Chapter 079

Hailey's POV I ran upstairs to my room, tears streaming down my face after mom's intervention between Aiden and me. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, my happiness short-lived once again. I collapsed on my bed, overwhelmed by the weight of exhaustion. The thought of leaving without my son, Damien, was a huge blow, a painful sting that refused to subside. But as I lay there, feeling helpless and trapped, my thoughts turned to Damien. I needed to see him, to hold him close and feel his warm, tiny body against mine. I quickly got up from bed and rushed to his cradle, my heart aching with love and longing. As I reached his cradle, I saw that he was awake, his bright, light blue eyes sparkling with excitement. He gave me a toothy grin, his chubby cheeks puffing out with joy. My heart melted at the sight of him, all my worries and fears momentarily forgotten. "Hey Damien," I cooed, my voice trembling with emotion. "I'm sorry Mom hasn't had any time for you yet, okay? When everything is over, we're going to go to a very far land where we can be free from all this drama." I spoke to him as if he could understand me, pouring out my heart to my little boy. Just as I was about to put him back in his cradle, he froze, his eyes locked on mine. And then, in a moment that took my breath away, he said it. "Mama," he whispered, his tiny voice full of wonder. My eyes widened in awe, my heart racing with excitement. Did I just hear him correctly? I stared at him, my mind reeling with questions. And then, as if to confirm my thoughts, he said it again. "Mama," he repeated, his face lighting up with a bright, toothy grin. I felt tears of joy streaming down my face as I stared at my little boy, my heart overflowing with love and pride. My son had just said his first word, and it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard. Just then, Aiden walked in with Mrs. Alora trailing behind him. I turned my gaze away from them, still basking in the joy of Damien's first word. But Mrs. Alora's words from earlier kept echoing in my head, and I felt a surge of resentment. Why did they have to come and ruin this moment for me? "Hailey?" Mrs. Alora called, but I turned my gaze away from her, making her halt on her steps. "It's okay, Hailey, I've told her everything," Aiden's voice echoed in my ears, making me stare at him in shock. "Everything?" I whispered, my voice low and shaky. Aiden nodded, his eyes locked on mine. I turned slowly to look at Mrs. Alora, anticipating what her next words would be. "I'm sorry, my child," she apologized, her voice trembling with emotion. "I'm so sorry." I just stood there blankly, not knowing what to say after her apology. "It was so stupid of me to let my emotions take over," she apologized again, tears streaming down her face. "It's okay, Mom," I replied, wrapping my arms around her. "It's not your fault." But as she freed herself from my grip, she turned to Aiden, her expression a mix of sadness and regret. "Aiden, I..." she began, but her voice trailed off. Aiden's eyes locked on hers, his expression unreadable. "And Sandra," Mrs. Alora said, her voice cracking with emotion as tears streamed down her face. Aiden bowed his head, his eyes welling up with tears as he lightly bit his lower lip, fighting to hold back his emotions. "I'm so sorry, son," Mrs. Alora sobbed, her body shaking with grief. "When I found out about your father's affair years ago, I became furious. Her mother was my best friend in college, so the betrayal hit me hard." She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I don't know what I was thinking when I agreed to Mr. Aaron's plan," she said, using my dad's first name. The mention of his name brought back memories of my childhood, when my dad and mom would tease each other by calling each other by their first names. My dad was always sweet and loving when mom was still alive; I never thought her death and circumstances could turn him into the person he is now. Aiden's voice trembled as he spoke, his eyes still shining with tears. "It's okay, Mom. It's a good thing Sandra is resting peacefully now. At least that was the best thing I could give to her – a befitting burial." Mrs. Alora's voice echoed with regret. "But I never got to speak to her." Aiden's gaze met mine before returning to his mom. "She wanted you all to know she's forgiven you. She said she knew she was going to die anytime soon, as she was already battling with her health before she was shot." Aiden's gaze rose to meet mine again. "And Hailey, she wanted to let you know that she was sorry for hating you. All she wanted was just a few more moments with me, but seeing you made her jealous and angry." I nodded, still trying to process everything. "But Aiden?" I finally spoke up, my mind reeling with questions. "If you hadn't found out you both were related, would you have loved her still?" I asked, my heart racing with anticipation. Aiden's eyes locked on mine, his expression unreadable. The silence between us was palpable, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I waited for his response. The thought of this had always lingered in my mind. Just a few days before Aiden found out his ex-girlfriend Sandra was his sister, he despised her and threw her out of his sight at every chance he got. Now, he shed tears knowing she was gone. I couldn't resist asking the question that had been plaguing me. "Truthfully, no," Aiden's voice echoed, interrupting my thoughts. His eyes dropped, and his voice cracked with emotion. "Sandra had really hurt me badly by cheating on me and aborting my child without my consent." My eyes widened in shock as my mind drifted back to the reason why Aiden was so excited about Damien's birth. The pieces were finally falling into place. "But after finding out that we were related, and she did all that because of the family ties that held us together, I felt stupid," Aiden continued, his voice laced with regret. "Memories of my late sister came flooding in, my sister's death which I blamed my dad for... and I couldn't help but think I caused her death too." Aiden's eyes welled up with tears as he spoke, his voice cracking with emotion. "She'd gotten rid of our baby twice and lied about her career as the reason why she did it. Even at the detriment of her health, she still thought about me and how it would sound if she was pregnant with her stepbrother. But all I did was push her away, and kept shutting all the doors to my heart on her face." Aiden's gaze rose, and his eyes locked onto mine, filled with a deep sadness. "But what hurt the most was that my parents knew about her identity but kept it away from me. Maybe if I had known a little earlier, things would be different." The room fell silent, the only sound the soft sobbing of Aiden's mom. She looked up, her eyes red-rimmed, and her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm so sorry, son." "It's fine, mom, it's all in the past now anyways," Aiden said, his voice softening as he looked at his mom. He turned to me, his hazel eyes boring deep into my soul. "Hailey?" he called, his voice low and husky. I felt my heart skip a beat as he took a step closer to me. "I don't want you to leave," he said, his eyes pleading with me. "Regardless of what the contract says, I couldn't help myself. I've fallen deeply in love with you, Hailey." His words left me speechless, my heart racing with emotion. I felt like I was melting into his gaze, my entire being surrendering to the love I saw in his eyes. The tension between us was palpable, until Mrs. Alora's voice broke the silence. "I think I'll go now," she said, her eyes smiling softly at us. Aiden and I nodded in unison, our eyes still locked on each other. Mrs. Alora moved towards Damien's cradle, lifting him into her arms. As she held him close, Damien's voice echoed again, "Mama." Aiden's eyes snapped to mine, shock and delight written across his face. His mom's eyes also widened in surprise, a smile spreading across her face. I couldn't help but chuckle, feeling a sense of joy and wonder. "Yes, he's said his first words," I said, smiling up at Aiden. Without warning, Aiden pulled me into a kiss, his lips crashing against mine. The world around me melted away, leaving only the two of us, lost in the depths of our love.