Elena observed Damian entering the room, his face filled with anger. He immediately grabbed his clothes from the hangar, tossing them haphazardly into his suitcase.
"Damian... what happened?" she approached, panicked.
"Let's go back to Carson City; I'm sick of this place, they're traitors!" Damian grumbled in frustration.
"What? Who are they you mean?"
Damian continued packing, ignoring his bewildered mother. His mind was chaotic, filled with images and voices of Samuel and Valerie, with the baby's gaze etched in his mind.
"Damian..." Elena looked at him with frustration.
Damian sighed, stood up, and pushed his suitcase, letting it fall.
Bruhh...
"Damian, calm down. Tell me what happened; maybe I can help!" Elena pleaded.
Damian walked to the couch, and sat down with his head bowed, holding it as Valerie's image lingered. Slowly, his mother sat beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Okay, if you don't want to tell me, calm yourself... Don't be emotional," Elena whispered.
"They betrayed me," Damian whispered, his eyes reddened. "I know I've been wrong, but do I deserve such a harsh payback?"
"What do you mean?" Elena was still confused.
"Samuel... He knew where Valerie was all along, they had a relationship, and the most painful part is they have a baby," Damian explained, a smile behind the wounds in his heart. "So fast... She turned away from me so quickly to have a child with him. Isn't that cruel? And she showed up at Jerry's wedding... Isn't that painful, especially since she never appeared in front of her family before? She prioritized Samuel and Jerry over us!" His emotions flared again, but he tried to contain it by taking a deep breath.
"Valerie and Samuel have a special relationship and a baby?" Elena furrowed her brow, recalling the baby she saw at the party last night. "Could that be the baby?"
Damian remained silent, still disappointed and hurt.
"Last night, I saw a crying baby. I held and played with him," Elena recalled moments from the party. "And... He looked so much like you. Almost like I was seeing you as a baby again. But... Samuel came and took the baby away..."
Damian furrowed his brow, focusing his thoughts on the baby Valerie carried. The eyes, hair, and face were captivating and undeniably resembled him. From his mother's description, he was convinced that the baby from last night was Valerie and Samuel's.
"That's their baby," he said.
"But... Why wouldn't Samuel admit it?" Elena shook her head, puzzled. "This is strange, very strange!"
"Of course, he wouldn't admit it. Maybe he's ashamed because the baby is his with Valerie, and Valerie is... My ex!"
"Ah... But the baby looks so much like you!" Elena exclaimed with enthusiasm, positioning herself in front of Damian while pushing his shoulders. "Do you know how old the baby is?"
Damian scoffed, shrugging his shoulders.
"Damian..." Elena widened her eyes as if she had discovered something in her mind. "What if the baby is yours... Because he looks about 1 year old, and he resembles you so much! Even his dark hair, while Samuel's hair is light brown!"
"Hair color can change..." Damian stood up. "That is their baby, not mine... Besides, Valerie always took precautions when she was with me. She couldn't possibly be pregnant with mine... And Samuel's explanation is enough to make me understand that I shouldn't fight for it anymore... She's nothing more than trash, just a foolish girl, blind with jealousy, choosing him over me and her family!" He grumbled again, looking out the glass wall.
Elena fell silent, still not believing this. Her closeness with Daniel, established in an instant, made her believe that he was her grandson.
"Let's go to the airport; I've booked tickets for you and Dad," Damian said, turning to look at his mother.
"Son, I don't think we can go back today... I want to meet Valerie and see the baby..." Elena stood up. "You must know where she lives, right?"
"I know, but we're not going there... She doesn't want it anymore; is there anything else to clarify?" Damian affirmed, then grabbed his suitcase.
Elena stood up quickly. "But, Damian, this can't be handled with emotions. We need to find the truth!"
Damian sighed. "Everything is clear; that's not my baby!"
"But he looks over a year old and so much like you... You have to understand. Sometimes, one doesn't need a DNA test; resemblance can prove it!"
"But they started their relationship right after ours ended. So it's their baby, not mine!"
"But the baby looks so much like you, even stayed calm when I held him, while his nanny had trouble calming him before. We seem to have a connection!" Elena insisted, growing more determined to meet Valerie and her baby.
Damian sighed, contemplating in silence.
"We have to meet them again... Or if you don't want to see them, let me see them alone..." Elena continued to persuade.
"Fine, I'll just accompany you," Damian reluctantly agreed.
Elena smiled, preparing herself to meet Valerie.
---
It took about 10 minutes of travel, and Damian and Elena finally arrived at Jerry's apartment. They knocked on the door, and pressed the bell, but there was no response.
"Hmm... Maybe they're gone?" Elena wondered, looking elegant in her ash dress.
"Of course, they're avoiding opening; they probably expected me to come!" Damian retorted with disdain. "Or maybe they've left, fearing I would come again and ruin their happiness... Truly cunning!" he continued cynically, glancing around the deserted area.
Elena tried pressing the bell again, calling Valerie, but still no response.
"Let's just go; we're wasting time here!" Damian grumbled.
"But..."
"Come on... We don't have much time!" Damian headed towards the elevator.
Elena reluctantly followed Damian, leaving her curiosity behind.
---
Inside a flying plane, Valerie sat holding the sleeping Daniel, while Hannah enjoyed the boxed meal provided by the airline.
Her ocean-blue eyes stared out the window, showing clouds and distant landscapes that seemed bright and far away, but her mind couldn't shift from Damian.
His face and words haunted her, making it impossible to think clearly, not even caring about finishing her novel.
'What you said is true, I'm cruel... I'm too wicked for hiding Daniel from you, even though you're his father, you deserve to know about his existence.
And now, I'm truly a disgraceful woman. I avoided you, even my own family, while they were so concerned about me. I'm so foolish... I'm selfish, not thinking about their feelings... I'm so stupid!'
Valerie continued berating herself silently, tears streaming down her cheeks.