BILLIONAIRE'S second chance ✔

Ch 21

Word count: 2959

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Their giggles filled the comfy living room as the young businessman and his wife discretely stole longing glances at each other, bunched up as a family with several envelopes scattered around them on the couch and center table.

It was the afternoon after Sucre and Monica had sorted out their differences with a long talk and a little while after that, Stephanie had also woken up and joined them. Currently, Sucre was sitting beside Monica and Stephanie sat between his legs as they had their little family bonding. Once in a while, he would move his hand to Monica's waist and span her side with a tender look in his eyes. Just to remind himself that she was there and she wasn't leaving again like she'd done before.

Monica beamed and lifted up another photograph. This one was wider than the others. Stephanie was younger in the photo and she had chocolate smeared on her chubby cheeks but her eyes were glinting.

"This one was taken when she clocked two." Monica handed the photograph over to Sucre who was all too interested to take a good look at it. He noticed his baby girl was far chubbier in the photograph. Now she was leaner but also a few inches taller than when the photograph had been taken.

In reflex, Sucre turned the back of the photograph and saw the date written on it. It had been taken from two years ago. Sucre chuckled.

Monica was fond of writing dates at the back of photographs. She believed in dating each occasion since it had its own specialty and reason for the photo to have been taken, when it had been taken. He turned the photo back to scrutinize the boy Stephanie was holding on a tight leash in the picture as she smiled at the camera.

"Who's this boy? He is in almost all her photos."

Monica scooted closer even though there was no need, since she could clearly see Dixon since Sucre's arm was now unnecessarily wrapped around her torso. Sucre noticed her little action and held back a chuckle. He liked it when she made it obvious that she just wanted to keep physical contact with him.

"That's Dixon, my friend's son-"

"My friend, Dixon. He is five years old. I like Dixon." Stephanie butted in, smiling at the boy in the photo even though Dixon hadn't looked like he cared about anything going on at the party - at least judging from the other photos taken at the event two years ago.

Even though he wasn't smiling, he'd still hung around Stephanie in all the photographs taken.

Hearing Stephanie's confession, Monica's eyes widened as she chuckled. Her daughter was just too cute for her own good.

Maybe it would be a good thing for Stephanie to like Dixon because that would encourage them become friends. Dixon had issues relating with others and Monica knew it had something to do with his parents and how he'd witnessed them fighting over the years. They were now finalizing their divorce but Dixon had grown hatred for his dad regardless of his separation from his mom and the nonchalant attitude that had developed in the boy was slowly turning him into a shell of a once normal child.

Dixon had now become an angry, bitter boy. He did everything without emotions and he didn't like expressing his feelings. He believed that was a stupid thing to do.

Did he witness one of the scenes where his father was beating his mom?

According to Veronica, they always tried to keep the fights from him but Dixon was a smart boy and his mother had been rushed to the hospital twice in a close period of time with blood gushing down her legs and the baby in her womb gone. Monica heaved a sigh of pity and blinked when Sucre tapped her on the side. She raised a questioning brow at him.