The Ex Who Stole My Delivery Room - Chapter 12: Chapter 12
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"Daddy, is that mean lady here to take you away again?" Layla asked, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and defiance.
Harris rose from his seat, his eyes widening as he murmured, "Darcy... you look... different today."
I could see Harris practically drinking in my new appearance, which only made Cindy seethe with jealousy. "Darcy," she snapped, "could you stop stalking Harris everywhere he goes? It's pathetic how desperate you are for his attention."
Turning to Harris with fake concern, she continued, "Harris, you know how much Layla and I have suffered because of Darcy's lies. The media had finally stopped questioning Layla's background, but then Darcy had to show up at the orphanage and stir everything up again. I don't mean to be rude, but could you ask her to leave?"
My eyes narrowed as I stared at Cindy in disbelief. The nerve of this woman—asking my ex-husband to kick me out so she could have her little family dinner! But what hurt more was when Harris actually walked over and demanded, "What are you doing here, Darcy?"
My fists clenched. Was he seriously accusing me of following him?
"Why does anyone go to a restaurant, Harris? To eat!" I spat back.
"Could you eat somewhere else?" he asked guiltily. "I'll pay for your meal."
I shot a glare at Cindy, who was smirking like the devil herself, then turned back to Harris. "Keep your money. You don't own this place. If my presence bothers you so much, why don't you take your little family and get out?"
Harris's eyes widened. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me close, whispering urgently, "They're not my family, Darcy. You are!"
His words left me stunned. As I looked up into his eyes, he continued, "I'm trying to make things right. I love you—you're the only woman for me. Cindy's just a friend I'm helping raise her daughter, nothing more."
"If that were even remotely true," I said coldly, pulling away, "I'd be the one sitting at that table with you, and Cindy would be the one getting kicked out." Harris had no response to that. I tried to wrench my hand free, but he held on tight—until a deep, commanding voice cut through the tension.
"Mr. Salvador, you're hurting my woman."
We both turned to see Mr. Russo standing beside me. His eyes flicked to where Harris was gripping me, and the silent command in his gaze made Harris release me immediately.
"I believe I asked you to let go of her," Russo repeated, his polite words laced with steel.
"Your woman?" Harris spluttered.
Russo smiled coolly. "Don't you keep up with the news? I confirmed our relationship at the orphanage."
"But Daddy," Layla piped up, "you said they didn't even know each other! That they just pretended to help that orphan boy to show off in front of me!"
Russo's lips quirked as he gracefully knelt to meet Layla at eye level. "Your daddy was mistaken, little one. That kind lady over there is the mother of that sweet boy, and I'm his father. So what does that make us?"
"A family?" Layla blurted.
"Exactly," Russo said, standing and brushing invisible dust from his pants. "Though you might want to work on your manners. Perhaps your mother could teach you some respect—if she's capable. If not, this lovely auntie here would be happy to help."
He returned to my side, slipping an arm around my waist. "Sorry I'm late, darling. I wanted to make sure our dinner arrangements were... memorable."
"Memorable?" I asked as his lips brushed my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
"Just watch," he murmured.
Right on cue, a waiter approached Harris. "Sir, I regret to inform you that you'll need to leave immediately. Your payment will be refunded."
Harris and Cindy exchanged shocked looks. "What? Why?" Harris demanded.
"Mr. Russo has reserved the entire restaurant for his private dinner. He prefers no... disturbances," the waiter explained.
Cindy shot up from her seat. "You can't do this! We had a reservation!"
The waiter remained calm. "You'll need to take that up with the owner."
"Then get me the owner!" Cindy shrieked. "I'm not leaving!"
The waiter gestured politely. "He's right here. Mr. Russo purchased the restaurant this afternoon."
Cindy's jaw dropped. "But—the owner's name is Darek!"
"Not anymore, ma'am," the waiter said smoothly. "Mr. Russo owns it now."
Harris rose from his seat, his eyes widening as he murmured, "Darcy... you look... different today."
I could see Harris practically drinking in my new appearance, which only made Cindy seethe with jealousy. "Darcy," she snapped, "could you stop stalking Harris everywhere he goes? It's pathetic how desperate you are for his attention."
Turning to Harris with fake concern, she continued, "Harris, you know how much Layla and I have suffered because of Darcy's lies. The media had finally stopped questioning Layla's background, but then Darcy had to show up at the orphanage and stir everything up again. I don't mean to be rude, but could you ask her to leave?"
My eyes narrowed as I stared at Cindy in disbelief. The nerve of this woman—asking my ex-husband to kick me out so she could have her little family dinner! But what hurt more was when Harris actually walked over and demanded, "What are you doing here, Darcy?"
My fists clenched. Was he seriously accusing me of following him?
"Why does anyone go to a restaurant, Harris? To eat!" I spat back.
"Could you eat somewhere else?" he asked guiltily. "I'll pay for your meal."
I shot a glare at Cindy, who was smirking like the devil herself, then turned back to Harris. "Keep your money. You don't own this place. If my presence bothers you so much, why don't you take your little family and get out?"
Harris's eyes widened. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me close, whispering urgently, "They're not my family, Darcy. You are!"
His words left me stunned. As I looked up into his eyes, he continued, "I'm trying to make things right. I love you—you're the only woman for me. Cindy's just a friend I'm helping raise her daughter, nothing more."
"If that were even remotely true," I said coldly, pulling away, "I'd be the one sitting at that table with you, and Cindy would be the one getting kicked out." Harris had no response to that. I tried to wrench my hand free, but he held on tight—until a deep, commanding voice cut through the tension.
"Mr. Salvador, you're hurting my woman."
We both turned to see Mr. Russo standing beside me. His eyes flicked to where Harris was gripping me, and the silent command in his gaze made Harris release me immediately.
"I believe I asked you to let go of her," Russo repeated, his polite words laced with steel.
"Your woman?" Harris spluttered.
Russo smiled coolly. "Don't you keep up with the news? I confirmed our relationship at the orphanage."
"But Daddy," Layla piped up, "you said they didn't even know each other! That they just pretended to help that orphan boy to show off in front of me!"
Russo's lips quirked as he gracefully knelt to meet Layla at eye level. "Your daddy was mistaken, little one. That kind lady over there is the mother of that sweet boy, and I'm his father. So what does that make us?"
"A family?" Layla blurted.
"Exactly," Russo said, standing and brushing invisible dust from his pants. "Though you might want to work on your manners. Perhaps your mother could teach you some respect—if she's capable. If not, this lovely auntie here would be happy to help."
He returned to my side, slipping an arm around my waist. "Sorry I'm late, darling. I wanted to make sure our dinner arrangements were... memorable."
"Memorable?" I asked as his lips brushed my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
"Just watch," he murmured.
Right on cue, a waiter approached Harris. "Sir, I regret to inform you that you'll need to leave immediately. Your payment will be refunded."
Harris and Cindy exchanged shocked looks. "What? Why?" Harris demanded.
"Mr. Russo has reserved the entire restaurant for his private dinner. He prefers no... disturbances," the waiter explained.
Cindy shot up from her seat. "You can't do this! We had a reservation!"
The waiter remained calm. "You'll need to take that up with the owner."
"Then get me the owner!" Cindy shrieked. "I'm not leaving!"
The waiter gestured politely. "He's right here. Mr. Russo purchased the restaurant this afternoon."
Cindy's jaw dropped. "But—the owner's name is Darek!"
"Not anymore, ma'am," the waiter said smoothly. "Mr. Russo owns it now."
End of The Ex Who Stole My Delivery Room Chapter 12. Continue reading Chapter 13 or return to The Ex Who Stole My Delivery Room book page.