I Took the Money and the Quadruplets Chapter 18

I Took the Money and the Quadruplets Chapter 18

“We… we were not aware that Ava was your daughter,” Walker Sr. stammered, his bravado gone.

“Well, now you are.” My father handed his teacup to an assistant. “So you may leave.”

“But the children—”

“Whether or not the children carry the Walker name is no longer your concern,” my father cut him off. “However, if you ever bother my daughter again, I will instruct my team to begin researching a short position against Walker Energy. And as you may know, we are very, very good at that.”

His voice was quiet. He made no grand gestures.

But every word landed with the force of a hammer blow.

Walker Sr.’s face went pale. In the end, he could only turn and retreat to his fleet of SUVs.

The Escalades quickly drove away.

The entrance to my home was quiet again.

My father turned to me, his expression instantly softening.

“Ava, you’ve suffered.”

I shook my head, my eyes burning.

“With your mother and me here,” he said, his voice firm, “no one will ever force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

That night, my father cooked dinner. Our family sat around the dining table, talking and laughing, the atmosphere so warm and easy it felt as if I had never left home.

And from the balcony of the house next door, Liam could only stand and watch, a lone figure in the dark.

The men my father had stationed at the property line made sure he couldn’t even get close.

After my parents arrived, life became much more difficult for Liam.

Any gifts he sent were immediately returned.

He couldn’t even get through the front gate to see me.

But he didn’t stop.

He came every day.

Sometimes, I would stand behind the curtains in my upstairs bedroom and watch him.

The streetlight cast his shadow long on the pavement. Standing there, he looked nothing like the ruthless titan of industry I saw on the financial news.

I had to admit, my resolve was softening.

But I couldn’t get past one crucial point.

I was terrified that his persistence wasn’t about me, but about the four children I was carrying.