Chapter 112: The Love Money Couldn’t Buy

Chapter 112: Chapter 112: The Love Money Couldn’t Buy

~Third- POV~

Frederick swirled the whiskey in his glass and took a slow sip, his eyes moving between his two longtime friends. "Seeing both of you at this hour in my house... is everything okay?"

Elias leaned back against the couch, his expression grim. "Good thing you realize we aren’t here just for a friendly drink."

"Sure, I know," Frederick replied smoothly, resting his arm along the back of the sofa. "So, tell me, what is it?"

Damian crossed his legs, his expression serious. "I’ll get straight to the point because it’s getting late, and my wife is waiting for me at home."

Frederick offered him a faint smile. "Alright."

Before Damian could speak, Elias leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Let me speak first," he said, fixing his gaze on Frederick. "Can you tell us exactly why you’re protecting someone who is actively trying to ruin you?"

The faint smile on Frederick’s face disappeared, and his dark eyebrows drew together. "What do you mean?"

"There’s no point beating around the bush because I seriously don’t get it," Damian cut in, his voice rising slightly with frustration. "Tell us, Frederick. Why exactly are you protecting Eva?"

Frederick looked at them both, his voice turning cold. "Protecting her? I’m not protecting her."

"Enough!" Elias snapped, his usual calm demeanor giving way to anger. "Enough with pretending you’re completely over her! Tell us the truth. Do you still want her so badly that you’re willing to protect her public image even now?"

"Please, lower your voice," Frederick said immediately, his dark eyes flashing a stern warning. "I don’t want Reynold to hear this conversation."

"You want Reynold, yet you’re still covering for Eva?" Damian shot back, his voice rising despite Frederick’s warning. "What exactly do you want, Frederick?"

"Please, just lower your voices and let me explain," Frederick urged, raising a hand in an attempt to calm them.

"Speak," Damian demanded, folding his arms tightly across his chest.

Frederick took a steadying breath. "If you’re talking about the news from this morning, I’ve already taken action. I paid the bloggers to remove the articles, shut down the websites, and delete the posts."

"And that is EXACTLY the problem!" Elias slammed his glass onto the marble coffee table, making the liquid slosh over the rim. "You paid them off quietly! She’s doing everything in her power to destroy your name, your company, and your peace, and all you do is quietly sweep everything under the rug to protect her reputation!"

"You could have used this exact opportunity to expose her!" Damian added forcefully. "You could have called her out, shown the entire world who the ’superstar model’ Eva really is, and dragged her into the light! But instead, you buried everything! You covered for her again!"

"I’m not covering for her," Frederick replied grimly. "My legal team has filed defamation lawsuits against her and is pursuing the necessary legal measures to protect my assets."

"Legal filings behind closed doors!" Elias scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Until you learn to be as ruthless toward her as she’s been toward you, you’ll never have peace! Unless you publicly stand up to her and destroy her narrative once and for all, Eva will never believe it’s truly over between you two!"

"And if you keep refusing to strike back publicly, she’ll destroy whatever you and that boy are building," Damian warned, his tone dead serious. "She doesn’t even want you back, Frederick! She simply can’t stand seeing you happy. She’s been relying on your silent support for years, knowing that once you settle down with someone else, she’ll lose her hold over you!"

"Which is already happening," Elias added sharply. "She sees how much you care about Reynold, and she’s panicking."

Frederick stared down at his glass, his jaw clenching so hard that the muscle along his cheekbone twitched. "She’s the mother of my child..."

"Oh, please!" Damian threw his hands up in frustration. "Do you have any idea how many things she’s used that child to get out of you? Connections, luxury houses, millions of dollars, opportunities in high society! And now she’s using Lily as a weapon to tear you down, all because she knows you’ll always put your daughter first and hesitate to fight back! Why won’t you fight a woman who’s ready to destroy you? A woman who abandoned her own child years ago, yet still uses her as a bargaining chip?"

Elias stood up abruptly and took a step closer, his voice turning solemn. "It’s time you let go of the past and truly move on, Frederick. Unless you want Reynold to leave you, you need to do something about Eva. She won’t stop, and you know that as clearly as we do."

