Mona told me where Elsie was having dinner that night. I drove up to the front of the restaurant and parked my car some distance away. I didn’t want to interrupt her dinner. According to what Mona told me, she was with a colleague.

So, I decided to wait for her outside. Once she was done, we could talk. I’d been waiting in the car for no more than twenty minutes when I saw her walk out.

My heart slammed against my chest when I saw Elsie. Not only was she still the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, but she was also carrying my child inside her. My breath was caught in my throat as I watched her step out.

I was about to get out of the car, but then I saw him.

A man had rushed out behind Elsie and reached for her wrist and whipped her around.

I gritted my teeth. My hands gripped the steering wheel hard. I couldn’t stand the thought of Elsie with another man. Now, I had to witness it with my own eyes!

Elsie was in this man’s arms now. He was holding her tightly to his chest. It was obvious that they were more than just colleagues. I was parked too far away to hear what they were saying. I could sense that Elsie wasn’t too happy with his behavior, though.

I gave her some time. Whatever was going on between them, I was determined to break it up. However, I had no rights in her life. I couldn’t just interrupt.

But when he leaned towards her, trying to kiss her…Elsie pushed him away. It was the cue I needed.

I stormed out of the car. Elsie was already rushing away from this guy and he was chasing after her. I was on my way, running up to them.

“Elsie! Please, just hear me out!” I heard the man’s voice now.

“Cedric, please, I have to go,” Elsie called back. She wasn’t turning to look at him, she was trying to get away from him. So, she didn’t see me running up to the guy and tapping him on the shoulder.

“Hey,” I growled. When he turned around, I rammed my fist into his face.

“What the fuck!” the guy roared, getting knocked off his feet. He was on the ground now. A stream of blood was trickling down his nose.

I heard Elsie shriek. She’d turned around to look at us.

I bent forward to grab the guy’s collar.

“Don’t you know you’re not supposed to chase after a girl who is running away from you, asshole?” I pulled him up to his feet. He was covering his face with his hands, trying to avoid another blow.

“Jared! Stop it!” I could hear Elsie’s voice behind us.

“She’s my girlfriend, you fucker!” the guy shouted, and I pushed him away.

“What did you say?” I growled. He was backing away from me now, towards the brick wall behind him.

“She’s my girlfriend! We’re dating! I wasn’t trying to hurt her!” he replied. His voice was high-pitched and whiny.

“Jared…please, just let him go!” Elsie squealed behind us.

I’d cornered this guy to the wall. I brought my face right up to his.

“When a girl tells you she has to go, you fucking let her go. It doesn’t matter what your relationship is. You get that?” I hissed.

The guy nodded his head.

I felt Elsie’s hand on my shoulder then.

“Jared…let him be,” her voice was softer. I whipped around to her, my eyes narrowed at her face stormily.

“Tell me he’s lying. You’re not dating this loser!” I growled, taking steps towards her quickly. Elsie held her ground; her nostrils were flared. She had to crane her neck to look up at me as I loomed over her.

“He’s not lying. We were dating,” she remarked and narrowed her eyes too. She was challenging me again, goading my rage.

“Not anymore, we’re not. Goodbye, Elsie. Best of luck with this maniac,” I heard him say. Elsie gulped as she tracked him leaving with her eyes.

Then she looked back at me and gritted her teeth.

“Happy now? We fucking work together, Jared! You just broke his nose!” she hissed.

I wanted to kiss her right then. I wanted to fall down on my knees and beg her to marry me. I would have done anything to make her see that we were destined to be together. That I couldn’t spend one more day without her.

“He was running after you,” I said instead, still glaring at her, and Elsie rolled her eyes.

She folded her arms over her breasts, and I watched every move she made. Her face was glowing, she looked gorgeous…there was no other woman better fit to be a mother. Nobody else whom I would rather have as the mother of my child.

“What are you doing here, Jared? Why are you back in Chicago?” she asked.

I couldn’t get the words out yet. All I wanted to do was to just stare at her. How had I got so lucky? Lucky enough to be living in that house in Madison Green? The truth was that I had the best childhood anybody could have, because I had Elsie in it. She had always been there for me.

“And how did you know where I was going to be? What is going on, Jared?” Elsie’s eyes were brimming with tears now. She’d figured it out.

“I know we’re having a baby together, Elsie. And I am not leaving this time,” I said.

Elsie cried out, clasping her hand to her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“I’m going to kill Mona with my own bare hands!” she cried through her tears.

I wanted to reach for her and hold her in my arms, but I couldn’t…not yet. Not without finding out how she really felt about me.