OUR LITTLE SECRET

Part 14

Over the past few weeks, Cillian struggled quite significantly with the fact that he had lost his wife Danielle and Max, the young boy he did not father but whom he considered to be his son. Cillian also struggled with the fact that he had, under the directions of his sister and lawyer Siobhan, cut all ties with you.

She believed that continuing any form of relationship with you would only serve to harm his reputation in court and jeopardize his chance of winning some form of access rights over Max who she now knew was not Cillian's biological son.

"When she called, did she say how she was?" Cillian asked, referring to the phone call Siobhan took on his phone. The person who had called was you but Siobhan refused to hand Cillian the phone but, instead, told you to not call Cillian again.

She warned you about calling ever again, stating that doing so would result in receiving a cease-and-desist order from her office. Stunned and confused, you hung up the phone with little knowledge of how to handle the complicated situation you now faced. Not only were you pregnant with Cillian's baby, but you also had been ordered to avoid any contact with him due to the potential fallout.

"Siobhan, how is she?" Cillian asked again since his sister did not respond to his question the first time around.

"Did she seem alright, on the phone?" he wanted to know and this question caught Siobhan off guard slightly, prompting her to shift in her seat uneasily. She too did not know that you were pregnant and responded sternly to her brother's query.

She hesitated briefly, choosing her words carefully. "She was fine. Stop caring about her, Cillian," she told him but Cillian couldn't help but worry.

"Danielle sent her to hospital, so of course I care," he retorted, causing Siobhan to sigh.

"Yes she did, because you fucked her, in your marital bed," Siobhan blurted out vehemently. "Y/N did not bring a charge against Danielle and, thus far, Danielle hasn't mentioned Y/N's existence in court. We will want to keep it this way. No one needs to know about your affair with a 19-year old woman!" Siobhan barked furiously, slamming her palm onto the table in frustration. She understood that Cillian was deeply troubled and struggling with his own demons, but bringing such scandal into light may cause irreparable damage to his image - not to mention risking the legal case against his ex-wife Danielle.

"I know. I fucked up, okay?" Cillian confessed, finally admitting his guilt. It felt good to get it off his chest, though it did nothing to alleviate the weight pressing down on his shoulders. His family was falling apart, leaving him broken and unable to fully process the painful truth.

"But my brother and his wife kicked her out. That's at least what Paddy told me. And I want to know if she is doing okay. That's all," Cillian persisted firmly, refusing to let go of his concern for you.

Siobhan looked at her brother, irritated by his determination to cling onto feelings for you.

"Y/N is fine. Now leave it alone, Cillian," she commanded, standing up to assert herself more clearly. "You aren't in love with her, are you?" his sister questioned worriedly.

Cillian swallowed hard, contemplating his answer. "No... no, I am not. But I do feel responsible for helping her, especially given our circumstances," he admitted honestly, recognizing the gravity of the situation you were entangled in. Siobhan's eyes narrowed suspiciously, sensing something deeper behind her brother's words.

"And why do you think that is?" she pressed gently, seeking clarification and Cillian bit his lip, still unsure himself.

"Maybe because she is young. She is only nineteen and she is family," Cillian explained sheepishly, casting his gaze away from his sister's judgmental stare.