The Older Man Part II

Chapter 20

The Last Straw

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VINCENT'S POINT OF VIEW

"He's dead. He's fucking dead," I grumbled as I drove from the condo to Evans & Partners. I was beyond livid.

Last time, when I found out he touched Cheyenne, I saw red and wanted to kill him; now, there was no telling what I was about to do.

I didn't do much damage last time. But this time, I was gonna make sure he wouldn't be able to walk away.

I clenched the steering wheel tightly, thinking I might break it from how unyielding my grip was.

All my life, I've wanted to be a father. There was nothing I wanted more out of life. My upbringing wasn't ideal but seeing the way my mom and dad got us through all the rough times fueled the fire beneath me to have a family of my own one day.

I was elated that Cheyenne was pregnant. When she told me, I couldn't contain my excitement. Something I'd longed for for almost my entire adult life was finally coming my way, only to be contingent on if the DNA was mine or Adrian's.

I growled deeply in my chest at my thoughts. I wasn't even sure what I would do if this baby Cheyenne was carrying was Adrian's.

If the baby isn't mine and Cheyenne's wish is to keep it and raise it as our own, I'd of course oblige for her sake, but it would be a slap in the face every day I see the baby look more and more like its real father.

The only thing I could hope for was that this was my baby and we could finally be rid of Adrian.

I knew I didn't like him for a reason, I thought to myself.

When I first met him, something was off. I tried to give him a chance because Cheyenne spoke nicely about him and I didn't want to jump to conclusions, but in the back of my mind, I always had a lingering suspicion that he wasn't a good guy.

Cheyenne telling me about him touching her was enough to piss me off beyond belief, but after finding out the baby I've always wanted might belong to him killed me.

I couldn't imagine a worse feeling in life than the denial of a child. When I was in my twenties, I'd stay up nights thinking about raising a child. I'd ponder over baby names for boys and girls, never being able to settle on a single one. I would think about putting my architectural skills to the test to build a treehouse in the backyard of my dream home with my wife.

Back then, I imagined everything with Rachel. Those dreams were stopped in their tracks when she told me that she didn't want to have children. I still married her because I loved her and thought I could handle making that big of a sacrifice for love, but I was wrong.

Throughout our marriage, it ate at me.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't lie to myself and say that my life was complete despite not having children. I was miserable without a family of my own to love and care for.

When Cheyenne and I got back together and she told me she wanted children, I was ecstatic. I had finally found the perfect woman for me who would give me the one thing I've longed for: a child of my own.

Now, that reality was flipped on its head. And all because of a stupid little weasel named Adrian.

I pulled into an empty parking spot and slammed the door to my truck before marching to the main entrance of Evans & Partners.

Elijah was sitting at his desk and waved to me with a friendly smile on his face. "Hey Vin, how are-" I cut him off, not wanting to waste time.

"I'm sorry Eli, but I can't talk right now. Where is he?" I said pointedly.