Damien couldn’t stand the scene before him so, he decided to make his presence known. Hearing footsteps behind her, Harriet didn’t need any one to tell her who it was. She was home alone with Damien so, it had to be him. Worried that he might make a meaning out of their hug, she quickly broke the hug and turned to him.
Tony who saw him before Harriett did, didn’t let go of her hand even as she pulled out. Instead, he threw Damien a hateful glare.
“Long time no see, Damien.” He said with a lopsided grin, reaching out for a handshake but all Damien was focused on was his hand on his ex-wife’s arm. Harriett traced his eyes and saw that they were fixed on Tony’s hands. She immediately shrugged them off, careful not to seem rude and she moved away from Tony.
Damien peeled his eyes away from Harriet and turned to Tony with a forced smile.
“I didn’t see you around for a while. I was beginning to think you had decided to finally return to your home.” He said, making it obvious that he wanted Tony gone from their lives.
“No way. My home is with Harriett and her children. Trust me, I won’t be leaving them for any reason.” He replied, deliberately infuriating Damien.
“What he means is that, he misses the kids and I.” Harriet stepped in as she saw the tightening of Damien’s jaw.
“Misses you, huh? Says the man who went MIA when the people he claims to love got kidnapped.” Damien chuckled, earning a cold glare from Tony.
“Where was he when you about to get shot? Probably having fun with his other friends and not giving a fuck about you or your children he claims to love!”
“Damien!” Harriett screamed in horror at Damien. She couldn’t even take sides as both men mattered to her but, she had wronged Tony and was trying to make up for it. She definitely didn’t need Damien to ruin it for her.
Massaging her temples, Harriet calmed herself down before speaking.
“He didn’t know that we had been kidnapped. He was out of the country, you know?” She defended Tony in a soft voice.
“Doesn’t matter.” Damien said and shifted close to where Harriet stood and slipped his hand around her waist.
“I do not appreciate you touching my wife, Tony. She might be your friend but you should know that she belongs to me.” He said possessively and Tony scoffed, hiding his jealousy.
“Ex-wife, Damien. I think you are forgetting that you are divorced. Harriett is single.” Tony retorted with a smirk and Damien had to hold himself from landing a punch on Tony’s face.
Harriett was about screaming for both men to stop with the banter when the door opened. Damien’s parents and her kids walked through the door, talking and laughing loudly.
The room immediately went silent as soon as they laid their eyes on Harriet’s guest. Stacy’s expression hardened and she hissed in annoyance.
“Uncle Tony!” Addison and Adrian shrieked, running to Tony with open arms.
Tony felt an ache in his heart upon hearing them refer to him as their uncle but, he embraced them nonetheless.
Hearing the word ‘Uncle’ leave the mouth of the twins, Stacy smiled and inhaled sharply, giving herself a well deserved accolade. Her lessons hadn’t gone to waste.
While spending time with the twins, she never missed a chance to educate them. A part of that education was telling them that Tony wasn’t their father and they weren’t to call him ‘ daddy ‘. She made them understand that that title belonged to Damien alone.
Damien saw the smile on his mother’s face and understood that it was her doing. He made a mental note to thank her properly when the drama was over.
“I missed you so much, Uncle Tony.” Addison cried, her hands wrapped tightly around his neck while Adrian stayed put, only smiling at Tony.
Harriett was the only person in the room who understood why her children were being that way.
Whether Damien liked it or not, Tony was pretty much their father. Right from the second they came into this world, he had been present. He heard their first cry, first laugh, witnessed their first step and their first birthday. He might not have been their birth father but he filled that gap too well.
“What is he doing here?” Stacy whispered to her.
“Uhh.. he heard about the kidnap and was worried about us.” Harriett said but the frown on Stacy’s face didn’t leave.
“You must be the infamous Tony.” Thomas decided to put an end to the tension. He didn’t know him so well but his wife filled him in on all the details so, he knew that he was competing with Damien for Harriett.
“Mr Daniels. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” Tony struggled with holding the twins and exchanging a handshake with Thomas.
“Don’t bother. It doesn’t look like they’ll be leaving you any time soon.” Thomas joked, referring to the twins who were glued to his body.
“Stay for dinner.” Thomas suggested and all heads turned to him with wide eyes. Stacy’s eyes were throwing daggers at him and if looks could kill, he would certainly be dead already.
“Thank you for the kind gesture, sir but I must decline. I don’t think dinner would be a good idea.” Tony said, referring to the distaste on Stacy’s face and the annoyance on that of Damien.
One more minute here and he would be pounced on.
“I should get going. My sister must be waiting for me.” He lied. In his defense, it was the only suitable excuse to leave the Daniel’s mansion.
It took a lot of promises and proposed outings before the twins finally let go out Tony, but not without shedding some tears. Damien didn’t like how close his children were to Tony.
What annoyed him more was that they had a closer bond with Tony.
It made him jealous.
“I’m sorry about all that, Tony.” Harriett apologized once they were outside and away from the rest of the family.
“Don’t be. I expected as much before coming here. I just missed you and couldn’t stop myself from coming. I needed to see you.” Tony said and Harriett sensed a different meaning to his words.
It didn’t sound like he was talking to his best friend but to a love interest.
Shaking her head, Harriett discarded the thought. ‘It can’t be. Tony isn’t in love with me.’ She assured herself.
“I’ll be back to the house on Monday. We can catch up properly then.” Harriett said, giving him a short hug as they both said their goodbyes.
As Tony walked out of the mansion to his gate, he noticed a black Lamborghini drive into the house with the roof open. At first, he ignored it but the person in the driver’s seat caught his attention.
Taking a closer look at him, his eyes widened in horror as he recognized that face.
“Isn’t that Bethany’s boyfriend, Adrian?” He said, remembering him from ten years ago when he met Bethany for the first time in his hospital. Blood drained from his face as he thought of the possibility that the psychotic Bethany could still be in New York.
“What is he doing at Damien’s house?” He wondered. As he entered his car, it finally clicked and shock filled his face.
“Wait! Adrian Daniels. Damien Daniels? Fuck!” His right hand immediately covered his mouth as the realization dawned on him.
“Bethany’s boyfriend, Adrian is Damien’s brother?”