Page 115 of Secret Baby for my Off-Limits Fiancé

"I should have told you sooner," I whisper.

His hands tighten slightly on the wheel, but his voice remains steady.

“Yeah, you should have.”

I flinch.

After a beat, he sighs, his voice softening. “But I get it.”

I turn to look at him, my brows furrowing. “You… do?”

He nods slowly, keeping his gaze fixed on the road.

“You were scared. You were protecting Vincent. Protecting yourself. I might not like that you kept it from me, but… I understand why you did.”

His words knock the air from my lungs.

I expected anger. I expected resentment.

But understanding?

I bite my lip, my throat tightening. “I should have trusted you.”

His grip on the wheel tightens again, but his voice remains level. “Yeah. You should have.”

A lump forms in my throat. “I’m sorry, Valentino.”

He doesn’t respond right away. But then, he exhales deeply, as if letting go of something heavy.

"We can’t change the past, Layla."

His words settle between us, sinking into the space that had been filled with so much uncertainty.

I nod, staring at my hands. “No, we can’t.”

Valentino takes another deep breath before speaking again, his voice filled with a quiet, unwavering determination.

“No matter what’s happened between us, I want you to know this, I will do anything for our son.”

His words send a shiver down my spine.

There’s no hesitation in his voice. No uncertainty. Just pure, undeniable resolve.

I turn to face him fully now, taking in the hard set of his jaw, the intensity burning in his eyes.

He means every word.

My heart clenches.

Not just because of what he’s saying, but because a part of me believes him.

A part of me feels safe knowing that, despite everything, despite our mistakes, despite the brokenness of whatever we were before, he is here.

He is Vincent’s father. And he isn’t going anywhere.

I swallow hard, my voice small. “Thank you.”

His jaw tics, as if he’s holding something back. His fingers flex on the wheel, and for a second, I think he’s going to say something else, something more.

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