Love at First Night: The Billionaire's First Love-Chapter 57: DNA?

>Mallory

"Please take care."

I bowed politely, lowering my head just enough to show respect. The old man stood outside the house, his back straight despite his age. In front of him was a long black limousine, shining under the daylight. One of the doors was already open, waiting for him. Beside the car, a man who arrived earlier stood with his hands folded, ready to guide the old man inside.

The wind was light, brushing past us, carrying the faint smell of flowers from the garden. Everything looked calm, but my chest felt tight.

It’s only been a few months since this pretend marriage and so much already happened.

Vale didn’t come with us. He decided it would be better to stay inside and look after my son.

There were too many unfamiliar faces today, and Asher could easily feel uneasy around strangers.

I was thankful for that.

"Let’s go, Plave." the old man ordered, the middle age man standing near him nodded.

After everything the old man said to me earlier, I couldn’t bring myself to feel comfortable around him.

I didn’t know what he found out about my father, but those words carried weight. Still, I knew better than to show disrespect. He was the richest man in the country. Someone like him didn’t need to raise his voice to make things difficult for others.

One wrong move, and I wouldn’t even know where the trouble came from.

The old man stepped toward the car. The man beside him held the door wider and slightly bowed his head. Before getting in, the old man turned back once, his sharp eyes sweeping over us. I kept my face calm and lowered my head again.

The car door closed with a quiet but heavy sound.

The limousine slowly drove away, its dark shape disappearing beyond the gates. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

"Let’s head back inside."

Venz spoke beside me. He stood casually, sleeves rolled up, hands in his pockets. His eyes followed the car until it was completely gone. I nodded and turned around with him, ready to go back inside.

Before we could take more than a few steps, his phone rang.

The sound cut through the quiet. Venz stopped walking and pulled his phone out. I glanced at the screen and saw the name displayed.

Noel.

"I’ll have to take this call," he said, lifting the phone slightly as if asking for permission. "You go ahead."

"Alright," I replied.

I didn’t ask anything else. I already had a guess. Noel was probably panicking at the office because Venz wasn’t there. His boss has been stuck with me for a few days.

I honestly started to feel bad.

I walked back inside alone.

The moment I stepped into the living room, Vale came toward me. He moved quietly, careful with every step. My son was sleeping against his shoulder, his small body relaxed, his face calm. One of Vale’s hands gently patted Asher’s back in slow, steady movements.

"Is my grandfather gone?" Vale whispered.

His voice was low, almost blending into the quiet of the room not to make my son up.

"Yes," I whispered back with a nod.

For a moment, I just watched them.

Did I really make a world-renowned, most sought-after child psychologist babysit my son?

The thought hit me out of nowhere.

Is this what power does?

I almost laughed at how unreal it felt. I would have never imagined about this when I accepted that deal with Mara.

"I’m sorry you have to do this," I said softly. I reached out, wanting to take Asher from him. The moment my hands got close, Vale stopped me with a small shake of his head.

"You don’t have to," he said gently. "He just fell asleep. If you take him now, he might wake up."

His eyes lowered to Asher, and his expression softened even more.

"I’ll put my nephew to bed for you." My heart skipped at that word.

Nephew.

"Alright," I replied after a short pause. "I’ll come with you."

I stepped forward and turned toward the stairs, guiding the way. It felt wrong to let him do everything on his own. This was the least I could do.

"You don’t have to," Vale said again behind me. "Just get your son’s file from my bag first. I want to discuss something with you later."

I turned to look at him. He smiled lightly, like he always did, he’s always has this gentle air around him.

I nodded, though guilt slowly crept into my chest.

I watched as Vale carefully climbed the stairs, holding Asher close, each step slow and steady. I stayed where I was until they disappeared from sight.

I let out a long sigh.

"Files..." I murmured.

They must be Asher’s old records. The ones from New York.

I turned back to the living room. My eyes scanned the room until they landed on an expensive leather bag resting on the sofa. It looked neat, the one he always carried on his arm.

I walked closer and reached out.

Before my fingers could touch the bag, footsteps approached. I looked up and saw Venz walking toward me.

"Wife," he said, his tone serious. "I’ll have to go back to the office first. There’s something important that needs my attention."

I straightened and nodded.

"I see."

Honestly, I would’ve been more worried if he didn’t go. Noel would probably appreciate it if he shows up. That poor man looked like he got enough in his plate already.

"Are you leaving now?" I asked.

"I’ll get changed first," he replied.

He turned and headed toward the stairs. His footsteps echoed lightly across the floor.

I watched him go, then looked back at the bag on the sofa. I walked over and sat down beside it, lifting the bag and placing it carefully on my lap.

My hand slowly peeled it open. Inside were several files neatly arranged, filling the bag from side to side. It looked exactly like a professional work bag, packed with documents and folders.

I reached in and ran my fingers through the files, pulling a few out and laying them beside me so I could check them properly.

"Oh, here it is," I murmured when I saw my son’s name written on a brown folder. I took it out and set it aside, then returned the other files into the bag one by one.

I lifted the brown folder again, and as I did, something slipped out and fell to the floor. I paused and looked down.

A white envelope lay near my feet.

I placed the folder aside and leaned forward, reaching down to pick up the envelope.

"DNA?" I read at the red letters at the front.