Page 25 of The Billionaire's Off Chance

She coughs and continues, “I want thirty million Euros. Once I receive it, you get to have Eric, and I’ll be gone from your life. You get to have a merry Christmas with Jasmine or whatever her name is.”

I shouldn’t be shocked by what she said, but I’m shocked, nonetheless. “So, you want to sell the boy to me? It seems you don’t have one good maternal bone in your body.”

“Don’t give me that, Lance. I have taken care of that boy for four years now all on my own while you enjoyed your life, rendezvousing with women all over the world. You abandoned me and our son.” I watch her display of righteous anger and sneer at the hypocrisy.

“You don’t have to come here and lie, Claudette. If you wanted me andmy sonto be together, you could have done that years ago, just like you’ve done today. Fine, you want money. You’ll get it.” She smiles and presses a hand over her lips to hide her laugh. “On one condition.” She stops smiling, uncrossing her legs and leaning forward.

“I’ll carry out a DNA test. If I’m truly his father, then I’ll pay you the amount you want and you leave. For good. However, if I’m not his father, you should expect nothing.”

She sighs, her smile returning. “That’s fine by me, though I think it’s unnecessary. It’s clear the boy is yours.”

“You won’t even call him by his name.” I rise from my seat, heading to the kitchen. Chasmin and Eric are seated, facing each other. He’s drinking juice while she talks to him. I knock on the door to announce my presence. “She’s leaving.” She gets out of her seat, helping Eric down. They come over to me.

I lift him up, and my heart leaps with joy. Although it’s not my wish to have a child with Claudette, I still can’t help but feel excited at the prospect. He looks so much like me that I could accept him immediately if not for my distrust of Claudette. “You’ll be leaving now with your mom. We’re going to see later. Be a good boy for me, Eric. Will you do that?” he nods and smiles.

We all leave the kitchen, returning to the living room, where I set Eric down, and he returns to his mother. Claudette rises, grinning. “So, it’s all settled. I’ll make myself available whenever you need me.”

“My doctor will contact you soon.” I gesture to the door. She raises her chin haughtily before heading there. The poor boy chases after her. When they are both gone, I sigh, sagging into the couch. Chasmin silently takes a seat beside me. I look at her and know it is time to come clean. I take her hand, caressing it gently. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything. I hate being kept in the dark as much as you are too. Who is she and what happened between you two? You guys seem…close.” She looks mildly hurt, so I pull her into my embrace to soothe her.

“I should have told you soon. I am a jerk for being so grumpy and passive-aggressive toward you.”

“To be exact, you acted like an ass,” She asserts and pinches my arm softly.

I laugh, knowing she’s not that mad at me. “Do you want me to continue or not?” She hums for me to do so. “I expected you to know about Claudette and me. We were a big thing in the media, and our breakup was even bigger news.”

“I’m not really into celebrity gossip and internet drama. This is all new to me,” She replies, burying her face into my neck, seeming to be shy.

“Well, I shouldn’t be too surprised. Claudette and I met through my friend, Fred Miles. She and I hit it off immediately and quickly became a national sensation. I really thought she and I would form the perfect couple, getting married and having a happy home. I gave her all she wanted, but I guess she wanted more. Unbeknownst to me, she and one of the board members had been having an affair for months. I caught them having sex right in this room. I had to get everything changed. The betrayal and shame of it hurt me no end. I trusted her and gave her access to everything I have. She was not satisfied. Worst of all, she tried to make me believe that it was all my fault, and I couldn’t blame her. I ended things and left her with her last shred of dignity by not telling the truth to the media.” By now, I feel my anger rising up but Chasmin’s arms around me act like a soothing balm.

“I’m so sorry that happened to you. That must have been horrible. I can’t even begin to imagine.” She looks up at me, her eyes slightly wet.

I kiss her forehead then her eyes. “I’m glad I have you here with me. It makes all the difference.”

We stay silent for a while before she says. “What about Eric? From what I infer, you plan to get a DNA test done?”

“Yes. Eric might be mine, but I want it proved beyond the shadow of a doubt.”

She beams a captivating smile. “I love that look of determination on your face” She kisses me fully on the lips. “Whatever the outcome of this, I hope you find a way to give Eric a good life. He doesn’t seem to be a good fit with Claudette. He needs love.”

“I’ll ensure that. We should get to the company. We will be late as it is, so we have to shower together.” She laughs, rolling her eyes.

“I know what you’re after, baby.” She takes off, and I chase after her. My happiness seems complete. I sometimes find it hard to believe. Things can’t be so simple, or am I being deceived?

Chapter 13

CHASMIN

Igettohavemy early morning coffee while I scroll through various social media to be informed of current issues. This is a new habit I’ve picked up to stay on top of my job. Lance is still in the room dressing up. Ever since we discovered that he has a son, we’ve grown closer while he has gained a new outlook on things. Although he says he won’t accept Eric until the DNA test, I can see from the joy in his eyes that he has to some extent accepted Eric as his.

I should feel threatened or excluded, but Lance doesn’t make me feel that way. He wants me to be a part of his and Eric’s life. I hold no anger toward him for having a child. It was years ago and out of his control. I even empathize because he’ll soon be a single father and will need all the support he can get.

I take a pause from scrolling on my MacBook when I see news on a tabloid about Claudette. The article goes into detail about Claudette's past with Lance. I see a lot of misinformation. It doesn’t match up with what Lance told me. For instance, they say Claudette dedicated her life to Lance, and he had scorned her.

The surprising mistake is the paragraph talking about her coming out of the penthouse. It sparks rumors that she and Lance might be getting back together. I’m also mentioned, talking about a rivalry going on between Claudette and me. This reinforces my doubts whether Claudette is totally out of Lance’s life. The media thinks not. What if I’m just a temporary fancy? He has a child with Claudette, and that connection is stronger than what we have.

Lord, help me.I can’t find anything on Eric on the site. I feel Lance’s hands on my shoulder. I relax into his embrace, and he leans in to kiss my cheek.

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