Father and Son Who Never Met Chapter 2

Jax's gaze was already sweeping in our direction.

Ms. Davis walked over to me, holding Noah's hand. "Noah and that gentleman had a little misunderstanding. I just wanted to fill you in..."

I kept my back to Jax, my voice a low whisper.

"I'm in a huge rush right now, something urgent came up. Can I call you back later?"

Ms. Davis blinked, taking in my panicked expression, then glanced over my shoulder.

"Well, but..."

I mumbled a half-baked excuse, bent down, and swept Noah into my arms.

He wrapped his arms around my neck, his face a picture of confusion.

I turned and ducked into a nearby alley, rushing us home.

As soon as I set him down, Noah looked up at me.

"That man kept staring at you, Mommy. When you walked away, he watched you for a really long time."

I didn't answer, moving to shut the door, but a hand shot out and held it open.

Isabelle stood on my doorstep, a triumphant, phony smile on her face.

"Sister. I knew it was you. It's been a long time."

"Tsk, tsk. I can't blame Jax for not recognizing you. You look nothing like the proud, arrogant Sterling heiress you used to be."

Noah peeked out from behind my leg, his little face tense as he glared at her.

Isabelle noticed his gaze and looked down, her smile widening.

"And whose little bastard is this?"

I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they'd get stuck. "Are you done?"

The smile on her face faltered for a second before she pulled a gold-embossed invitation from her purse.

"Sister, tomorrow is my wedding to Jax. Mom and Dad said that, after all, you were their daughter for twenty years. Even if you're not their blood, they'd still like you to be there."

She pressed the invitation into my hand and leaned in close to my ear.

"By the way, I still have those drawings of yours."

My eyebrows shot up.

Isabelle took a step back, her face a mask of perfect composure, but her eyes were cold and sharp.

"You left in such a hurry. That manila envelope… there were about twenty of them, right? All from your high school days."

She tilted her head, her smile sickeningly sweet.

"I heard you were supposed to go to art school. What a shame. It was me who convinced Mom and Dad to cut you off financially. A pity you couldn't afford it."

"I've looked through those drawings a few times. They're all rather… intimate sketches of Jax, aren't they?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "What do you want? I've left the Sterling family. Can't you just leave me alone after all these years?"

She let out a delighted laugh.

"Sister, you stole so many years of my life. This is just the beginning."

"If you come to the wedding on Saturday, I'll return the drawings to you in person. If you don't… well, then I'll just have to display them for all the guests to see. Let everyone know just how disgusting you are."

A laugh burst out of me.

"Great. Go ahead. Let the whole world see his nudes."

Isabelle froze, her face flushing a deep red.

"You're shameless!"

I smiled, pulling out my phone and waggling it at her. "Oh, and if that's not explosive enough for you, I've got more. From that night… you know. Want a private screening?"

I had nothing, of course, but I was an expert at bluffing.

Isabelle's face turned ashen.

"Willow, you're despicable!"

I tilted my head, my smile bright. "If you don't show everyone my masterpieces, you're a coward."

She was shaking with rage, pointing a finger at me, unable to form a word.

"You were spoiled rotten by the Sterlings! Even after all these years on your own, you still haven't learned any humility. Just you wait."

She shot me one last venomous glare, then spun on her heel and stormed off.

I yelled after her, "I'll be there tomorrow! You're a coward if you don't show them!"

Noah poked his head out from behind the door.

"Mommy, what did you draw?"

I pinched his cheek. "Mommy is taking you to crash a wedding."