thinking about how difficult it was for me to directly tell him that he was the father of my son.

In fact, saying it over the phone wasn't the most appropriate.

"What do you mean by that? Sarah, be more direct, I'm not in the mood for your roundabout ways." He said, a slow realization that the anger was not allowing him to analyze my words, his bad mood was still noticeable on the other side of the line, with his tone of voice and heavy breathing, I could tell he was angry, as if it affected him too much that I had a child with another man.

That shouldn't matter to him at all. After all, he exchanged me for another woman, didn't he want to be free? On what grounds did he claim me? Was he forgetting that we were happily divorced?

"I don't think it's appropriate to discuss this issue over the phone. How about..." I was about to invite him to my house tomorrow so he could meet Tristan, today wouldn't be possible because we were in a hurry for the fashion show. However, he interrupted what I was about to say, blinded by anger.

"Is it so hard for you to say who the father is? Don't you know?"

I remained silent for a few seconds, about to lose the little patience I had left because of how annoyed and irrational Alexander was becoming.

"Does it matter so much to him what I do or don't do, who I go with or who I don't? If you're so interested in knowing, just wait until I introduce him on the last day of Fashion Week. Goodbye." I ended the call, feeling my heart pounding.

I took a deep breath, regaining composure.

Okay, Alexander now knew about the existence of my son, now the issue was to tell him that he was the father and he probably wouldn't believe me. But if he still had doubts after seeing the strong resemblance with him, I could make any test, and I would accept it. My phone rang again, it was him again. I ignored the call and went back to the room where Maga was undressing Tristan to give him a bath.

Once again, the phone rang and I had no choice but to turn it off. I didn't want to talk about my son anymore when he indirectly accused me of being an easy woman.

He didn't want to listen to me when I was about to propose that he come, earlier than planned, now I was going to resume my plans and he had to wait.

At tonight's fashion show, Abby couldn't stop mocking the latest rumors involving me and my own family. Paul didn't seem very pleased with the new wave of attacks, but I reassured him by telling him what I had planned and how much I was going to enjoy seeing the humiliation on Amelia's face.

"Will the vice president have the rest of the night available?" Paul asked next to me, when Abby got distracted with Vincent.

I looked at him, embarrassed for ruining the first date, but tonight there was nothing that would prevent our date.

"Tonight is completely available for our first date, don't think I forgot." I replied, giving him a complicit look, and he smiled immediately.

"I won't let you escape tonight." He whispered in my ear and held my hand, intertwining our fingers on his thigh, far from making me uncomfortable. I liked his warm touch.

The show started and I put an end to the subject.

I glanced at Michelle, who was sitting at a considerable distance. I couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

Before coming, I had told my father absolutely everything and he allowed her to attend the fashion show tonight since it would be her last night in New York because tomorrow, after signing the collaboration contract, I was going to ask for her immediate resignation.

That wouldn't have happened if she had stayed out and away from matters that were not her business. I fixed my gaze on the designs of tonight that looked better than others, thus confirming the decision of the board of directors. Nothing and no one distracted me until the catwalk came to an end.

Tonight I was going to skip any other event to spend it with Paul, who had been so patient with me.

Before leaving, I greeted some representatives from the brands of tonight and said goodbye to my parents and friends, leaving Jack in charge of any unforeseen events.

I walked arm in arm with Paul towards the exit, while asking him about the place he was going to take me to, but he insisted it was a surprise and that telling me would ruin it.

A body stood in our way and the smile vanished from my face when I realized it was Alexander.

Just what I needed.

"Ms. Petit, it seems we have a pending conversation." His cold aura sent shivers down my spine, his cold and indifferent gaze traveled from Paul to me and it was impossible for my hands not to tremble as I remembered our conversation on the phone. "Good evening, Mr. Lancaster, I think you have forgotten your manners." Paul spoke before I could say a word. I clung to his arm as if it were the only thing that could keep me stable in the presence of Alexander.

"Excuse me, Mr. Dubois, but I am not talking to you, can you leave? I need to talk to the lady."

I slightly tightened my grip on Paul's arm and threw him a look as I slowly shook my head.

"Sorry, but I'm not going to separate from Sarah, whatever you have to say to her, you can say in front of me." Paul stood rigidly by my side, ready to defend me from that idiot who thought he was in charge, but I didn't want him to get too involved. "Paul is not going anywhere, I think everything is clear, I have nothing to talk to you about." I calmly responded, undisturbed by his presence.

He raised an eyebrow, glaring at Paul as if his presence was the most annoying thing to him.

"Oh, I see. So it's him." He said without taking his eyes off the brunette. Paul looked at me confused and I could decipher his gaze.

He realized that Alexander knew about the existence of my child, but that was all the information they gave him.

"What are you talking about?" Paul asked me, just for me to hear.

I was tired of Alexander, he was acting as if I owed him something, as if it was very important for him to know about my life, or as if he was still my husband when that ended years ago. What I did or who I did it with was my problem. Besides, this was not the right place to discuss something as important as my child.

"Mr. Lancaster, do I owe you explanations about my life? Let me remind you that we are divorced, I can do whatever I want with my life." I said firmly and noticed how his muscles tensed, I smiled before saying.

"After all, I have so many lovers that no one knows who it could be."

He looked at me with narrowed eyes and his face turned red with anger.

I didn't want to waste another precious minute and resumed my path with Paul, who seemed upset by the situation and for good reason.

"What's going on, Sari?" Paul asked once we were inside the car and away from anyone who could hear us.

I felt bad for the uncomfortable moment he had to go through because of me.

"I'll tell you later, Paul, you have nothing to worry about. Nobody is going to ruin our night."

***

I didn't remember the last time I had a date, it happened so few times that those moments no longer existed in my memory.

Definitely, Paul outdid himself tonight.

He had booked a dinner cruise in New York, with a view of the Statue of Liberty. The view was incredible, the atmosphere luxurious, and the attention worthy of a first date. I couldn't expect anything less from Paul.

After dinner, we toasted with champagne for the first time that I finally went out with him after so many years of insisting. He pretended to be hurt by the countless times he was rejected by me since I returned home, but quickly changed his dramatic expression to a genuine smile that told me in a thousand languages how happy he was in my company.

I couldn't help but laugh at his antics before taking the first sip of champagne.

Silence reigned for a few seconds, but it wasn't an uncomfortable one, rather a moment in which we disconnected from the outside world to fully enjoy the view, the champagne, and the pleasant company.

The truth was, I finally felt relaxed and without any worries, being accompanied by him. I didn't think about anything else but how well I was having and how much I needed an escape from everything and everyone.

I hadn't realized how much I needed it.

But as not everything in life was perfect...