"It’s time you addressed this issue publicly," Damian added firmly, looking his friend straight in the eye. "Tell the public the truth about your past, your separation, and her abandonment. End her narrative once and for all. Stop hiding in the shadows while she keeps dragging your name through the mud."

Silence descended upon the living room, heavy and suffocating.

Frederick sat motionless, his dark eyes fixed on the whiskey in his glass. Every word cut deep, tearing apart the excuses he had made to himself. Deep down, he knew his friends were right. His decision to handle Eva’s actions privately wasn’t just a matter of strategy. Some part of him still wanted to protect the mother of his child from public disgrace. But by doing so, he was putting Reynold’s heart and peace of mind at risk.

He slowly set his glass on the table and leaned forward, a cold resolve settling over him.

"You’re right," Frederick said quietly, his deep voice carrying a chilling certainty. "I was trying to spare her for Lily’s sake, but she has crossed a line that can never be uncrossed."

He looked up at Damian and Elias.

"I’ll address this publicly," Frederick promised, his tone terrifyingly calm. "I’ll hold a press conference and set the record straight once and for all. The world will know the truth, and Eva will no longer be able to hide behind the lies she’s spread."

Damian nodded firmly. "That’s exactly what you should do."

Frederick leaned back against the leather sofa and let out a slow breath, weariness settling over his sharp features. "I’ll do it, but you both know how much I hate putting myself in that kind of position. I need time. I just... I’ve always worried that exposing Eva publicly would somehow hurt Lily too."

"No matter how badly Eva has failed me, she’s still Lily’s mother, and deep down, I know my daughter deserves to experience a mother’s love. I kept hoping that one day Eva would finally take responsibility and become the mother Lily needs, even if she and I never had anything to do with each other again. I just wanted Lily to have that chance."

The room fell silent. Elias studied his friend, his expression softening with understanding.

"I understand, Frederick. And Damian does too," Elias said gently. "We both have wives and children. We know how difficult a decision like this can be. But it’s difficult because you’re a good man, Frederick. You think deeply, you love deeply, and you care deeply. That’s why your conscience tells you it’s wrong to hurt her. But what about her? She doesn’t hesitate for a second when it comes to hurting you."

"Besides, you can’t use money to buy a mother for your child," Damian added, his voice thoughtful. "A mother’s love isn’t something you can purchase, pay for, or force someone to give when they aren’t willing to take responsibility. If Eva refuses to step up and become the mother Lily deserves, Lily will eventually have to accept that reality. She’s a smart girl, Frederick. She sees everything you do for her every single day. She sees your sacrifices. She won’t blame you for protecting your happiness."

Elias nodded in agreement. "Exactly, Frederick. You’ve spent so long protecting Eva because of Lily, hoping that one day she might change and finally become the mother Lily deserves. It’s time to stop holding on to that hope."

Frederick lowered his gaze, looking between his two friends as they waited for him to speak. After a moment, he finally broke the silence.

"My daughter... she always talks about her friends’ mothers," Frederick said quietly, a rare ache creeping into his voice. "Even if she doesn’t say it out loud, I know she wants that same love from her own mother. Every time she sees a mother kissing her child or holding her hand, I notice the look in her eyes. I just wanted her to experience that kind of love."

Damian looked at his friend with sympathy, his expression softening as he leaned forward.

"This isn’t your fault, Frederick," Damian said firmly. "I know how much you’ve done over the years to encourage Eva to take responsibility for her own child. You gave her everything you thought might help her change, hoping she would eventually put Lily first. But this has to stop. Eva has shown you time and again that she cares more about what you can offer her than about Lily or being a mother."

Frederick closed his eyes briefly, allowing their words to sink in. The weight he had carried for years began to lift.

He knew they were right. He could give Eva millions, luxury estates, and endless opportunities, but he could never make her love her daughter. Lily didn’t need a mother who only remembered her when she wanted money or something to use as leverage. She deserved the truth, and Frederick needed to stop letting his hope that Eva would change keep him trapped in the same situation.

When he opened his dark eyes, the hesitation that had troubled him was gone, replaced by cold determination.

"I understand," Frederick said quietly...