The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride
Chapter 1862

Chapter 1862

The question hit Damon like a freight train, snapping something deep inside him. His normally stoic, handsome face contorted with an uncontrollable twitch. His clenched fist, resting on the table, was white-knuckled, the bones pressing hard against the wood. "What did you just say?"

Nathan, too consumed by his own nerves to notice the storm brewing in Damon, repeated his question hastily: "I said, could Anya possibly be your daughter with Yulia?"

He couldn't finish his sentence before a solid punch collided with his face. His nose felt like it was about to shatter.

"Damn it." Nathan clutched his throbbing nose, bending over and tears streamed down his face. It wasn't the pain that made him cry. It was totally sheer reflex.

Damon had no sympathy for him, stepping closer as Nathan stumbled back, pleading. "Hold on, hold on, man, this really sucks."

Anya, perched on the table, blinked her wide eyes, not quite grasping the situation. She'd assumed they were just messing around.d1

As she turned to follow Nathan's retreat, confusion clouded her gaze. When she saw the blood trickling between Nathan's fingers, she let out a startled yelp. "Don't be mean to Nathan."

Anya scrambled to her feet, flailing her little arms, jumping anxiously on the table.

Nathan, noticing the blood gushing from his nose and Damon still fuming, backed away, looking for an escape. "I was just asking. Just tell me yes or no. Even if she is your daughter, I wouldn't tell Chloe, man."

Damon's face went from dark to downright thunderous.

Nathan sighed desperately, nearly in tears as Damon closed in on him.

"We're blood, man. If I keep mum and you keep mum, and Yulia keeps mum, Chloe will never have to know. We're all family here, right? What's yours is mine, right?"

Damon shut his eyes tight, took a step forward, and grabbed Nathan by the collar, followed by another punch to the gut.

"What's mine is mine, and yours..." He paused, his entire body tensed, his lips pressed together.

Just the thought of Nathan associating him with Yulia sent him into a rage, itching to turn this fool into pulp.

Did Nathan not get it? How could he picture his woman with another man?

"Damon, chill out, you've gotta stay cool. I messed up, I really did. I shouldn't have asked."

It took every ounce of Damon's willpower to suppress the fury inside. He raised his eyes, and those dark, menacing orbs sent shivers down Nathan's spine.

"Just tell me, does Anya really look like you? I'm just being realistic here. Isn't it better to know if there's any legacy of your wild days?"

"Are you brain-dead? She looks like me? Have you ever considered who you look like?!"

"Like dad, duh." Nathan blurted out, then took a deep breath. "You're not suggesting that Anya's dad's love child?"

The sound of Damon's teeth grinding was all too audible.

Nathan's skin crawled. "Can I... can I go clean up this bloody mess?" He figured if he stayed any longer, he might not make it out alive.

Damon gave him a cold stare but didn't let go.

Gathering his courage, Nathan gently grasped Damon's wrist and nudged it aside. "You don't want the blood to dirty those pristine hands."

When Damon didn't budge, Nathan grew desperate. "The smell, man. You don't want Chloe to catch a whiff, do you?"

That struck a nerve. Damon abruptly let go, and Nathan seized the moment, sprinting for the door.

"Nathan! Nathan..." Anya fretted on the table, watching Nathan run with his bloody nose until he was out of sight.

Then, she slowly turned to Damon. They were left alone in the study. Damon also turned around, his piercing gaze meeting Anya's wide-eyed look.

She shivered, blinked back tears, but they swelled over the brim. Without a need for pretense, the moment Damon stepped toward her, Anya burst into tears.

The volume of a child's sudden crying had an indescribable piercing power. Damon felt momentarily deafened.

Downstairs, Yulia and Chloe were chatting when Anya's cries startled them. Realizing it was Anya, they hurried upstairs.

"Chloe, you stay here. I'll check on her."

Yulia advised Chloe with care, and she was already on the move, reaching the staircase first.

Chloe, though worried, didn't heed Yulia's advice and followed. Yulia slowed to assist her, wary of Chloe's pregnant belly.

