59

Gael

I couldn't sleep last night, and restlessness was consuming me. I decided to stay in my office and practically drank a whole bottle of straight whiskey without ice. I ended up passing out on the office sofa, and my dreams were haunted by a past of betrayal and pain. I woke up with the sun just rising on the horizon. I forced myself off the sofa, feeling my body protest instantly. After climbing the stairs, I walked down the hallway and stopped in front of the guest room, feeling my heart tighten in my chest.

"Why don't you just end this, Gael? Why don't you let her go for good?" Reason screamed loudly within me.

"Why?" I ask myself the same question. The answer is as clear as crystal water.

She's expecting my child, an heir, and he's mine, I know he is! I lean my head against the wood and close my eyes tightly.

I remember my dream, my haunting, and I clench my fists, distancing myself from there as quickly as possible.

***

"Good morning, Mr. D'Angelo!" Dana, the cook, says surpri