"Why so, Miss Jones ? Is it because you are hiding something?" he asked narrowing his eyes on her as his lips curled into a slow smile that didn't meet his eyes.

'Oh no! Does he know about Sam?' Lilly looked at him in shock

"Or are you keeping someone's existence a secret?" he asked again.

'He can't know about Sam.'

Lilly panicked. "N- no...I-"

Before she could speak further Ashton pushed the door and entered the house. Lilly was shocked. He had distracted her and had pushed his way in the house.

"What do you think you are doing?" she asked angrily as she followed him to the living room.

"Where is he?" he asked. His gaze roaming around as if looking for something or...someone.

''W- who?" Lilly tried to act nonchalant.

"Don't act coy." he turned to look at her and warned. "You know well enough I am asking about my brother's child, Samuel King."

"His name is Samuel Jones." she stressed on the surname.

"And he is not your brother's child."

"That is not for you to decide."

"Oh really? Then who has the right to decide? Your brother?" she asked her words laced with acid.

"The last time I met your brother he denied Sam's existence."

-----

She remembered how her sister always used to sing praises of her boyfriend, Sebastian whom she had met at her part time job. Lilly was in her hostel at that time studying for her final year . As she had gotten busy with her exams she had failed to notice the decreased number of calls from her sister. She had thought it was because Sarah got busy with her boyfriend and she didn't want to disturb her as finally after so many years her elder sister was living for herself. She was enjoying a life she deserved.

But when Lilly reached home she was shocked to find her sister 7 months pregnant. After asking her a hundred times Sarah had finally opened up about her relationship with Sebastian. He was not what Sarah had thought him to be.

He had chased Sarah relentlessly and sweet talked her into his bed and finally when he was done with her he revealed it was all a bet. Nothing more, nothing less.

He never called her or showed up after that. When Sarah found out about her pregnancy and went to him, he threw money in front of her and told her to abort the child.

But Sarah had wanted to keep the child. She still loved Sebastian and Lilly had no idea why. She could see the tears behind her sister's forced smiles.

So one day she finally decided to meet Sebastian King in person. She found the address to his apartment where the guard informed her that Sebastian was partying in a club. She reached the club and looked for him but all her thoughts of trying to talk him into paying a few visits to her sister were crushed when she found him sitting on a couch with girls on both his sides. The way they were sitting and leaning onto one another was way too intimate.

She turned around to leave but remembered the doctor's words.

'Your sister needs to be happy. The time is critical for her and the child.'

Lilly had tried her best to bring a smile on her face but all the attempts went in vain and now Sebastian was her last hope.

So stepping on her pride she decided to confront him. She walked up to him and introduced herself.

"Hello, I am Lilly Jones."

Sebastian looked at her from head to toe as he asked, "And what do you want?"

" I am Sarah Jones' sister."

"Sarah?" Sebastian repeated the name squinting his eyes as if trying to remember the bearer of the name. "Sarah... Sarah...?" he repeated as if still trying to bring the face of this name to his mind.

His behaviour was making her even more angry with every passing second. Was her sister a long forgotten story to him? She seethed in fury.

"Oh! so you are her sister? So what do you want, Sarah's sister?"

"I... can we talk alone?"

He looked at her and then signaled the girls by his side and his friends to leave. As they all descended to the dance floor leaving Lilly and Sebastian to talk alone he picked up his glass and swirling the liquid in it he asked, "What is it?"

"My sister is pregnant and she is going through a lot of stress. The doctor has said if things continued like this then her health will deteriorate further. The child is yours too. I am not asking you to play a full-time father but you can at least pay her a visit once a week if not much." She looked at him hopefully. "I've tried all I could but she has made you the reason of her happiness. So can't you - "

"Even you joined in her game?" he huffed. "All we did was some sex and it was fun."

"And this fun of yours got her pregnant!" Lilly was losing her calm now.

"I told her to abort it." he said easily.

"Are you even a human? She loved you and -"

"Who told her to? Your sister was a fool to believe in such things." He scoffed.

"You have dated quite a many women. You have bedded even more than you can count, I guess. So I'm sure you'd realised when she got serious about you. You could have just pushed her away before she caught the feelings. Right? Then why did you lead her on?''

"I just couldn't help myself." He shrugged his shoulders carelessly.

And that was when Lilly finally let the anger get better of her. She picked up the glass filled with beer and threw the liquid on his face.

"My sister was not a fool but yes she was blind for sure because I am failing to understand what she saw in a pathetic manwhore like you."

"Guards!" he shouted and Lilly found herself surrounded by the bouncers of the club within a few seconds.

"Throw this girl out." he gritted.

" I can leave on my own." she looked at the guards, her eyes red with fury. She turned around to leave but then stopped in her tracks and giving Sebastian a sideways glance she said, "You are the most pathetic creature who is occupying a bit too much of space on this earth but don't worry you won't die so easily."

With that she left.

--------

That that was the first and the last time she had met Sebastian. After that meeting she had vowed to herself that she would never let Sebastian come anywhere near her sister's child. At least not until he mends his way which she knew was like expecting the hell to freeze.

"There is no way I will allow you or your brother anywhere near my Sam." she said resolutely to the man in front of her.

" I just want to see him once." he declared.

"He is not a member of your family." she was adamant.

Ashton looked into her eyes which was spitting fire and in that moment he realised that he was lucky this women didn't have lasers in her eyes or else he would have been dead by now. He knew that his brother was irresponsible but what exactly had he done to this girl and her sister that she hated him with such intensity, he wondered.

"No matter what you say or do you can't stop me from meeting my nephew." he said coldly and marched forward ignoring her protests.

Before she could stop him he was already standing in front of Sam's nursery.

"Stop right there." she said in a warning tone but alas! she was late as he had already opened the door and was inside the nursery.

Ashton looked at the cream coloured walls and soft toys and cars that decorated the room. In the centre was the crib. He took slow and careful steps towards the crib while Lilly stopped at the door. With her breath caught in throat she watched his each and every movement.

He smiled down at the Infant who was deep asleep. Some stray curls covered his brow which Ashton gently brushed aside. Lilly noticed the small frown that marred his brow as he stared down at the sleeping boy. His gaze transfixed and tension palpable in his big frame.

She didn't like this man, was an understatement. She knew hating someone for the sins of another was not something she should do but she couldn't help herself. She felt repulsive against this man. His brother was the reason she had lost her sister and this man looked similar to his brother, she thought staring at the man standing in front of the crib.

But he was different from his brother in many ways, she noted. He was taller, his shoulders wider and chest broad and if she were to admit then she would say he was way more intimidating.

She saw him taking out his handkerchief and placing something in it. Frowning she moved forward.

"What are you doing?"

He turned on his heels and gripping her elbow made the way out of the nursery.

❣️