The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman) novel Chapter 1022

Autumn’s words made Mr. Walker’s jaw drop. He let out a humorless laugh. “You expect me to believe you were just looking after Devin? Alone, the two of you, in a hotel room? Autumn, do you take me for a complete idiot?”

His anger was boiling over—this was his wife, the woman he’d always protected, standing here spouting some righteous nonsense and acting in ways he could hardly even grasp.

Tears welled up in Autumn’s eyes. She looked at Mr. Walker, hurt and wronged, but there was a stubborn spark in her gaze. “If that’s really what you think—if you honestly can’t trust me—then I’ve got nothing left to say. Just let our child come into this world without a father.”

That hit Mr. Walker like a punch to the gut.

Autumn refused to back down, wouldn’t admit a thing, and instead tossed all the blame back onto him. “If you insist on thinking that way, I have nothing to say”—it was the ultimate line, and she delivered it like a pro.

When she brought up their unborn child, Mr. Walker’s temper snapped again. He pointed at Autumn’s belly, his voice icy. “And how do I even know if that baby’s mine?”

The second he said it, Autumn exploded. She snatched the glass off the table and hurled it, rage flashing in her eyes—she was even angrier than he was. “Mr. Walker, insult me all you want, don’t believe me if you must, but don’t you dare question this child! Am I really that worthless to you? You want to humiliate me like this? This is the Walker family’s own blood! If I’ve lied about any of this, may I never know peace!”

She stood there, so righteous, tears streaming down her face, as if she’d suffered the greatest injustice in the world.

For a moment, Mr. Walker hesitated.

Autumn’s face was streaked with tears, her whole body shaking with anger. The look she gave him was pure disappointment—every detail perfectly played.

But to Mr. Walker, it hit hard. He stared at her, shaken. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

Every word went straight to Mr. Walker’s heart.

“Autumn…” he murmured, guilt flooding his face.

Autumn wiped at her tears, voice shaky. “Mr. Walker, I lied to you about Julie. That was wrong of me. Do you know how much it hurt to find out she was my daughter? She was part of me, and from the day she was born to the day she died, she never saw me once. The first time I ever saw her was… after she was gone. I never meant to hide it from you—I just didn’t know how to say it.”