Halfway up, Anya's sobs reached them.

They looked up in unison, pausing. Chloe's eyes widened in surprise to see Damon at the top of the stairs, cradling Anya in one arm, the other wiping away her tears with an awkward tenderness. She realized it might be the first time she'd seen Damon holding a child, and with such gentle patience.

She often daydreamed about what life would be like with the little ones running around, and how Damon would interact with their children. Her mind wandered through every little detail, from feeding and changing diapers to soothing their cries, but she never could quite picture how Damon would handle it all. So, watching him now, she was genuinely taken aback by his tenderness.

"Hey, I was just messing with Nathan. No more tears, okay?"

Anya, sniffling, clung to Damon's neck with one arm. "But he's bleeding."

Damon murmured a soft "Mhm," and added, "He's just a bit under the weather."

Chloe couldn't help but giggle. Despite not knowing the whole story, from the way Nathan had followed Damon around, it seemed almost like he was asking for trouble. Chloe could guess what had happened—nosebleeds from stress, probably Damon's doing. And here he was, trying to convince the child it was just a small ailment.

Chloe couldn't help but laugh, drawing Damon's gaze. His charisma was undeniable. Within moments, Anya was utterly convinced by his version of events, lost in the reassurance of his gentle voice. She nestled closer, her little arms wrapping tighter around his neck.

Gently patting her back, Damon's attention was stolen by Chloe's laughter. "What brings you upstairs?"

Yulia was as surprised by Damon and Anya's interaction as anyone, and his question snapped her back to reality.

Chloe, still grinning, tilted her head up to look at him as he descended the stairs with Anya in his arms. "We heard Anya crying and thought something was wrong."

Approaching the girls, Damon handed Anya to Yulia and took Chloe's weight onto himself. "It's nothing serious. Nathan just had a bloody nose, and it scared the little one."

Chloe's smile widened. "Under the weather?"

Damon didn't meet her eyes, focusing on the floor as he nonchalantly confirmed. Without prying further, Chloe comfortably leaned on him as they made their way down.

Once in the living room, Anya seemed eager for more of Damon's affection. As soon as Chloe was seated, Anya dashed over and hugged Damon's leg. "Are you my big brother?"

Damon's smile instantly tightened. He stared down at Anya for a few seconds, then said, "No."

Anya looked up, puzzled. "Then what are you?"

Tension crept onto Yulia's face. Chloe tugged at Damon's sleeve, signaling him to tread carefully.

Damon glanced at Yulia, who was clearly nervous, and paused before speaking. "Nathan was asking me if Anya is my daughter, born from some fling."

Chloe blinked a few times, digesting his words before she couldn't contain her amusement any longer.

Yulia's face turned a shade of red. She was angry at Nathan for his presumptuous chat with Damon, and embarrassed that Nathan had suggested Anya was her child with Damon. What was this madness?

"I told him she looks just like me, and he had an epiphany."

Yulia clasped her hands together on her lap, her palms sweating.

Damon pinched the bridge of his nose. "Then he figured she might be my father's love child."

Stunned, Yulia gaped at Damon. Finally catching on, she grimaced, her cheeks flushing even redder.

This infuriating man. How twisted could he be?

Chloe burst into laughter.

Anya's bright eyes turned to her, filled with innocence.

Continuing to chuckle, Chloe said, "How dense can he be? Taking it this far off track? A secret daughter. No, I need to call your Mom and Dad."

She wasn't just saying it—Chloe pulled her phone out from under a cushion. Dialing Elizabeth's number, she glanced at Yulia with a faint smile. "I guess since you both showed up together today, you must've talked everything through, right?"

Yulia pressed her lips together, not responding.

Chloe went on, "I bet Nathan actually knows, but he just can't put two and two together. Or maybe he can't believe he has a daughter this big. Things have come this far and he's pretty much figured it out. His Mom and Dad have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Might as well let them officially meet their beloved granddaughter today."

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