Alexander Kane Is Not a Poor Bastard!

Chapter Nine Jack Surprised

(Present Time)

“My God, you were that woman? Jeruel?” Jack’s voice trembled with shock, disbelief flooding his features as Jeruel’s revelation shattered the fragile hope Alexander had clung to. The truth hit him like a slap to the face: he, not Alexander, was Zoe’s father.

The affair—one night, years ago, a fleeting encounter neither of them had thought about twice—was now the epicenter of a life-altering revelation. Jeruel had never considered the implications of that night until she discovered the man she had slept with was wealthy. Now, that moment had resurfaced, and she wasn’t about to let it go.

“So, Mr. Alexander,” Jack said, his voice dripping with malice as he smirked at Alexander, “now that you know the little girl you fought for isn’t yours, but mine, what are you going to do? Leave already and save yourself the embarrassment.”

Alexander felt his chest tighten, his entire body bracing under the weight of the betrayal. The woman he had loved, the woman he had entrusted with his heart, had not only deceived him—she had done so in the most painful way imaginable. Jeruel had slept with another man. And that man was now standing before him, claiming what Alexander had believed was his. His mind spun, confusion clouding his thoughts, but more than anything, his heart ached.

But then, he looked at Zoe. The little girl who had known him as her father. Since the moment she was born, he had been the one to care for her. He had watched her grow, loved her, protected her, and above all—he had been the one to shape her world. Five years had passed, and in those five years, she had been his whole world. Now, standing in the hospital room, a stranger was claiming his daughter.

“No!” Alexander said, his voice ringing out with conviction, as if it were the only truth that mattered in this moment. His gaze fixed on Jack, then on Jeruel, and finally, on Zoe—his daughter. “I don’t care who her biological father is. I’ve been her father since the day she was born, and I won’t stop now. I am her father, and nothing changes that.”

His heart pounded as the silence in the room deepened. He wasn’t about to let this man—Jack, a man who had shown up after all these years—strip him of the bond he had with Zoe.

“Doctor,” Alexander said firmly, turning toward the medical professional standing by. “Who is the legal father of this child?”

The doctor, who had remained quiet until now, nodded toward Alexander with a small smile of reassurance. “You, sir,” he confirmed.

Alexander’s resolve hardened. He turned to Jack, his voice steady but resolute. “Zoe continues to be my daughter, whether you like it or not.”

With that, he turned, walking toward the ward where Zoe waited. Her innocent face lit up when she saw him enter, her smile like a beacon of hope in a storm of uncertainty. She rushed toward him, and Alexander swept her into his arms, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. In her embrace, he found his strength. No matter what happened next, Zoe would not be taken from him.

Jeruel gasped, her pale face betraying the shock she felt at Alexander’s unshakable resolve. Jack looked on, frozen in disbelief, his arrogance faltering in the face of Alexander’s unyielding love for Zoe. Diana, who had been silent up to this point, couldn’t fathom how a man so beaten, so broken, could still claim to be the father of a child who wasn’t biologically his.

“We’re going to court!” Jack’s voice rang out, raw with anger, a promise of war. “You won’t get away with this. I will fight for Zoe. I won’t let you raise her any longer. She’s my daughter, and I will get custody.”

The fire in Jack’s eyes blazed, but his words only fueled Alexander’s determination. As Jack turned to Jeruel, his tone softened, but his resolve was no less fierce.

“I promise you,” Jack said, gripping Jeruel’s hands with an almost possessive intensity, “we will win custody of Zoe. We’ll get her back, and as soon as we do, we’ll get married, and everything will be perfect. Our perfect family.” He looked at her with unshakeable confidence, as though the battle had already been won. Jeruel smiled back, her expression smug, as if everything had fallen into place just the way she had always dreamed.

Meanwhile, standing by the door of the ward, Jack and Jeruel shared a quiet moment of triumph, exchanging glances filled with victorious satisfaction. But Alexander was focused entirely on Zoe. His daughter. His heart.

Inside the ward, Zoe looked up at him, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Dad,” she asked softly, her voice full of concern. “What’s happening? I heard shouting. Is everything okay?”

Her words, so innocent and pure, cut through the tension like a knife. Zoe had seen the growing rift between her mother and father over the years, the constant criticism Jeruel aimed at him, the emotional distance between them. It had only served to strengthen her bond with him. She knew, deep down, that something was wrong, but she didn’t understand the weight of it all.

Alexander gave her a gentle smile, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. “Everything will be alright, I promise,” he whispered, his voice warm and soothing as he pulled her into a tight hug. As he held her close, his gaze shifted to the window, where Jeruel, Jack, and Diana were leaving the hospital, each of them wearing the unmistakable expression of people who believed they had won.

But the battle had only just begun.

As they disappeared from view, a fire ignited in Alexander’s chest. He knew what they were planning—a court battle for custody. He knew they wouldn’t give up easily. But he wasn’t backing down. Not now, not ever. Zoe was his daughter, and no one could take that away from him.

“Attorney Alfred,” Alexander muttered to himself. He thought of the most renowned attorney in the state—a man who had made a name for himself by winning cases others deemed impossible. If there was anyone who could help him in this fight, it was him.

But how would he get in touch with the man? How would he navigate the web of legal battles ahead? The thought gnawed at him as he stood up and kissed Zoe’s forehead one more time. “I’ll be right back, dear. Remember to take your medicine, okay?” he said, his voice calm but filled with urgency.

Zoe smiled, nodding, oblivious to the storm brewing outside her world.

As Alexander left the hospital room, he was filled with a renewed sense of purpose. Outside, he ordered an Uber and directed it to the law firm known for housing the best lawyers in the state. His heart was set—he was going to do whatever it took to keep Zoe with him.

When he arrived, he stepped out of the car, only to see Jeruel and Jack, arm in arm, leaving the law firm. They walked side by side, a picture of smug satisfaction, as though the world were theirs for the taking.

They paused when they saw him, their smiles turning into sneers. Jack was the first to speak, his voice dripping with contempt.

“What’s this loser doing here again?” Jack sneered, a cruel smile spreading across his face. “Is he here to hire a lawyer? As if he could even afford an hour of consultation here.”

Jeruel joined in, scoffing as she locked eyes with Alexander. “You,” she said, her voice dripping with venom. “Are you here to embarrass yourself again?”

Her words cut deep, but Alexander didn’t flinch. He had no time for their cruelty. If there was one thing he had learned through all his struggles, it was resilience. And now, for Zoe, he would fight with everything he had.

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” he thought to himself. “For her, I’ll never give up.”