Page 54 of The Billionaire's Off Chance

I look at him not knowing what to say. He lets out a sigh, unfolding his hands. “When we confirmed that Eric is my son and had Claudette sign that contract, I was relieved. I thought that, finally, she was out of my life. Although I had a bad experience with her, something great, Eric, came out of it. But the truth is…” He bites out the next words, “this is a game to her. Bring my son to me, make me believe she’ll never be involved again, then come back to take him away. I won’t yield any ground to her, no matter how small.”

I place a hand on his shoulder, feeling the tension. “Lance, I don’t expect you to, you can’t be too hard on yourself. We aren’t losing Eric.” He stares out to the snow, resting a hand over mine. He hugs me, wrapping me entirely with arms. We stay there for a while, him keeping me warm in the cold.

The next day comes too fast. We both wake up in a somber mood and get ready to go to court, Eric included. Lance puts on a black suit with a knee-length overcoat, while I wear a white pants suit and a trench coat. Lance goes to get Eric from his room. He is in his mini suit with a black jacket. All set, we leave the house.

There isn’t much to say, rather than hope for the best. We arrive at a secluded parking lot next to the court. Even though we’ll have to take the front entrance, which means getting the full brunt of the media’s attention. Lance’s lawyers meet us in the lobby. After a short briefing, men in black suits and sunglasses leave two SUVs and stand beside us. Noting our security detail, Lance nods in appreciation. They lead us into the courtroom.

Lance lifts Eric to his chest, holding him close. We walk through the large double doors, uninterrupted. At the top of the stairs, Claudette in a sad blue dress and off-white coat is speaking to reporters with her lawyers at her side. She touches her face with a gloved hand, tears glistening on her cheek. I can’t hear what she’s saying, but I bet it’s something sympathetic to her cause.

The reporters are like moths to a flame as they abandon Claudette and flood to us. Luckily, Lance had arranged for security beforehand. They surround us; their menacing aura keeps the bulk of the reporters at bay for the most part. A few try to push themselves between visible gaps, thrusting their microphones wildly at us. This scares Eric, who hugs Lance in fear, pressing his face into his father’s neck.

I compose myself, keeping away from the edge of the fray. Lance holds my hand, his expression frosty. The guards push the reporters out of the way, and we slowly make our way into the courthouse. The reporters don’t give up. They shout questions at us, hoping for a comment or reaction. Their questions are brutal and cutting.

One asks, “Mr. Rosii, did you force Miss Claudette Miranda to give away her rights to her child in a secret contract, so you can make Miss Motley his mother?” I barely keep my face placid. I feel Lance’s hand tighten on my wrist a fraction, and he relaxes.

A final question is like a slap in the face. “Miss Motley, are you happy with this situation?” Fortunately, the doors close, sparing us from more insulting questions.

The guards step away, taking positions in the corridor, leading to the courtroom.

“Their questions mean nothing. Don’t pay them any mind.” Lance says in a soft voice as he kisses Eric’s forehead.

“I’m learning that,” I reply, wryly. We head to our seats. The courtroom is less crowded with a few people present, apart from the judge and bailiff. I notice a few reporters at the back, ready to jot down notes.

Ahead of us is Claudette already in her seat, with her lawyers arrayed around her. I take my seat with Eric beside me, while Lance walks ahead with his lawyer. The court proceedings start. Eric stares at him curiously, not comprehending how monumental this is for him. I try not to show my nervousness as I watch Lance’s lawyer stand for his opening argument.

The proceedings take time, with a lot of back and forth between Lance’s and Claudette’s attorneys. The facts of the case seem rather malleable. I keep my eyes on Lance, seeing only his back. From what I can see, he doesn’t look nervous, but I know he’s holding it in.

The lawyers finish their respected arguments. The judge considers the case for a moment and adjourns the court. When Lance comes back to me, I hug him, but have no words to say. At the moment, I can’t tell if we’re winning or not. However, going by Claudette’s smile, it seems that she has already won.

We leave the courtroom and come face to face with the dreaded Claudette. Instinctively, I put Eric behind me. Claudette frowns and glares at me. “What’s the meaning of this? You think you’re his mother? I am. Not you. I have every right to lay my eyes on him.” She speaks with a cool, lethal voice.

I stand my ground, glaring back at her. I can’t believe that I listened to her lies and almost lost the best thing in my life. “Pardon me, but I don’t see any mother here. Get out of our way, Claudette.”

Her eyes widen with anger; she heaves a deep breath like she’s going to shoot fire from her mouth. “Enough theatrics, Claudette. There are no cameras here. Let’s see who plays this game best. For now, crawl back to whatever hole you’re spinning your web in.” Lance nudges her aside, and Claudette’s lawyers hold her back.

We walk away from the courtroom in a trance. The guards gather around us as we leave, keeping the rabid reporters away. Once in the car, Lance starts the motor and speeds away. It’s eerily silent with Eric not even making a sound. The snow falling about as we drive seems to be weighing on us.

Getting home, we escort Eric into the house. I see the sullen look on his little face, and his eyes shine with welling up tears.Does he understand what’s going on?Inside the house, when Lance sets Eric down, he holds onto Lance’s hand to keep him from leaving. His tears unwittingly roll down his cheeks. “Dad, will you give me back to her? Please dad, I want to live with you” he asks in a shaky voice that breaks my heart.

“No, Son. You are not going back to her. Your place is with Chasmin and me right here. You have nothing to fear,” Lance replies softly, if somewhat hastily.

Eric doesn’t look convinced and bites his lip. I come to him and gently dab his wet cheeks with my handkerchief. “Has your dad ever lied to you, Eric?” I ask, keeping a steady gaze on him.

He shakes his head. “But I heard them say that I have to go back. I don’t want to. I’m scared.”

“I give you my word, son, that no such thing will happen. What you heard was just talk. Don’t be scared. I’ll do everything I can, buddy, you’re not going back to her.” Lance picks up Eric and almost crushes him in a hug.

After the promise, and hug, Eric rubs his newly-wet cheek on Lance’s. Seeing this tender moment between father and son touches my soul, and this is under threat from Claudette. I feel helpless not knowing what to do.

Chapter 28

LANCE

It’sbeentwodayssince the court trial. Although I’m still mad at Claudette and anxious to keep Eric with me at all costs, my actions are a bit measured. For a while, I considered extreme actions against Claudette; but with Chasmin and Eric’s presence in my life, I can’t bring myself to do it. Moreover, my lawyers have done their best to assure me that we’re likely to win the case.

It's not hard to see their use of hedging words to bring my hopes up. Looking into the rear-view mirror, I take in Eric’s rosy face as he watches something on the iPad in his hands. The light from the screen reflects on his face, making his small smile look brighter. A thought flashes onto the surface of my otherwise calm mind. What if I lose him? After all, court cases are unpredictable.

I never knew I’d be a father or grow this attached to my son. I see so much of myself in Eric; losing the case and giving him back to Claudette feels like giving away the core of my being. Eric feels my gaze. He looks up and catches me staring. He grins, showing his teeth. I smile and avert my gaze. I’ve made so many promises to him; and each day, they weigh on me. I don’t want to fail him. I can’t fail him.

---