He Ransomed His Secret Son and Left Our Daughter novel · Chapter 16 of 24
Chapter 16: The Marina
The marina at five in the morning smelled of diesel and wet rope.
Dario parked at the end of the lot, and we walked out onto the dock side by side.
Fishing boats rocked at their slips.
Two dockworkers in orange vests were loading ice into a cooler, and a man in a rain hat was coiling a hose.
At the very end, under a lamp, stood a white yacht with its engine running.
Valentina was standing on the dock beside it in a camel coat and sunglasses, though the sun wasn't up.
Two suitcases sat at her feet.
A driver was lifting a third one onto the gangway.
She heard my heels on the boards and turned her head.
She did not look surprised.
"Of course," she said. "Colin."
"He asked me to tell you he's sorry."
"He's sorry about everything. It's his hobby."
She took off the sunglasses.
Without the makeup, her eyes were swollen and red.
I felt nothing like pity, and I took out the paper anyway.
"He drew this yesterday at my father's kitchen table," I said. "He asked me to give it to you."
I unfolded it.
The rest of this chapter is part of the paid portion of the series. Chapters 1–12 of He Ransomed His Secret Son and Left Our Daughter are free to read — start from the beginning, then unlock the rest with coins in the app.
← Chapter 15 · All chapters · Chapter 17 →
Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend