Mommy, Where's Daddy? The Forsaken Daughter's Return novel Chapter 28

Serving a steamed grouper fish on the table, poured with oyster sauce and sesame oil, Ethan's expression turned soft, looking at his special dinner inside Samantha's home.

It took him more than an hour to set-up Kenzie's dollhouse, even with the help of Kyle, who was pretty keen on identifying where the parts go to, despite being a boy with other interests.

Samantha was unsure if Ethan was okay with the fish that she remarked while sitting next to him, "Mr. Wri - I mean, Ethan... You probably prefer Salmon, but I just don't have it right now. This is a grouper fish, but the red tomato kind so it's still good."

Ethan Wright rarely smiled in his daily life, but he managed to pull through and looked up to Samantha's charming face. He said, "I also like this kind of fish."

While he expressed words of acceptance, he sneered for a second before telling, "I - I just don't like soy."

"Oh! Haha!" Diana, who was sitting across Ethan, could not help but remark. "Like father and son!"

"Kyle also does not like soy either," revealed Samantha. "I use oyster sauce all the time."

Ethan nodded before caressing Kyle's head and said, "I'm not surprised." He returned his gaze to Samantha before glancing at Diana. "Thank you for having me for dinner."

As usual, Ethan thought the food was divine. The fish just melted in his mouth and the sauce to it was made with just the right amount of blend. What he especially delighted on was how his children ate several carrots with cheese canapes before their meals.

Ethan acknowledged how Samantha taught the children to eat well.

It was only after dinner that Ethan and Samantha finally had the chance to talk about what happened almost six years ago.

It was Diana who had to accompany the kids in the living room while Ethan and Samantha spoke by the balcony, closing the glass windows on purpose, giving them the privacy they needed.

They both sat on a chair while gazing at the city lights when Ethan started the probing, "So tell me again, how was it that your sister lured you into my room back then?"

Without looking at Ethan, Samantha bit her lip before answering, "She - she gave me a lot of drinks." She blushed, ashamed of why she was even drinking in the first place. "Actually, back then, I had a boyfriend. His name is Clayton Brown."

"For the two years since we were dating, he has been asking." She paused before resuming, "asking that we... we make love."

"And so that was the night that my stepsister had fully convinced me to give in to Clayton, but... apparently, she had other plans."

"The drinks she was giving me, made me so intoxicated, and back then, I remember feeling so hot. I could not understand myself and so when she guided me to your room, saying it was Clayton, I just. "

Taking a deep breath, Samantha said, "I don't know why I did not even bother to turn the lights on. I - I was just feeling so strange that - "

"You were drugged," suggested Ethan. "That's what most likely happened."

Samantha glanced at Ethan shyly and said, "That must have been the case, but I realized that too late."

Just after a second of pause, she added, "Of course, my stepsister denied everything, including walking me into a room of someone I don't know. And I tried to tell father this, but he never took my side. To him, I had the intention, all along. Even the idea of sleeping with Clayton provoked him."

She found herself gasping before continuing, "What if - who knows if it was someone else - "

Samantha's expression reflected a wave of clear anger as she turned to Ethan and said, "It's not that I'm saying, I'm lucky that it was you, but thinking about the possibilities... what if -"

"I understand," Ethan finished for her. "It could have been worse."

Ethan was still unsettled over the idea of Samantha having a boyfriend in the past. Moreover, how she had planned to give herself that night. Somehow, it did not sit well with him.

He could not understand why he was so irritated of that fact when... it was not supposed to be his business.