Buying My Forever Wife novel Chapter 328

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Mason was thoroughly gutted by the revelation, his eyes glazing over as he stared at Alaric in disbelief.

"Stella is... Seb's daughter?"

Alaric nodded. "The reason he always rejected your advances was because he had a childhood sweetheart."

"She got pregnant right before he died. When she realized she couldn't afford to raise the baby, she reached out to me."

He had been equally shell-shocked at the time.

None of the boys in their inner circle had known Sebastian was secretly dating someone.

No wonder he had constantly rebuffed Mason's romantic gestures.

He likely kept her a secret just so he wouldn't make things awkward and jeopardize their brotherhood.

Whenever Alaric thought of Sebastian's violent death, an unresolved guilt twisted in his gut.

Mason looked as though he'd been struck by lightning. He sat frozen, the color draining from his face as a vein throbbed in his temple, desperately suppressing the hurricane of grief inside him.

A long moment passed before he rasped, "No... If he had a girlfriend, why didn't he just tell me? If I had known he was straight and taken, I would never have harassed him."

"How could he possibly have had a girl hiding in the shadows... and fathered a child?"

"You're screwing with me, right?"

Mason lunged forward, grabbing Alaric by the lapels, his emotions spiraling completely out of control.

"If he really had a daughter, why the hell would you wait until now to tell me?!"

Alaric forcefully peeled Mason's hands off his shirt. "Because I knew it would destroy you."

"You went above and beyond for me this time. That's the only reason I'm giving you the truth."

If Mason hadn't relentlessly pestered him for the 'surprise', he would have taken the secret to his grave.

"You're right, I can't handle this. I need to be alone."

Mason shoved himself off the couch and stumbled blindly into the adjoining bedroom, slamming the door shut and abandoning Alaric in the suite.

Alaric knew this would be the exact outcome.

Now alone in the sprawling living room, his thoughts drifted right back to Ivy.

Eventually, unable to hold back any longer, he pulled out his phone and dialed her number.

Ivy was currently in the bedroom, reading a picture book with Stella.

The very idea slammed into Alaric's chest like a sledgehammer, a violent, agonizing ache radiating outward from his heart.

His handsome face darkened completely. It took him several agonizing seconds to force the words out.

"If you actually fall for him over time, I will step aside and give you my blessing."

Just like Mason was willing to do for his sister.

He was never going to sever his bond with the nephew he'd raised just to fight over a woman.

Women were never meant to factor into his fiercely guarded world anyway.

Ivy's arrival was nothing more than an unexpected glitch.

He could pamper her when he felt like it.

And shove her away the second she became an inconvenience.

"Alaric Foster, I absolutely hate you."

Hearing his callous dismissal, Ivy completely lost her grip on her temper. She screamed into the phone,

"I am never going to love you again! Have a great life rotting by yourself!"