Return With the Bill Chapter 35: they are deterrents

Chapter 35: they are deterrents

Several days have passed...

Valerie tried to focus on herself and Daniel, attempting to forget Damian and Samuel, especially since they never reached out to her, not even to communicate.

Sotis, guilt overwheld her, sparking anxiety and curiosity about them. However, she hesitated to contact them again, fearing it might only add more problems.

"I don’t want Samuel to think I’m giving him false hope, so I must stay silent... But Damian... I can’t let him continue thinking I have a relationship with Samuel... I have to tell him the truth... At least he’ll co here again to see Daniel," Valerie said while glancing at Daniel sitting in a chair with a special table for toddlers to eat.

"Mama...!" Daniel greeted, lifting his spoon, smiling with his mouth slightly sared with strawberry jam.

"Do you want more?" Valerie asked as she approached Daniel.

"I want chocolate..." Daniel pointed to the display case with various dium-sized cakes.

"Um, you want chocolate?" Valerie quickly headed to another display case with small cup cakes. "You can have chocolate, but just a little."

"More is fine," Dana said, bringing another cake from the kitchen, and placing it on the table. "Don’t restrict your child’s desires. If he gets bored, he’ll stop eating."

"He never gets tired of chocolate."

"He just like you... Chocolate lovers," Dana said with a smile, glancing at Daniel, who imdiately took a chocolate cake from the cup with a spoon. "Now I understand, he’s so much like his father. But maybe his personality will be like yours..."

"It should be. I’d be a failure if he imitates his father’s traits..." Valerie stood up again, approaching her mother. "Let

pack this cake." She took a white paper box from the table.

Dana allowed Valerie to carefully put the cake into the box, possibly for delivery to a custor. She glanced at Daniel, rembering Damian who never ca again.

"Can’t his father be reached?" she asked.

"I haven’t tried contacting him again," Valerie replied. "It’s not important. If he cares about Daniel, he’ll co."

"But you need to tell the truth that you’re not in relationships with Samuel."

Valerie sighed, pausing for a mont, gazing in a random direction as if contemplating sothing.

"He’s probably still upset, so he doesn’t want to see you again. You know he still hopes for you, and if he thinks you’re in a relationship with Samuel, it’ll be hard for him to accept that," Dana said with a worried look.

"I won’t tell him unless he cos. Besides, he should co for Daniel without concerning himself with . I don’t want to discuss the relationship again... We’re done," Valerie replied, quickly closing the box containing the cake and placing it in a large paper bag, moving it to the display case where there were other bags, possibly containing cakes ready for delivery.

Dana could only remain silent, saddened by Valerie’s stubbornness, but she couldn’t force her to talk to Damian.

"Mrs. Dominguez," a woman called from the kitchen.

Dana went to the kitchen, while Valerie sat down, taking her phone from her black pants pocket. She looked at Damian’s contact number, suddenly interested in contacting him but hesitated.

’What should I say? If I seem too insistent on explaining that I’m single, not in a relationship with Samuel, he might think I still want him... No, I don’t need to explain to him. I’ll just stay silent... I’ll only explain if he asks,’ she debated within herself, then glanced at Daniel, wiping his hands on his cheek, now even more sared with chocolate.

"Daniel... Oh, such a ss!" She quickly grabbed a tissue from the table and wiped his cute face.

"Mam... Mam... Mam... yummy!" Daniel laughed joyfully.

Valerie chuckled. "I knew you would like this. But now, enough, chocolate is not good for your teeth!" She took the cup still containing half a chocolate cake.

"Mama, don’t take it!" Daniel exclaid, reaching out to grab the cake.

"No, sweetie... Mama doesn’t want your teeth to decay or get cavities too quickly; you’ll have trouble..."

"Mama! Hikkss!" Daniel started crying.

Valerie placed the cup with half a cake on the table, then approached Daniel and wanted to pick him up.

"Valerie..."

A woman’s voice called her from across the display, making her turn and see that it was Elena. She was montarily surprised, wondering why Elena had co.

’What is she here for? Is she coming to discuss Damian, or just to see Daniel?’ she wondered.

"I missed him so much, so I ca," Elena said with a warm smile, but there was sadness in her ash-gray eyes.

"Oh..." Valerie quickly lifted Daniel from the chair. "Of course, you can be with him, but I’ll clean him up... Wait a mont." She hurried to the bathroom.

Elena entered the minimalist, light green-thed cake shop and sat at a table with a chair, likely provided for custors who wanted to eat cake there, as there were several complete tables with chairs.

’If only Damian didn’t make decisions too quickly, maybe Valerie could still be my daughter-in-law,’ she thought anxiously, as if regretting sothing.

....

In a tallic-thed cafe, Adriana sat casually in a chair near the glass wall, enjoying the view outside and sipping a creamy latte. The woman in a black outfit with exposed arms smiled thinly when she saw Samuel approaching to enter the cafe.

’This ti I will be firm with him... He shouldn’t have t Valerie again,’ she thought while glancing at the main door about 10 ters away until she spotted Samuel entering and waving at her.

he imdiately approached Adriana, her gaze flat as if he disliked this eting.

"I waited for you for 20 minutes, anyway," Adriana said.

"I almost forgot we had to et this morning," reply Samuel, who looked a bit disheveled, wearing a black hoodie covering his head, replied. "Because this is unusual... I an... I don’t know what importance you’re going to talk about that you want to et

secretly like this."

"It’s not a secret... We’re in a cafe," Adriana said, raising her eyebrows, and glancing outside for a mont. "Even people who know

might see

here with you if they pass by this cafe..."

"Hmm... Fine..."

"It seems like you haven’t t Valerie again since that night," Adriana said, then took a sip of her creamy latte.

"I’ve been busy with my business."

"Oh, I thought you didn’t want to co again."

Samuel furrowed his brow, suddenly wondering if Valerie had already told Adriana about that night.

"I think you don’t need to et her again... She needs ti for herself," Adriana said calmly, placing her coffee glass on the table. "And even though she’s ready to commit to a man, that man isn’t you..."

Samuel imdiately looked grim. ’So, did she prevent Valerie from accepting

right away? Is she the obstacle between us?’