Contract Marriage; Fated Love

Chapter 131

“Are you travelling with my son without my knowledge?” Noah asked Emily quietly. She didn't spare him a glance. Rather, she continued tapping away on the laptop keyboard.

“This isn't time to keep quiet, Emily. I will ask you again. Are you leaving with my son, without my knowledge?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Why?”

“We don't belong here anymore. This is your house and this marriage is over. I have to find my way. Now, stop asking me questions that don't concern you.”

“Emily, listen to me. I know we are divorced but I don't want you to leave the house. You can have it. I'll move out instead. Let Liam stay here and keep going to school in this vicinity. I don't want to put him through the trouble of starting life afresh. I'm not doing this for you, because I know you will not accept it. But this is for my son, please, let him stay here. I'll move out first thing tomorrow morning.”

Noah was eventually able to convince Emily to stay back before he left the house. He promised his son that he would be back to see him the following week.

“But daddy, where are you going?”

“I still have some jobs to round up, okay?”

Liam nodded sadly. He didn't want his father to leave but the man had to leave anyways.

Noah moved out as he said and now he lived in one of his villas in the state of California. The divorce was taking a toll on him but he struggled to stay strong. He loved Emily so much and living without her was hell for him.

He was in his office one day when his secretary informed him that he had a visitor.

“Is the visitor on appointment?”

“Emmm. Err…”

“Have you lost your tongue?” Noah queried.

“No sir. The visitor is Miss Shields.”

“Is the visitor on an appointment? Why can't you answer a simple question?”

“No sir. She's not on…”

“I can see you don't need your monthly bonus, is that it? If you still have a functional brain, you will know that only visitors on appointment are granted access. Now, you open your mouth and tell me I have a visitor.”

“I'm sorr sir. I apologise sir,” James Sullivan apologised with his head bowed low.

“Get out.”

“I'm sorry sir,” he said, bowed again and off he went.

When Grace Shields said she wanted to see the boss, he figured she would be granted easy access because she was his assistant for the deep harbour project. But Noah was always full of surprises.

“But Mr Harper has changed greatly,” James muttered in the comfort of his office. In the past, Noah was less difficult than he was now. The old Noah would have simply corrected the anomaly and cautioned him but this time, he yelled at him and even threatened to deduct his bonus. The last time he heard something like that was about three years ago. Noah was no longer very patient as he used to be. What could have changed?

Grace waited but the secretary told her that his boss had insisted on seeing only visitors on appointments. She frowned and said to him,

“It's alright.”

Before the secretary could realise what was happening, Grace found her way into the office, shoving the man aside.

“Miss, please you can't enter…” he began, following her into the office but Grace turned and fired him a death glare.

Noah watched the unfolding drama in silence.

“I'm sorry sir. I…I…” James stammered, nearly urinating on his person as Noah's piercing gaze bore into him. He prayed within him that he doesn't get fired because of this. Noah watched Grace as she fully entered the office and made herself comfortable in the seat in front of his desk.

“Are you going to let your secretary stand there and listen to our conversation?” she asked. Still, Noah said nothing. All he did was to look at her and then, at his secretary. Then he returned his gaze and attention to the papers in front of him. James decided that the lesser evil was leaving the office and that he did. When Grace saw that Noah wasn't saying anything to her, she started.

“I'm here to see you. Aren't you going to say anything to me?”

Noah put down his pen and without raising his head, he responded,

“You barged into my office, that's the first offence. We have concluded the deep harbour project which brought you to Blackwood Towers. Any other meetings with me should be scheduled accordingly. When you are done sitting down there, kindly get up and leave.”

“How can you say that to me? I'm carrying your baby and you have to take responsibility! When are you going to make it legal? I am not giving birth to this child out of wedlock!”

“Then take him to the father, or better still, you can terminate the pregnancy. No one is asking you to have a child out of wedlock.”

“Terminate? Did you really say terminate? This is your child for goodness sake, your flesh and blood, you cruel fellow!” Grace screamed. Noah put down his pen and raised his head to face her.

“That thing in your stomach isn't mine, that's one thing. You might have successfully deceived my wife into believing I have something with you, that's because you took me unawares. But let me make it clear to you, it ends there. Take that child in your stomach, that's if there's a child there, to the father or get rid of it. That will be all, stand up and get out or I'll throw you out myself.”

Few minutes after she had left, Noah agreed within himself that if she came again, he would let her have the baby and opt for a DNA test after the baby is born. He was a hundred percent certain that the baby wasn't his. He might have been drugged that day but he knew that even if he were dying, he would never cheat on his wife. Only a DNA test could save his name at that time because Grace had used tactics beyond reasonable doubt to convince his wife that he was cheating.