The Billionaire's Forgotten Wife
Chapter 35: Who’s the father?

Chapter 35: Who’s the father?

The next day, in the late afternoon, Cassidy returned to the hospital, this time with Claire by her side.

Before stepping inside, she pulled out her phone and called Georgia.

"Hey, Cass. Are you already at the hospital?" Georgia’s voice came through, slightly muffled by traffic noise.

"Yeah. We just got here. Where are you now?"

They had agreed the night before to visit their mother together this afternoon.

"I’m on the way, but traffic’s a mess," Georgia said with a sigh. "Maybe another thirty minutes or so."

Cassidy glanced down at Claire, who was quietly holding her hand.

"Alright," she replied. "Drive safe, okay?"

"Will do. See you soon."

As they stepped into the lobby of the private hospital where her mother was being treated, she spotted Sandro and Raymond already there, standing near the elevators. Both men turned their heads at the sound of approaching footsteps.

Their brows furrowed almost in sync when they noticed the little girl walking beside Cassidy, her hand tucked in Cassidy’s.

"Sandro. Raymond." she greeted simply, her voice calm.

Sandro gave a small nod in return. As the eldest, his demeanor was steady, controlled, but his eyes lingered a bit longer on Claire, a silent question behind them.

Raymond, on the other hand, didn’t bother hiding his confusion.

He was the second eldest, always the more easygoing one, curious by nature and rarely shy with his questions.

Cassidy was never quite as close to him or Sandro as she was to Georgia, but to be fair, her older brothers had always treated her well. They weren’t unkind, just... distant, in the way that boys who grew up too fast often were. Both had been pushed into the world of business young, groomed to take on responsibilities and legacies, while Cassidy had still been trying to figure out who she was.

Somewhere along the way, a gap had formed. One she never quite knew how to cross.

"Where have you been all this time?" he asked, not unkindly, but with unmistakable frustration. "Why didn’t you let anyone know?"

Cassidy gave a small, almost dismissive smile. "I was... taking a break. A long one."

Sandro stepped forward, more measured. "Kyra told me you were back. I wasn’t sure if it was temporary, or..."

His voice trailed off, letting her fill in the rest.

"I’m staying," she said plainly.

There was a brief pause.

Sandro’s eyes shifted back to Claire again, then returned to Cassidy’s. He didn’t ask anything, yet, but the unspoken question hung heavily in the air between them.

Claire, oblivious to the tension, was looking around the pristine hallway, her fingers playing with the hem of her dress.

Raymond raised an eyebrow. "You’re staying for good?"

Cass nodded once. "Yeah."

"That’s good to hear," he said with a small smile. "Where are you staying?"

Cass replied, "At a hotel for now."

Sandro frowned. "You need help finding a place?"

Cass shook her head. "No need. I actually bought an apartment downtown earlier today. I’ll move in tomorrow."

Sandro nodded. "Alright then."

Raymond studied her for a second. "I heard you went to the house yesterday."

Cass didn’t say anything.

He smirked. "And I also heard you got Dad all worked up. Yelled at him. Made a scene."

Sandro let out a quiet chuckle. "Four years away and look at you, coming back all fierce. Guess you finally grew a spine."

Cass still said nothing.

Raymond laughed. "No, seriously. I like this version of you. And honestly? Dad had it coming."

Cass didn’t laugh. The air was thick, but no one pushed further.

Sandro glanced toward the corridor leading to their mother’s room. "Let’s go in."

Inside the hospital room, the atmosphere was heavy, still.

Teresa lay in the same position as before, motionless, eyes closed, her face pale beneath the soft hospital lights. Machines hummed steadily, tracking every fragile sign of life.

Cassidy stood near the end of the bed, her arms gently wrapped around Claire, who was quiet now, just watching.

Raymond let out a slow, tired sigh. His gaze stayed on their mother.

"I should’ve called more often," he murmured. "Checked in more."

He rubbed a hand over his face. "With the company based outside the city, we barely come to New York anymore. Everything’s been remote... busy."

Cassidy looked down. "Still... I should’ve kept in touch. I should’ve called. It’s my fault too."

Raymond quickly shook his head. "Don’t say that. We were here, and even we didn’t notice. Don’t blame yourself."

Cass didn’t say anything, but her face showed she still felt it.

Sandro added quietly, "We’re all adults. We should’ve known better. It’s not just on you. We all got busy with our lives, our families, our work, and we stopped paying attention to her."

Raymond nodded. "Exactly."

Silence followed. Not awkward—, ust heavy. Because they all knew he was right.

