One month passed
Since receiving Valeri's rejection, Damian hasn't come to see Daniel often even though they already have a co-parenting agreement. Who knows what he was planning, his attitude seemed to indicate that he would not pursue Valerie again.
Valerie feels guilty, sometimes having difficulty dealing with Daniel who is fussy because he always wants Damian, always wants to get attention from him.
"You'd better call Damian," said Adriana, seeing Valerie carrying Daniel on the terrace. The woman has left the hospital but cannot move too much while her husband is at their house which is not far from Dominguez's house.
"I wouldn't have asked him to come if he didn't have any intention of coming," replied Valerie.
"But he's fussy... Even has a fever.."
"Yeah….but that doesn't mean I have to contact Damian, I'm afraid it will only make Daniel dependent on him while he doesn't care about him anymore!" said Valerie curtly, then glanced at Daniel, who was whining but leaning his head on her shoulder with his eyes drooping, even wearing a fever compress plaster on his forehead.
"You can't be angry with his attitude," said Adriana patiently.
"I am not angry ..."
"You're angry, I know that...I know you want him to come and show attention... You still expect it but..."
"Enough Adriana!" Valerie exclaimed irritably, turning to face Adriana who was sitting in the chair.
Adriana was silent, as if surprised.
"Mama... Hikk..." Daniel whined again.
"It's Okay, Baby..." Valerie immediately rubbed his back.
Adriana sighed. "If you went back to Damian or had a husband...another man, maybe you wouldn't be as exhausted alone as you are now..."
Valerie chose to remain silent and took Daniel inside.
Adriana slowly stood up, but her attention was stolen by the arrival of a black car entering the yard.
"That must be Samuel," she said.
Samuel got out of the car and immediately approached Adriana who was holding on to a terrace pillar made of sturdy wood with a square shape.
"Adriana," he said.
"Hey..." Adriana smiled awkwardly.
"Nice to see you again!" Samuel looked enthusiastic, his brown eyes were sparkling as if he liked seeing Adriana, who looked simple in a light blue dress and let her hair down. "I'm sorry that when you were sick, I didn't have time to visit you. I couldn't avoid my naive boss, but now I'm free!" he continued rather bluntly.
"What do you mean?" Adriana asked.
Samuel smiled. "I won't tell you before Valerie."
Adriana frowned.
"I have to meet her now..." Samuel immediately entered the house.
Adriana was silent in confusion and curiosity, making her glance inside but didn't see Samuel again.
"He's nice, but I can't forget….He also helped Valerie to continue hiding even though he could have asked her to return to our family... If he hadn't been selfish, maybe my husband and I wouldn't have had to face the problems caused by Valerie leaving!" She said irritably, then immediately left the house.
___
Samuel stopped in front of Valerie's room and heard Daniel's crying but he didn't dare to enter.
"Samuel," said Hannah.
"Hey," replied Samuel with a faint smile. "Daniel doesn't usually whine like that at this time," he continued, remembering that it was 10 in am.
"He has a fever..."
"Fever?"
Hannah nodded.
"Has he been taken to the doctor?" Samuel asked.
"Yes, now the fever has subsided, but he's still fussy," explained Hannah.
Samuel became increasingly worried until he immediately entered the room and saw Valerie who was trying to calm Daniel by inviting him to look at the toy car on the floor while controlling it with the remote control.
"Samuel..." said Valerie.
"I don't want!" Daniel struggled, getting up from Valerie's lap. ."I want dada...dada!"
Valerie immediately got out of bed picked up Daniel and carried him.
"He wants to meet his father," said Samuel with a worried look.
Valerie just nodded with her eyes looking like a panda, as if showing that she didn't sleep well.
"Didn't you tell his son was sick?"
"No, I don't want to... Meeting him will only cause problems," said Valerie languidly, trying to control Daniel who continued to struggle and call his father.
Samuel couldn't bear to see Valerie who looked tired and objected to carrying Daniel, so he immediately got Daniel and carried him.
"I think he's bored and needs entertainment other than at home," he said.
"Yes, maybe," replied Valerie worriedly. ."I just got paid from the books and I used it all to help my mom and pay Hannah...So, I don't have the money anymore to take him to entertainment places, there are definitely lots of interesting things he wants and maybe I can't buy them," she continued.
Samuel sighed. "Why didn't you tell me? Didn't I tell you, when you need anything, just tell me I'll give it to you!"
Valerie shook her head. "I just..."
"I happened to come to discuss something important," said Samuel then glanced at Daniel who had fallen silent as if he needed comfort. "this will be good for Daniel as well as you..."
"What?"
"We'll talk in a comfortable place...I'm sure he'll get bored if we keep chatting without inviting him to play," said Samuel, immediately walking towards the door. "You'd better be prepared..."
Valerie watched them slowly pass from her sight and let out a rough breath. She immediately got ready, changed her blue clothes into black trousers and a yellowish-white shirt, tied her hair casually, added a little lipstick, put the things Daniel needed into the bag, and then immediately left the room.
How surprised she was when she arrived in the living room, Damian was there, already carrying Daniel while Samuel was just silent with an annoyed look.
'He must have just taken Daniel from Samuel by force,' she thought, remembering Damian's hatred for Samuel.
"You will take my Son away with him?" Damian asked.
Valerie nodded. "This is not a wrong thing. He needs a new atmosphere.."
"Then I will take him to my mansion," said Damian, glancing at Daniel who was so comfortable in his arms that he even leaned his head on his chest with his arms around his neck.
"Damian... Please...."
"What?"
"I can't let him go with you, he might cry..." Valerie shook her head with a worried look. "You've never taken him without me... And he's not used to being without me..he's still drinking my breast milk, especially since he just had a fever and kept crying all night... he'll cry if he doesn't see me in just 30 minutes!"
"And you didn't tell me that!"
"I'm used to handling him alone." Valerie immediately looked away, as if Damian's gray eyes were piercing her.
Demian took a deep breath as if controlling his emotions. He turned to glance at Daniel who looked lethargic with his eyes slightly red and swollen, indicating that he often cried.
'I can't let him be like this when he needs me... And I can't let him be with Samuel,' he thought tensely.
"I'll take him away." Valerie approached peace by holding out her hand to Daniel.
"No!" Damian immediately kept Daniel away from Valerie. "He will be with me, I miss him and he misses me too!"
Valeri was silent, annoyed.
"Don't forget our agreement... Not only you as his parents but me!" Damian exclaimed, then glanced at Samuel.
"Darling ..." Samuel put his arm around Valerie's shoulder from the side. "Let him be with him, just for an hour," he whispered.
Seeing Samuel able to embrace Valerie seemed to make Demian suddenly feel breathless and decided to immediately leave with Daniel.
"Damian..." Valerie was about to chase, but Samuel immediately held her back by grabbing her wrist. She immediately turned around and looked at him with her blazing eyes.
"Samuel!"
"This time let him do what he wants, but next time he won't be able to because I've found a solution for you guys!" Samuel said firmly.
"What?" asked Valerie irritably. "Do we need to constantly act as a couple? I don't think that's something that benefits me but it's something that can keep me away from Daniel. You don't know what's in that agreement..."
Samuel fell silent with his brows furrowed.
"He said he would always take Daniel from me every time you came...That means, we better end this charade!" Valerie glared at Samuel.