Worship Him

9. Adam

9

ADAM

T he judge’s gavel slams down with a resounding crack. “Court dismissed!” His voice booms through the room, laced with frustration.

Destiny’s hasty exit has clearly hit a nerve. Can’t say I blame the man.

Thomas sidles up to me as I stride out of the courtroom, entering a quiet hallway. “This could work in our favor,” he says, a hint of optimism in his tone. “The judge didn’t appreciate her running out like that.”

“Great,” I say drily.

I stride out of the courtroom, my jaw clenched tight enough to crack teeth. The rushed court date I'd pulled strings to arrange has blown up in my face. Two fucking weeks of calling in favors, and for what? To watch Destiny flee the room in tears?

The courthouse doors swing open under my hands. The bright sunlight assaults my eyes, momentarily blinding me.

As my vision clears, I spot them.

Destiny and Barrett, huddled together on a nearby bench. Her shoulders shake with silent sobs while he rubs her back, murmuring something I can't hear.

The sight twists my gut. Are they...? Could Barrett be the father? The thought sears through me like acid, but I force it down.

I turn on my heel, re-entering the courthouse. The cool air inside does little to calm the heat burning through me. Thomas is waiting just inside the door, his brows knitted in confusion.

“Back so soon?” he asks, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“I don’t pay you for lame jokes, Thomas,” I say, my voice a low growl. “I need you to dig into Barrett. Thoroughly.”

Thomas raises an eyebrow. “Barrett? Destiny’s lawyer?”

“Yes, him.” I glance around to make sure no one’s listening. “I want to know everything about the man. His family, his finances, his hobbies, his sins, his connections—everything.”

He nods slowly, catching onto my urgency. “You suspect something?”

“Yeah,” I say through gritted teeth. “He’s too close to Destiny. Something doesn’t sit right. He may be the child’s father.”

Thomas strokes his chin thoughtfully. “Well, it’s not exactly legal to dig into someone’s personal life without cause...”

“Since when have you been squeamish about bending the law?” I glare at him.

He shrugs. “Point taken. But we need a plausible reason for the judge if we’re going to use any of this in court.”

I dismiss his warning and think for a moment, the gears in my mind turning rapidly. “Start with his personal relationships,” I say finally. “Find out just how close to Destiny the bastard is. See how much time they spend together. If he’s the father, his days as a lawyer are over.”

Thomas nods again, pulling out his phone to make notes. “Got it. But Adam...”

“What?”

He looks me dead in the eye. “If Barrett's clean and you're wrong about him...”

“I’m not wrong,” I interrupt sharply. “And if by some miracle he is clean, then at least we’ll know for sure.” I run a hand through my hair in frustration. "I want to know everything. No more ugly surprises."

"Fair enough," Thomas says, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "I'll get on it."

“Good.” I take a deep breath, trying to quell the storm inside me.

“And Adam,” Thomas adds as we start walking towards the exit again.

“Yeah?”

“If you’re wrong about Destiny too…”

I stop in my tracks and turn to face him fully. "I'm not wrong about her," I say firmly.

Thomas studies me for a moment before nodding again. "I'll get started immediately."

When I step back out into the sunlight, I catch sight of Destiny and Barrett still on that bench, still talking softly. I keep my eyes on the horizon as I walk past them without another glance.

The courthouse parking lot is a maze of steel and glass, every car reflecting the relentless sun. As I approach my car, I spot a family nearby. The dad, sturdy and sure, holds his toddler’s hands while the kid wobbles on uncertain legs.

The mom hovers close, ready to catch her child if he falls.

A pang of something—jealousy?—stabs through me.

I shake my head, trying to dispel the unwelcome emotion. It’s ridiculous to feel this way. I swallow hard, but the bitterness lingers like bad coffee.

We talked about this once, Destiny and I. The future, kids, a family. And she threw it all away for someone else’s child. The thought ignites a fire of resentment in my chest.

“You got this!” A man’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

I glance up to see the dad smiling at his son. “You’re doing great, buddy! Keep going.”

The kid giggles, and the sound twists the knife deeper. My jaw tightens as I turn away from the scene.

Destiny chose all that with someone else. She betrayed everything we had for another man’s child. My fingers dig into my palms as I unlock my car and slide in behind the wheel.

The leather seats are cool against my back, but they do nothing to calm the heat boiling inside me.

She was supposed to be different. She was supposed to be… wonderful.

I grip the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white. “Screw this,” I mutter to myself.

As I start the engine, the growl of the car drowns out the sounds of laughter from outside. I reverse out of the parking spot and drive off without looking back at that picture-perfect family.

I hit the road with more force than necessary, every bump and jolt feeding my frustration. How could she do this? How could she destroy everything we built together?

The road ahead blurs as thoughts of her and that child fill my mind. Resentment simmers just below the surface, ready to boil over at any moment.

But deep down—buried under layers of anger—is something else: a sense of loss that refuses to be ignored.

I drive on, each mile taking me further from that courthouse but no closer to peace. The city blurs past in a smear of colors, but my mind is stuck on her.

Barrett’s hand on her back. Her tears. That baby.

“Cheating,” I mutter, the word sour in my mouth. It’s the only explanation that fits. But the nagging doubt remains, scratching at the back of my mind.

I pull into the parking garage of my office building and park in my usual spot. The concrete walls close in around me, but it’s a familiar pressure, a welcome distraction from the chaos outside.

I stride into the lobby, nodding at Maria, our receptionist. She gives me a worried look but says nothing.

“Morning, Mr. Ryder,” she finally says as I pass by.

“Morning,” I reply curtly, heading straight for the elevator. Work. I need to bury myself in work.

The elevator doors slide shut with a quiet hiss, and I jab at the button for my floor. As it ascends, I force myself to think about anything other than Destiny and the child.

The doors open to reveal the buzzing hive of my company. People scurry about, phones ring, keyboards clatter—a symphony of productivity.

“Adam!” Derek calls from his desk as I walk by. “Got those reports you wanted.”

“Awesome,” I say without breaking stride. “Bring them to my office.”

My office is a sanctuary of glass and steel. The view of the city skyline does little to calm me today, but it’s better than staring at the walls.

Derek follows me in, clutching a stack of papers. He lays them on my desk and stands there awkwardly.

“You alright?” he asks after a moment.

“Never better,” I lie, flipping through the reports. “What’s this?”

“Financial projections for the quarter,” he says. “And an update on the newest app launch.”

“Right.” I skim through the pages, but words blur together into an unreadable mess.

“You sure you’re okay?” Derek presses.

“I said I’m fine.” My tone sharpens like a blade. “What’s next?”

He hesitates but then continues. “We’ve got a meeting with marketing at ten.”

“Cancel it.”

“But—”

“I said cancel it,” I snap. “Tell Claire to do it before marketing gets on my ass about it. I’ve got more important things to deal with.”

He nods and retreats from my office without another word.

I slump into my chair, staring at the papers spread before me.

A knock on the door pulls me out of my concentration.

“Come in,” I call out.

Claire enters, holding a steaming cup of coffee. She sets it down on my desk without a word.

“Thanks,” I say gruffly.

She nods and leaves me to my solitude once more.

I take a sip of the coffee, its warmth spreading through me. For a moment, I allow myself to imagine what might have been—what should have been—if Destiny hadn’t betrayed me.

The two of us, raising a child, going on family trips, showing the little one the company, and teaching them how to take over once I’m ready to retire.

I look out of the window. There’s no way that’s happening now. Or ever. I’m not going to trust a woman again, it’s proven to not be worth it.

Another sip of coffee helps me draw myself out of these thoughts. There’s no point in dwelling on that now. What’s done is done.

With renewed determination, I turn back to the reports in front of me. There’s work to be done and no time for distractions.