After Divorce, Billionaire Ex Found Me Pregnant-Chapter 33 Child Of Mine.

Leonica couldn’t hide the surprised expression that marred her face at Ashely’s words.

She blinked, once, then a second time before uttering the only sentence her mind could manage to conjure.

"What?"

"My...new daddy?" Ashely repeated, this time with hesitance as he quickly sensed the troubling aura emanating from his mother.

Had he said something wrong?

’Fudge!’ Cursing his stupid unfiltered mouth, the young boy lowered his head.

Leonica’s brows remained furrowed. She wasn’t sure what to think. Ashely wanted Gabriel to be his...new daddy? What? When had the two even gotten so close for Ashely to begin harboring such thoughts?

Or was this perhaps Gabriel’s handiwork?

’No,’ She shook the thought away as soon as it crossed her mind.

Gabriel was a sly bastard but he had no use corrupting Ashely with such thoughts if he wasn’t going to benefit anything from it.

This...this was obviously the handiwork of one thing. The connection shared between father and son. As much as she hated it, seeing Ashely with Gabriel today, told her how much of an influence he had on Ashely.

Being in his presence, Ashely had been genuinely happy, nothing like the previous times she had taken him to the amusement park.

Much to her dismay, Gabriel seemed like the only make capable of making the younger boy happy. But that wasn’t right, despite the fact that they were father and son, Gabriel didn’t care for his child.

He was already building another family, long forgetting about the one he had failed to keep standing. She could ignore his nonsense, but for Ashely, an innocent child like him, it would be far too unfair to continue leading him on with an imagination that could never come true.

So without a doubt, it was best to let him off softly.

Sighing, Leonica placed her hand on the boy’s shoulder, gently rubbing it. "Ash Honey, Gabriel...he...he can’t be your new daddy."

Her confession had Ashely’s head snapping up. "Why?" He asked in an almost challenging yet sad manner. "Why can’t he?"

"Look, I understand your feelings towards him, trust me, I do, but he can’t become your daddy Ash and that’s because," There was a pause, her gaze gravitating towards the hand resting on her son’s shoulder as she thought back to what Angelina had said in the amusement park.

She was pregnant with Gabriel’s child and soon, they’d be starting a family, there would be no space for Ashely, not that she ever planned for their to be one.

"Because honey, that ma- Gabriel, he’s starting his own family soon."

"Starting his own family soon?" Ashely cocked his head in confusion. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

Seeing the confusion written all over her son’s face, Leonica thinned her lips, closing her eyes as she gently hummed in thought, trying to find the simplest way to explain to the young boy.

After a few seconds, finding a suitable explanation, and discovering the easiest way to but the situation to rest, she shifted closer to the boy.

"It’s like this, Gabriel’s going to start a new family soon, and each family needs a mommy and daddy, but if you join his family, you’ll be getting a new mommy."

A new mommy? Ashely’s eyes widened at the thought of leaving the woman who he had grown up with and called mother since day one for some other woman who he didn’t even know half as well.

Swiftly, he wrapped his arms around her stomach and pulled closer, burying his face in her stomach.

"I don’t want to have a new mommy," He protested, tightening his grip on Leonica to feel safe. "If I have to leave my mommy to have a daddy then...then, I don’t want a daddy! I love my mommy and she’s enough for me."

A feeling of guilt spread over Leonica’s heart as she felt like she had manipulated Ashely, but hearing Ashely’s words, the feeling was quickly flushed away and her heart melted from his soft words.

Pulling him into a tighter hug, she kissed and caressed his hair. "I love you too, honey." She whispered however loud enough for Ashely to hear.

He chuckled and snuggled closer to his mother. Feeling his warmth and recalling his soft words convinced Leonica that she was doing the right thing.

Ashely was too young to experience the pain and hurt this world has in store for all and all she was doing, was simply protecting him. Protecting him from the world’s cruel cards and his father’s cruelty as well. But even when all those convincing thoughts roamed her mind, one particular questioned nagged at the back of her mind.

How long could she protect him from all that?

How long could she play his superman?

How long before he was snatched away from her?

’Never.’ She tightened her grip around her angel and pulled him closer, inhaling the one scent that seemed to calm her down during tough times like this.

She was never going to allow anyone take Ashely away from her, not the world’s cruel cards and definitely not Gabriel.

~*~

Later that evening, Gabriel once again found himself at his regular suite in Club Parish. With the loud music blaring and the attendants being even louder, he stared blankly at the picture the stall owner had given to him earlier in the day.

Staring at Ashely in the photo was almost as if he had been looking at his younger self from decades ago.

It was more than obvious what that meant.

“Hey dude!” Lloyd clapped the thinking male on the shoulder as he stepped into their regular suite, Christian following behind him.

Gabriel barely looked up from the picture to acknowledge them. It was almost as if he couldn’t afford looking away from the picture in fear that what he was seeing would disappear.

“What’s got you so down?” Lloyd questioned as he and Christian sank into their own chairs. When Gabriel didn’t reply once more, he pointed out with a snort. “You look like some lovesick fool to me, dude. Are you okay?”

Ignoring Lloyd’s question, Gabriel looked away from the picture and fixed his gaze on Christian, speaking for the first time since arriving at the club.

“Christian,” He called the eldest attention, continuing when said make raised one of his brows. “From the perspective of a doctor, what are the requirements needed to confirm if a child is ones kid?”

Christian, a much as Lloyd, was stunned by his question. The two’s mouth held open, but after a few seconds, only one of them spoke.

“You got Angelina pregnant?” Lloyd questioned with a side smirk.

Gabriel however, responded at lightening speed. “No!”

Christian and Lloyd glanced at each other, brows creased in confusion.

“Then whose child is it?” Christian was the one asking the questions this time around.

Gabriel’s grip tightened around the picture he was holding, clearly hesitating to speak, but after a few seconds, he did.

“Leonica’s.”

“What!” Both their voices were sky high, nearly overpowering the music blaring in there suite.

“Wait, wait wait, let me get this straight,” Christian held his hand up, pausing the conversation on Gabriel’s side before it could go any further. “Leonica has a kid, and you think it belongs to you.”

“He, not it.” Gabriel corrected.

“My bad, he.” Christian defensively raised his hand. “And, what makes you suspect that this kid belongs to you. Leonica is a young woman, how are you so sure she hasn’t had other relationships since the divorce?”

Christian’s question unnecessary angered Gabriel and without thinking, he slammed the picture in his hand down on the table, shoving it towards his friends who sat on the opposite side.

“Look at this picture, Christian,” He furiously gritted his teeth. “Look at this picture and tell me how I should doubt the truth that this boy, is MY son, when he’s the spitting image of me.”