The phone rang.
Hannah fumbled around, found her phone, and answered the call quickly.
"Hello?"
"Hannah, where are you?" asked a man on the phone.
Hannah's eyes widened as she saw the caller's name was Samuel. A wide smile formed on her slightly thick lips as she pressed the phone to her ear.
"Hannah, are you there?" Samuel sounded anxious.
"Oh, um, yes... I'm in Carson City," replied Hannah, biting her lower lip.
"Carson City? Are you with Valerie too?"
"Yes, we arrived here yesterday. She visited her sister and brother-in-law who had an accident. And now... she's meeting her ex-fiancé," explained Hannah, smiling as if enjoying the conversation with Samuel.
"Oh, shit!" Samuel cursed.
"Is there a problem? Or are you in Arizona now?"
"No, I'm also in Carson City, finishing up my work."
"Oh..."
"Hannah, listen to me... you must always update me on what Valerie is doing. It would help me."
"Okay, I'll do it for you." Hannah became more excited.
"Alright, I'll wait for the next update. And don't say that I contacted you."
"Okay..."
The call ended, and Hannah placed her phone on her chest, clad in pink pajamas. Her eyes glanced around the monochrome surroundings, imagining Samuel's handsome face.
'Samuel... I'll always make you satisfied with what I do,' she thought with a smile, as if in a fantasy.
....
In the McCourtney family home, specifically in Damian's room.
"So, you saw Damian sleeping with Clara?" Elena stared at Valerie, furrowing her brow.
Valerie simply nodded.
Elena immediately looked at Damian sitting on his large bed, next to a sleeping Daniel.
"Damian, is that true?"
"Yeah... I admit I was wrong," Damian murmured, as if not wanting to disturb Daniel. "That's why when the marriage failed, I wasn't so panicked. She probably doesn't want me anymore," he continued, glancing at Valerie.
Elena sighed. "This is bad!"
"I'm also wrong for leaving just like that... I didn't think about the consequences," Valerie lowered her face, showing regret.
"I can't blame you for leaving, but you're also wrong for hiding Daniel for so long. You should have told us about your pregnancy as soon as you found out," Elena replied disappointedly. "Damian is wrong, you are wrong, but Daniel is not wrong. He deserves love from both of you, not just one-sided," she continued.
Valerie nodded, bowing her head with a saddened look.
"She prefers being with Samuel," Damian said sardonically. "They're like having a relationship..."
"Damian!" Valerie immediately looked at Damian. "I've told you, I have no relationship with him... He's just helping me to keep hiding, helping me in everything... There's no relationship other than friendship!"
Damian just sneered.
"Don't you realize Samuel is also wrong?" Elena asked.
Valerie turned to her.
"He knows how Damian has been searching for you all this time, he pretends to help him, but... But in reality, he's helping you to hide. Isn't that like betrayal?" Elena asked calmly.
Valerie fell silent, feeling Elena's words made sense.
"And yesterday he claimed to be your partner; I thought he liked you," Damian said.
Valerie glanced at him.
"Maybe he helped you hide because he wants you. He wants to keep me away from you," Damian said again.
"That makes sense," Elena replied.
Valerie sighed, remembering Samuel's kindness, making her reluctant if Damian and Elena cornered him.
"He makes you heartless to keep my son away from me," Damian said.
"That's not true!" Valerie replied sternly. "Remember your mistakes; that's why I kept my distance!"
"Just one mistake..."
"But it's a fatal mistake. Don't use my mistake to cover up yours... I will always remember it!" Valerie stood up. "And I don't like you tarnishing Samuel's personality. He's not at fault at all... I wanted to hide because I couldn't face all of you yet... I need peace to concentrate on my baby."
"Valerie..." Elena stood up with a worried look.
"Mrs. McCourtney." Valerie turned to Elena. "I came here to apologize for what happened, and I want to let you know that Daniel is Damian's son. I'm not seeking justification for my actions or anything... No. I just want to show that there's Daniel among us. I don't want to demand anything he needs... Not at all. I'm used to fighting alone... I just want to let you know!" she said firmly, even tears welled up unconsciously.
"Valerie, we didn't mean to make you angry or blame Samuel or you..." Elena tried to touch Valerie's shoulder.
Valerie immediately stepped aside with a sad face. "But your words seem to corner me and Samuel. You don't understand how hurt I am by Damian's betrayal. I want to come back because of love, but I also hate him... He's like a bastard in my eyes!"
Damian stood up. "Don't speak harshly; our son is still asleep!"
"No need for diversion!" Valerie approached the bed. "You don't want people to look at you as a bastard. That's up to you, but for me, you're still a bastard!" She quickly took Daniel from the bed, who woke up and started crying.
Elena quickly approached Valerie in panic. "Valerie, where are you going?"
"We have to leave!" Valerie carried Daniel, who had just woken up and was crying.
Damian was furious, clenching his teeth. He quickly took Daniel from Valerie.
"You stupid!" he shouted, then embraced Daniel, letting him lean on his shoulder. "You're being rough on my son just because you're upset. You're a bad mother!"
"How can you say that? If I'm a bad mother, what kind of father are you?" Valerie asked loudly.
"Of course, I'm a good father!" Damian hissed. "You... You make him never understand that I'm his father; you hide him from me until I seem to neglect him. You're the bad one here; you're foolish if you blame me... we use my mistake as an excuse to keep him away from me when he doesn't know anything... You're truly stupid!" He vented his anger, his eyes reddened, and his face was tense.
Valerie fell silent, once again slapped by Damian's words.
"And again, I feel a pain that's even more painful than what you feel because my son getting close to Samuel rather than me, as if I have no self-worth... I can't accept that!" Damian immediately took Daniel away from Valerie.
Valerie remained silent and weak, her body trembling, with teary eyes. Now she felt she had no place, no justification for her actions, so she couldn't just take Daniel away.
Elena hugged Valerie from the side. "Calm down, dear..."
Valerie quickly wiped her tears. "I was wrong... I know that."
"It's time to improve, for Daniel's sake..."
Valerie was silent, and immediately sat on the edge of the bed, watching Damian calm Daniel, showing affection as if he didn't want to be away from him at all.
Even Daniel's behavior of being so easy to get close to him made her unable to deny that he understood that he was his father, and that he needed his love.