Chapter 15
Russo’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Harris, his voice low and menacing. Harris, sensing the danger, took a step back, but Russo’s words stopped him in his tracks.
“I heard you threatening my girlfriend. Let me make one thing clear: Darcy is under my protection now. If you dare to harm her or threaten her again, you’ll have to face me.”
Harris’s face paled, but he tried to maintain his composure. “Russo, this doesn’t concern you. This is between me and Darcy.”
Russo chuckled, a cold, mirthless sound. “You think you can take on me? I’m not just anyone, Harris. I’m the one who can destroy your reputation, your business, and your life with just one phone call. Don’t test my patience.“N
Harris’s eyes widened, and he took another step back, realizing he was out of his depth. “I…I was just trying to protect my son’s interests,” he stammered.
Russo’s expression turned icy. “Your son? You mean the son you abandoned? The son you didn’t even bother to check on after his birth? Don’t pretend to be a concerned father now, Harris. You lost that right a long time ago.”
Harris’s face turned red with anger, but Russo’s words had struck a chord. He knew he had no moral high ground to stand on.”
Russo turned to me, his expression softening. “Darcy, are you okay?”
I nodded, still shaken by the intensity of the confrontation. “Y–yes, I’m fine.“}]
Russo’s eyes narrowed, his gaze flicking back to Harris. “Remember, Harris, you’ve been warned. Don’t bother Darcy or Ethan again. If you do, you’ll regret it.”
With that, Russo turned and walked back to me, his arm wrapping around my shoulders. “Let’s get out of here. We have a lot to talk about.”
As we walked away from Harris, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief in Russo’s presence. Russo had just saved me from a potentially ugly situation, and I was grateful for his intervention. But at the same time, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I was getting in over my head with Russo. He was a powerful man, and I had just seen a glimpse of his ruthless side. Besides, he knew way too much about me without me telling him. That was kinda scary though I didn’t sense any harm from him.”
I just wondered if my decision of getting along with Russo and trying to get to know each other since we had already gone on a date, was right or not. However, I couldn’t dwell more on this question as I received a legal notice from the court with a letter from Harris. Turned out Russo’s warning to Harris went in vain, and he filed a case for Ethan’s custody against me.“]
In his letter, he wrote he wouldn’t be scared of Russo no matter how wealthy he was. Harris mentioned he had connections with the judges and lawyers who aren’t fond of money and power, and are strictly against corruption. He mentioned that Russo would only weaken my case if he tried to win them by using his power. Harris seemed quite confident in his words that he would win Ethan’s custody since the case was in his favour.
***
I was standing outside the courtroom, fidgeting with my hands. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. Harris’s lawyer had been sending me threatening letters for weeks, and I knew he would stop at nothing to get custody of Ethan.
Just as I was starting to feel overwhelmed, a familiar voice called out to me.”
“Hey, don’t look so worried. We’re going to win this case.“}]
I turned to see Russo standing in front of me, a reassuring smile on his face. He was dressed in a tailored suit, his hair perfectly styled, and his eyes gleaming with confidence. I took a sigh of relief on seeing him, and my anxiety began to fade a little.
“Russo, what are you doing here?” I asked, trying to sound calm.
“I’m here to support you, of course,” he replied, taking my hand in his. “I knew you had a court hearing today, and I didn’t want you to face it alone.”
I felt a warmth spread through my chest at his words. It was sweet of him to show up, and I appreciated his support. “Thanks, Russo,” I said, smiling up at him. “That means a lot to me.“}
Russo squeezed my hand reassuringly while saying, “Don’t worry, Darcy. We’ll get through this together. And with my lawyer on our side, I’m confident we’ll win the case.“}]
I nodded in agreement. But, my brain was not ready to accept it. I knew the court would blame me for keeping Harris in the dark about our son’s birth, and they would compare my income with his. They would accept a child’s father raising the child with his mistress, but they would not accept the child’s mother raising him with her new partner or as a single parent. It was the bitter truth of my country and I knew it very clearly. It was also the reason that Harris was so sure he would win Ethan’s custody, even if a billionaire like Russo was on my side.
