The CEO's Hidden Love: Midnight Temptations and Deep Desires novel Chapter 1409

Everett was sweating bullets, chasing his tail around more than Langston needed to utter a single word to be effective.

But thankfully, Abigail had stopped crying.

Dorothy nudged Everett and shot him a knowing look.

They left the hospital room, one after the other, and sat down on a bench in the corridor outside.

"Let the siblings sort it out themselves," she said.

Everett nodded, draping an arm around Dorothy's shoulders. "You've really done a fantastic job with both Abigail and Langston," he acknowledged.

Even in his absence, the siblings had turned out pretty great. Abigail, though a bit of a crybaby, had a heart of gold and was as pure as they come. Langston, on the other hand, might have been a bit aloof, his mind always on his computer, but he was mature for his age, had a strong moral compass, and knew right from wrong.

Initially, Langston had set out to confront his father, the so-called "deadbeat dad," but quickly pulled back when he realized something was off.

"I can't take all the credit," Dorothy leaned into him, sighing. "Karen and Kenneth played a big part too. Most of the time, I was just obsessed with making more money, hiring people to dig up evidence."

She always felt she owed it to the kids.

"Without your positive influence, they might have ended up harboring a lot of resentment."

It's no secret that children from broken homes often grow to despise the parent they don't live with, influenced by the bitterness of the custodial parent.

But Dorothy never badmouthed Everett or shared the gritty details of their fallout with Abigail and Langston. Painting their father in a negative light would have made it nearly impossible for Everett to mend the relationship with his kids.

He looked away, silent.

Dorothy took his hand and placed it on her belly.

"Promise me, no more dwelling on the past. We look forward now. This time, you'll be right outside the delivery room, ready to be the first to hold our baby. And together, we'll watch them grow up."

Everett looked into her sparkling eyes, finally nodding.

"Yeah."

Dorothy leaned in and kissed his cheek. "I believe in you. You're going to be the best dad ever."