Cassidy glanced at him, then turned to Sandro.

"Georgia told me you and Raymond were looking into a neurologist. A good one. Did you find anyone?"

Sandro gave a brief nod. His arms were crossed, his jaw tight as always, but his voice was steady.

"We did. We’ve been consulting with some of the top neurologists in the world."

He paused, then added, "Dr. Julianne Johnson, she’s one of the best in the States. She’s currently at a seminar in England, but she’ll be flying in this weekend to examine Mom."

Cassidy felt a bit of the tension in her chest loosen. "That’s... good. That’s really good."

Sandro gave her a small look, as if trying to reassure her without words.

Suddenly, a soft voice rose from beside Cassidy.

"Mommy... I need to go to the bathroom."

Claire looked up at her, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

The word Mommy hung in the air like a spark.

Raymond and Sandro both froze. Their gazes flicked toward Claire, then slowly toward Cassidy. No one spoke, but something unsaid passed between the brothers.

Cassidy nodded gently. "There’s a bathroom right here, baby. Come on."

She guided Claire toward the small private bathroom inside the VIP room.

As the door clicked shut behind them, Sandro turned to Raymond. Their eyes met, quiet, puzzled, searching.

When Cassidy and Claire came back from the bathroom, the room fell into a quiet stillness. Her brothers didn’t say anything, but their eyes said enough.

They were waiting. Curiosity humming under the surface. Questions barely contained.

Cassidy took a breath, then gently guided Claire forward with a hand on her back.

"Hey, Claire," she said softly, kneeling beside her. "There’s something I want you to know."

Claire turned her head, her little hand still clinging to Cassidy’s fingers.

"These two," Cassidy said, glancing toward the men standing by their mother’s bed, "are Mommy’s big brothers. Uncle Sandro and Uncle Raymond."

Claire blinked up at them, then gave a small, polite smile. "Hi, Uncle Sandro. Hi, Uncle Raymond."

Sandro’s eyebrows lifted slightly, but he quickly crouched down to her level. "Hi there," he said with a warm smile. "I’m the oldest in the family. So that makes me your very first uncle."

Raymond stepped beside him, one hand in his pocket. "And I’m next after him," he added with a chuckle. "Number two."

Claire looked at them, thinking for a second. Then asked, "So... Aunty Georgia is your sister too?"

They both nodded, smiling.

"Yep," Raymond said. "She’s our little sister."

Claire’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she looked between the two men.

"Aunty Georgia has sister Freya and Jonah," she said thoughtfully. "Do you have kids too?" Her voice was full of hope. "I wanna have lots of cousins to play with."

Sandro smiled, a soft laugh escaping him. "I do, actually. I have a son named Axel. He’s eight."

Raymond added, "And I have two, Lucas and Tina. Lucas is seven, Tina’s six."

Claire gasped, her mouth forming a perfect little O. "Wow! That’s so many!" she beamed. "I’m gonna have so many friends!"

Sandro chuckled. "You will. We’ll make sure you get to meet them soon. I think Axel’s gonna love having a new cousin to boss around."

Raymond nodded, grinning. "Tina will probably make you play dress-up, just a warning."

Claire giggled, clearly thrilled at the idea. "I can’t wait!"

Then Raymond tilted his head, curiosity creeping into his voice. "So, how old are you now, Claire?"

Claire stood a little taller. "I’m three and a half. But I’m gonna be four really soon!"

The air shifted slightly.

Raymond and Sandro both blinked, then glanced at each other. It wasn’t just surprise in their eyes, it was realization. Quick. Sharp.

Then slowly, they both turned their eyes toward Cassidy.

She didn’t say a word.

Just met their gaze with a quiet, unreadable look.

And in that silence, everything unsaid began to take root.

Before she even mentioned Claire’s age, a dozen questions had already flashed through Sandro and Raymond’s minds.

Was Cassidy married now?

Had she adopted?

Was the girl even hers?

But one look at Claire’s face made those theories crumble. The resemblance was too strong.

Same eyes. Same chin.

Same stubborn little mouth.

No. Claire wasn’t adopted. She was Cassidy’s daughter. That much was certain.

What wasn’t certain, what lingered like a silent thunder in the air, was who the father was.

And then Claire spoke. Softly. Casually.

"I’m three and a half... almost four."

That was when it hit.

The timing. The math. The memory of everything that happened four years ago.

Suddenly, one possibility rose above the rest, loud, clear, and impossible to ignore.

And both brothers knew exactly what it meant.

But neither of them said a word.

Not yet.

***