I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father
Chapter 233: Frigging Heathcliff

Chapter 233: Frigging Heathcliff

Bella’s eyes widened at Ken’s words and when he got out of the plush armchair, he walked to the large windows and looked out at the night sky, the weight of the past settling heavily upon his shoulders.

The amber liquid in his whiskey glass swirled, mirroring the turbulent emotions churning within him. He glanced at Bella, her expression a mixture of concern and quiet understanding, and knew he could no longer keep his secrets buried. He had to tell her everything or else he would just combust from the weight of his emotions.

"You don’t just drop a bomb like that on me and act like frigging Heathcliff." Bella exploded. "Tell me what you mean by Lyse could be your daughter, how is this possible."

Ken kept silent for a long moment before he started to speak slowly as if counting his words.

"Maeve," he began, his voice hoarse, "was... she was everything to me. I loved her more than words can ever say."

Bella nodded, her gaze unwavering. She had sensed the depth of his feelings for Maeve, the lingering pain that still haunted him.

"We met when I was just a stable boy," Ken continued, his voice laced with a hint of nostalgia. "The family I worked for lived next door to hers. They were wealthy, influential. She was... she was like a princess, beautiful and kind, untouchable."

He paused, a faint smile playing on his lips. "She saw me, though," he said, his voice softening. "She saw past the stable boy, past the social divide. She saw me."

He took a sip of his whiskey, the burn of the alcohol a welcome distraction from the rush of memories.

"We fell in love," he said, his voice barely audible. "It was... it was like something out of a fairy tale. We were young, naive, but our love was real."

Bella’s eyes softened, her expression filled with empathy. She could imagine the young Ken, his heart filled with love and hope, his future stretching out before him like an endless horizon.

"But it was not to be," Ken said, his voice laced with bitterness. "Maeve had an older sister, Ophelia. She was... jealous. Always jealous of Maeve, of her beauty, her charm, her happiness."

He paused, his gaze shifting to the flickering television screen, his mind replaying the events of that fateful time. "Ophelia... she wanted me," he said, his voice filled with disgust. "She tried to seduce me, to steal me away from Maeve."

Bella’s eyes widened slightly. "And you...?" she asked, her voice hesitant.

"Of course not," Ken said, his voice firm. "I loved Maeve. I would never betray her that way."

He took another sip of his whiskey, his hand trembling slightly. "But Ophelia... she would not take no for an answer," he said, his voice laced with anger. "When she realized she could not have me, she decided to destroy me."

He paused, his gaze hardening. "She set me up," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "She lied to Maeve, fabricated evidence, made it look like I had betrayed her."

Bella’s breath hitched. She could imagine the scene, the heartbroken Maeve, the devastated Ken, the manipulative Ophelia.

"Maeve... she believed her," Ken said, his voice filled with pain. "She confronted me, showed me the... the evidence. It was indisputable. I tried to deny it, but Ophelia was an artist with how manipulative she was, Maeve believed her sister, not the poor stable boy."

He paused, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "She broke up with me," he said, his voice barely audible. "She told me to leave, to never come back."

He took a long swig of his whiskey, the burn of the alcohol a welcome distraction from the searing pain in his heart. "I was heartbroken," he said, his voice hoarse. "I was devastated. I lost everything that day. I lost Maeve, I lost my future."

Bella reached out and placed a comforting hand on his arm. "I am so sorry, Ken," she said, her voice soft and sincere. "I had no idea."

Ken nodded, his gaze fixed on the swirling liquid in his glass. "I left," he said, his voice laced with resignation. "I did what she asked. I never saw her again."

He paused, his eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and regret. "I never stopped loving her, though," he said, his voice barely audible. "I never stopped wondering what could have been, if I had stayed. If I had exposed Ophelia for the vindictive snake that she was."

Bella’s eyes softened. She could only imagine the depth of his feelings, the enduring power of his love for Maeve. She knew that the past still haunted him, that the pain of his loss was still raw and visceral.

Something still confused Bella though.

"How are you so sure that Lyse is yours though?" She asked. "She could have had a baby with someone else, maybe Maeve was not the girl that you thought."

Ken’s face hardened at the suggestion and he shook his head.

"You don’t understand," he said. "Maeve was not like that."

Then his voice softened. "The timing matches." He continued. "Maeve had one baby, not twins. Brooke looks nothing like Maeve but Lyse is her spitting image and those eyes are a copy of mine."

Bella remained silent, unsure what to say. She could only imagine the pain and confusion Ken was feeling, the sense of chaos that gnawed at his heart.

"What are you going to do now?@ Bella asked.

"I am going to confirm if Lyse is mine." He said simply.

He took another sip of his whiskey, his gaze fixed on the swirling liquid. He knew in his heart of hearts that he was right. But he had to confirm out the truth. He had to understand what this revelation meant for him, for his past, for his future. He had to the right thing by the child he had never known. That is what Maeve would want.