A Journey from Bitterness to Truth

Yvan’s face turned a shade of iron blue at Matilda’s mocking glance, and in an act of defiance, he planted a kiss on Ella’s cheek right in front of her.

Ella, who had never been kissed by Yvan of his own volition, was grinning like she’d won the lottery, her eyes flicking towards Matilda, eager to gauge her reaction.

However, Matilda’s gaze was as cold as if she were looking at a stranger. The flirtatious exchange between Yvan and Ella only served to make her stomach turn with disgust. Beyond that, her heart, long dead, remained unmoved.

In front of Matilda, Yvan whisked Ella away to another room, and upon seeing the nursery’s contents, Ella’s suspicions were confirmed.

Yvan’s child had been borne by Matilda. She’d always wondered, and now her suspicions had been validated.

Ella’s fingers clenched tightly, her eyes flashing with a dangerous intent. She could not allow this child to exist!

As Ella and Yvan vanished into the hallway, Matilda’s door was pushed open once more, this time by a much smaller figure.

It was Logan.

Logan dashed into Matilda’s arms. “Mommy, did Mr. Boyd make you sad again?”

Matilda smoothed back Logan’s hair with a smile. “Mommy’s okay, sweetheart.”

“It’s ‘cause Mr. Boyd’s been mean too many times,” Logan said, his innocence not quite understanding the depth of hurt, his limited vocabulary failing to fully convey the pain Yvan had

inflicted on Matilda.

He clung to her hand. “Mommy, don’t be scared. We’ll be together again soon.”

“I believe so, too.”

Matilda gripped Logan’s tiny hand, confused by the strange look in his eyes today–a look that seemed too complex for a child.

But Logan’s laughter soon dispelled her worries. “Then I’m sleeping here with you tonight!”

He’d never called Yvan ‘dad‘ again, constantly referring to him as Mr. Boyd, a term both distant and formal.

Perhaps out of spite, Yvan ended up letting Ella stay at the house. She was thrilled, deliberately leaving a pair of panties on the bed after her shower.

When Yvan entered the bedroom that night, and his eyes fell on the provocative undergarment, NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.

he quickly averted his gaze with indifference.

Had the thought of Matilda quenched his desires recently?

Yvan shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought as Ella’s voice echoed from the bathroom, “Yvan… Can you bring me my panties? I seem to have forgotten them.”

To any other man, this would have been a blatant invitation, and Yvan understood it as such. But his expression remained flat as he picked up Ella’s panties and cracked open the bathroom door just enough to slip his hand through.

Ella stared at the hand extended towards her, puzzled. Was Yvan not getting her hints, or was he simply not interested in her?

Taking the panties from Yvan’s grasp, Ella brushed her fingertips across his palm, a flirty gesture that would typically unsettle any man.

Yet, Yvan quietly withdrew his hand, closed the door, and walked away without a word, showing no interest in joining her.