Seeing how upset he was, Melissa grew anxious. Afraid he would take back his offer or worse, take Tommy from her, she stood there despite how shaken she was.
"I'm..I..I'm sorry. We just met after four years, and I didn't know how to tell it to you." This was the day she dreaded the most.
Mark was wealthy and powerful, she couldn't fight him. If he chose to take her son she didn't know what she would do. Her investigation would end as well. Her job too, but she didn't regret telling him.
He deserved to know and well she thought knowing about their son would strengthen her foot in the Johnson's family.
"Is that all you can say after keeping my son from me for three years?"
"I'm sorry Mark, I didn't plan to keep him from you. When I found out my life was so messed up, and I couldn't look for you then." As she spoke remembering all she had gone through, tears shimmered in her eyes.
"Sorry I couldn't tell you when we met at the hotel." She spoke sniffing back the tears.
"Why?" Looking at her tear filled eyes, Mark felt her heartache but didn't understand why she couldn't tell him.
"I..I was afraid you will take him from me."
"Take him from you? Damn it Melissa. Is that how low you think of me?" He asked slapping the table causing Melissa to jumped. "That day at the hotel you just left. What if I didn't bring you here? You would never tell me about my son, would you?"
"No, I mean." She closed her eyes taking a deep breath. "I was going to tell you, just needed time."
"Where is my son now? Where did you leave him?" He asked calming himself a little.
"He is with my aunt back in the province."
"The province?" He asked though he knew that was the only place she would leave him.
Thinking of his son unprotected, Mark almost went crazy but he couldn't understand why his men never found out about the child.
"Those incompetent nincompoop." He threw the coffee mug to the wall shattering it into pieces.
"Please calm down." With her hand on the door handle, Melissa urged him.
Looking at her almost freeing from the office, he ran his hand through his hair thinking of the next step.
He was not worked up because she had not told him sooner, but because of the danger he knew his son was in. If they wanted to get to Melissa, they could easily use their son to silence her. Even worse, he was not their to protect him.
Walking to the floor to ceiling window, he looked at the flower garden motionlessly. With him staring out of the window, Melissa just stood there waiting for his orders not knowing what he would do next.
To some extent she understood he was both surprised and furious she hadn't told him sooner, but she was not going to let him take her son.
Taking out his phone, he made a call with his back still turned to her.
She didn't understand what they were talking about but she heard him ask for the plane to be ready for take off in thirty minutes.
"We are going to the airport." Ending his call, he spoke putting the documents he was working on in the briefcase.
"What? Where are you taking me."
"We are going to the province."
"What?"
"I need to get my son, you shouldn't have kept him from me all these years."
"Are you going to take my son from me? You can't do that." She stood before him with the held back tears rolling down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner but we just met after four years and it was not a friendly encounter." She tried to explain, but he didn't even look at her.
"Don't think I will let you take him away from me that easily." Wiping her tears, she blocked his way as he tried to leave the office.
"We are going to the province, and since we plan to get married, you and our son will stay here. Believe me Melissa, I will never separate you from our son, though it infuriates me to hear I have a child all these years and I didn't know about it." He knew his reaction had frightened her, and he didn't want to lose her. "Now go get your things. We have thirty minutes to get to the airport." He ordered briefly touching her cheek.
"Do we really need to go? Can't my aunt bring him?"
"No, we need to go now."
"Okay. You still plan to go on with the marriage?" She asked hoping he would help with the investigation without asking her to marry him.
Though she was attracted to him, she didn't feel comfortable marrying for a business transaction. Like every girl she dreamt of marrying someone she truly loved and one who loved her as much, but that night ruined it for her.
Now she had to do whatever it took to get what she wanted. Even if it meant marrying someone she didn't love.
"Yes, that's the deal. After we get our son and talk to my family, we will get married. Now go pack and meet me downstairs." He walked out with his briefcase leaving confused Melissa in the office.
He knew he was being selfish rushing her into marriage, but that was the only way he could keep her safe. He didn't want her or their son getting in danger because of her insistence in finding the truth.
If the organization finds out about the child, his life would be in grave danger. He had to move fast and get him before they did.
Walking into her room, Melissa stopped when she found Mary picking clothes for her.
"Is everything all right dear, Mark told me you we're leaving?" Mary asked while putting some of Melissa's clothes in a small travel bag.
"We are going to my home town." She responded walking to the bed full of clothes.
"I'll pack on my own. Thank you." Taking the clothes from Mary's hands and some that were on the bed, she spoke staffing them in the bag.
"He is a good man, he is just upset for now but he will soon get over it." Seeing the frown on her face, Mary spoke trying to make her feel better.
"He told you?" With a heavy sigh, Melissa sat on the bed dropping the clothes in her hands.
"Yes he did tell me. Don't worry it will be okay." Mary touched her hair smoothening it trying to calm her down.
"I should have told him, right? Wrote a letter or come to the city looking for him." The more she spoke the more tears filled her eyes eventually raining on her hands.
"Don't beat yourself up so much my child. Everything happens at the right time, and trust me when I say Mark is not upset with you."
"But he should, what I did was not right. I shouldn't have let fear make me run away when we met." Lying on Mary's lap, she spoke, more to her self.
"It's okay, calm down." Raising Melissa to face her, Mary wiped her tears smiling at her. "We have to go before he comes here looking for you."
"Thank you Mary." Wrapping her hands around Mary's shoulders, Melissa hugged her feeling calmer.
Mary was caring always making her feel at home, and at that moment she needed someone to hold her hand and tell her she made the right decision.