Betrayed By Husband, Stolen By Brother In Law
Chapter 181: Ask

Chapter 181: Ask

"Are you really not going to ask me?" Adam asked out of the blue.

Melanie froze. She didn’t answer right away, almost tempted to act as if she hadn’t heard him or didn’t understand what he was referring to. But she sighed after a moment. There was no point in pretending. She understood perfectly. And the truth was—she didn’t want to ask. Not really.

Adam sighed too, then reached out and rolled her gently onto him so that she was lying across his chest.

She met his eyes, quiet for a beat, then placed her palms flat on his chest and let her chin rest on the backs of her hands.

"I’m not sure I want to know how you’re going to deal with the whole situation," she said quietly. Then, after a pause, her voice slightly more careful, she added, "Anyway... did you meet the child?"

"I did," Adam said after a moment, his voice low but steady.

Melanie didn’t respond right away, but her silence wasn’t empty. She was listening.

"He’s... well-settled. Polite. One of those kids who listens when spoken to, but still has his own spark. He’s clearly been raised with care. Patience." Adam exhaled. "Honestly, the only thing Saira might’ve done right was handing him over to whoever she did. He has been raised in a loving and happy environment."

"He talks about the adoptive father a lot. With affection. Keeps mentioning things he’s learned, habits they have, things they do together. It’s clear he’s attached. It’s not forced, either—it’s easy, like he’s proud of him."

Melanie’s fingers curled slightly where they rested on his chest, but she said nothing for a moment. He’d met the child yesterday and she could already detect his fondness for the child. "So, have you taken the samples for DNA testing?" Melanie asked carefully and Adam sighed," No. He is almsot wary of letting anyone near his head. I went to pat him yesterday and he nearly jumped and fell off the chair. It’s like he has been warned about anyone trying to take his hair."

Melanie frowned at that. Why would someone do that unless the truth was something else? " So, now, how will you get a DNA test?"

Adam grinned and squished her cheeks together," Come on, Melon. Do you think a child’s wariness can stop me? I’ve taken a few of his used and discarded cutlery and already sent samples for DNA testing."

Melanie widened her eyes at that. "You really are quite devious."

He grinned, raised his head and quickly stole a kiss, saying," You like my deviousness, don’t you, sweet melon?"

Melanie rolled her eyes at that and sighed,"So, what are you going to do until DNA results come? What about the plan after?"

"Out of all the plans I had in my head," he said slowly, "the boy being in a loving home and actually happy... that was the one scenario I never prepared for."

Melanie nodded quietly. She understood. It was true. Neither of them had thought this through from that angle. Even she had assumed the worst—that the boy would be neglected, resented, lost in a system or dumped into some cold arrangement. The idea that someone could love him so openly and genuinely had never occurred to her.

"So..." she began again, her voice more thoughtful this time, "you might have to meet the adoptive father."

Adam looked at her. "Yeah. I think I will."

There was a pause.

"Not just to assess him," he added, "but to understand what kind of life the kid actually has. If he’s settled, safe, and loved like that... then dragging him out of that just because of biology—" He stopped himself and ran a hand down his face. "That’s not something I want to do out of pride or anger. So, the only variable left in this scenario would be Saira."

He turned his head slightly to look at her, his gaze steady but unreadable. "What do you think of all this?"

Melanie inhaled softly and let the silence stretch between them. It wasn’t that she didn’t have thoughts. She had too many. Her mind was a swirl of conflicting instincts—caution, empathy, dread. But before she could organize them into words, the sharp buzz of Adam’s phone cut through the stillness.

He shifted just enough to reach for it on the bedside table, the screen lighting up in the dim room.

He frowned. "It’s Saira."

Melanie moved almost immediately, instinctively rolling off him to give him space. "Okay, I’ll—"

But Adam reached out, catching her around the waist before she could get far. He pulled her back firmly against his side, his arm settling around her like a shield.

"Stay," he said softly.

And then he answered the call, the warmth in his voice fading into a more controlled tone. "Yeah?"

The voice on the other end was barely coherent, but even in the muffled distortion Melanie could hear the loud sobbing and hysterics. She watched as Adam’s expression changed at whatever he understood for her to be speaking and he stilled.

Finally, he let out a sigh and said in a controlled voice," I’ll be there in a few minutes."

Melanie looked at him and asked slowly," What is it?"

Even though she had heard him say that he would be there in a few minutes, he showed no sign of moving and said," That fool! She tried to bring justice for me and revealed everything to Adir. And now he’s locked himself in the bathroom and refuses to come out."

Finally, Adam straightened and pushed out of the bed, grabbing his clothes from all over the room," Yep. I’ll go and talk to the child. She’d already informed the adoptive father as well. It seems I will be meeting him sooner rather than later."

As he buttoned his clothes, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead," I’ll handle this crises and be back soon."

Melanie nodded and watched him go before sliding further into the bed. It seemed that until the results for the DNA testing came through, Saira was going to use the child to the maximum to keep Adam away from her...