Chapter 48 This Kid Is Mine
Joseph was very attentive to Nicole, so much so that he went out of his way to reserve a luxurious private room at a hotel for her. After Nicole seated herself, he respectfully handed her the menu with both hands and asked with a grin, “Please take a look, Miss Anderson. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”
Despite having followed Joseph into the room, Nicole didn’t really want to have lunch with him here. Looking up at his face, she said unhurriedly, “If you want to say something, just spill it. I’m not in the mood to beat around the bush with you here.” She feigned a look of composure, but she unconsciously tightened her grip on Hayden’s hand.
Hayden seemed to have sensed something. Holding his mother’s hand in response, he said forcefully in a childlike voice, “Don’t be afraid, Mom. I’m here.” With his words, he labeled Joseph as a bad guy right away.
The smile on Joseph’s face became even more apparent. Gazing at Nicole’s face with his dark eyes, he contemplated what he was going to say before asking, “Miss Anderson, did we meet each other five years ago?”
As soon as Joseph asked the question, Nicole answered resolutely, “No.” However, the faster she denied that, the more it proved that she had a guilty conscience.
Looking at Nicole’s calm expression, Joseph continued with a smile, “Miss Anderson, why don’t you think about it carefully? We met five years ago at the hotel.” His words weren’t explicit, and he had a confident smile on his face.
Nicole’s heart skipped a beat as she looked at the man, and her eyes lowered with a flicker of mixed emotions in them. Pursing her lips with a frown, she said firmly, “What do you mean by saying that, Mr. Mann? My mother was critically ill five years ago, and I spent every single day caring for her by her sickbed. After she passed away, I went abroad, so I had never been to a hotel.” She steadied herself, thinking, I mustn’t let Joseph know that Hayden was born after I had a one-night stand with him five years ago!
“In that case, why would you agree to have lunch with me when I mentioned what had happened five years ago?” Joseph seized upon this; he didn’t believe there was nothing fishy about it.
Nicole had given herself away a little at the graveyard, but she was now able to think very clearly. When she looked up to meet Joseph’s gaze, her eyes looked calm and imperturbable. Curling her lips into a sneer, she stared fixedly at the man without averting her eyes. “I didn’t want to be seen having physical contact with a man outside at the graveyard. You looked like you’d keep pestering me if I didn’t agree to have lunch with you, so I followed you here to clear things up,” she said. Then, before Joseph could say a word, she continued, “Just say what you want to say. I don’t have time to beat around the bush with you.”
Joseph’s words died on his lips as he looked at the woman before him. He had at least trusted Queenie before F&M Apparel’s annual dinner, but now, he could only doubt her. However, recalling how he had offended Nicole thoroughly at F&M Apparel’s annual dinner, he decided to go ahead anyway. In any case, there was no way Nicole would work with the Mann Family, but if Nicole’s son was really his, he would be able to make her obey him.
“Someone told me that your son was born after we slept together five years ago. Although I doubted it, the person talked as if she had evidence to back what she said. So, Miss Nicole, may I take the liberty of asking you who your son’s father is?” he said quickly while fixing his eyes on Nicole, searching her face for any possible clues.
Nicole’s heart jumped when she heard Joseph’s words. However, having worked in the business field for years, she had gone through many ups and downs, so she kept her countenance in check without giving herself away.
