BILLIONAIRES: Father or Son

Chapter Ten

FLORA'S POV

I had forgotten what it felt like to be free. For two days after I left the hospital, I stayed in bed, weighed down by the ache of losing my baby. That child had been my anchor, giving me the courage to finally stand up to the Kensingtons and ask for a divorce. But what hurt even more than the loss was Jayden blaming me for what happened.

Since we left, he hadn't stopped calling. At first, I answered a few times, hoping for—well, I don't know what I was hoping for. Closure? An apology? But instead, Jayden just spewed his usual nonsense, giving me "chances" to come back and promising to "forget everything" if I did. When I didn't respond, he switched tactics, sending increasingly threatening texts about how I would regret it if I didn't take him up on his offer.

The audacity was truly something else. How could he not see that he was only making everything worse? It was like he thought this was all just some negotiation and not my entire life falling apart.

Last night, he texted me again, saying he was traveling for business and hoped I would "come to my senses" before he returned. He used the same tired threats, dangling my mother's hospital bills and my sister's tuition like some kind of emotional bait. As if. I blocked his number. Should've done it sooner, but I wasn't thinking straight. Heartbreak has a way of clouding your judgment.

And yet, I was angry at myself too—for not leaving that toxic marriage sooner. Maybe if I had, I wouldn't have lost my child. I knew deep down that my mom and Sasha would've supported me no matter what, but I stayed, feeling trapped by the Kensington money that kept our lives afloat. My mother had never been in favor of the marriage anyway. She never liked Lisette, Jayden's mother, and having worked as their cook once upon a time, she knew the family better than anyone.

But I had been naive. Stupidly in love with the idea of marrying the man of my dreams without giving a second thought to the consequences. My mom had warned me, but I was stubborn, and determined to make it work. Now, I was left to deal with the fallout of the worst decision I had ever made.

A knock on the door shook me from my thoughts. I lifted my head from the pillow, glancing toward the entrance. It was Sasha, looking uncertain as she stepped into the room. My little sister was stunning—tall, blonde, with piercing blue eyes and the kind of effortless beauty that made people stop and stare. She was the beauty of the family, no doubt, and my best friend. We were only two years apart, and honestly, she was a big part of why I stuck around in my marriage for so long. I wanted her to finish school, get that degree, and build a life far away from this mess.

I hadn't left the bed much since coming back from the hospital. Mom and Sasha had checked on me now and then, but mostly, they gave me space to grieve in peace.

"Hey, sis," I mumbled, not really in the mood to chat, but knowing I needed to start putting the pieces of my life back together. It was time to move on, find a job, and start fresh.

Sasha walked over and plopped down next to me on the bed, somehow folding her ridiculously long legs under her in a way that looked both awkward and graceful at the same time. She gave me a once-over. "So... are we going for the 'disheveled chic' look now? Or are you just pretending your bed is some kind of black hole you're stuck in?"

I groaned and pulled the pillow over my face. "Not in the mood for jokes, Sash."

"Okay, okay. No jokes. Just serious stuff," she said, dramatically clearing her throat before speaking in a mock-official tone. "Flora, your presence has been requested by a visitor downstairs." She cleared her throat, obviously faking it. "The visitor is not a figment of your imagination, and yes, they are indeed real. And no, before you ask, it's not Jayden. Although if it were, I would gladly open the door just to slap him or push him off the porch."