Alexander Kane Is Not a Poor Bastard!

Chapter Seven A Call To Jeruel Caldwell

Alexander’s words were venomous, each one slicing through the tense silence like a blade. He watched Jeruel’s eyes widen in shock as she snatched the phone from the doctor’s hand. Her face drained of color, her trembling hands barely able to hold the device. The truth was sinking in, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. In that fleeting moment, Alexander saw the weight of realization hit her—there were no accusations, no sharp retorts, just the suffocating silence of someone caught off guard.

The room held its breath, the silence almost unbearable, until Jeruel’s phone beeped—a sound that broke the stillness with unsettling finality. She hastily glanced at the notification, her face falling further into disbelief as she read the message.

Daniella, one of Jeruel’s closest friends, had been at the bank the day Alexander went to apply for the loan. She’d seen him leave the loan officer’s office, and now the truth was staring Jeruel in the face, undeniable.

“I think Alexander got a loan from the bank. I saw him there yesterday, coming out of the loan officer’s office. Be careful—don’t let the pauper ruin you.”

Jeruel’s pulse quickened. She read the message again, then froze. A second notification appeared—a photo of Alexander opening the door to the loan officer’s office. The poor bastard had borrowed money. Her heart raced as the implications hit her. The man she’d once thought was trying to put on a façade of success was a fraud, a desperate man who had nothing but borrowed money to pay for their daughter’s treatment. The layers of her contempt began to form, each one heavier than the last.

And in that moment, Jeruel’s disbelief twisted into something darker—something that felt almost triumphant. A mocking laugh bubbled up from her chest, loud and sharp, echoing around the room. Her finger pointed toward Alexander as if to emphasize the absurdity of the situation. “So, all that confidence you had? It was just because you borrowed money from the bank, huh?” she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. “You thought you could use that to impress me?”

Her laughter filled the room, cruel and unrestrained, as she turned to Jack, inviting him to join in the mockery. Jack, who had been standing by her side, felt an overwhelming wave of relief. At first, he had feared that Alexander might somehow be more capable than he let on. But now, with the truth laid bare, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Nice acting, Alexander,” Jack chuckled, a smug grin spreading across his face. “At least it got you to pay the hospital bills for your daughter. That’s integrity; I’ll give you that. But you’ll still lose Zoe. Your ex and I are going to file for custody, and you won’t stand a chance.”

But Alexander, unmoved, stood tall and unwavering, his expression unreadable. He locked eyes with Jack and Jeruel, and a flicker of defiance passed across his face. Once, he would have tried to explain himself. Once, he would have fought for Jeruel’s approval. But not anymore. Not after everything he had endured.

A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “Go ahead, file the suit, Jack. Do whatever you think you need to. Then you’ll see what I’m really capable of.”

Jack blinked in surprise, but his momentary hesitation quickly dissolved as he waved it away. “All you do is bluff,” he said, but his gaze shifted to Jeruel, who was visibly shaken. There was something in her eyes now—a flicker of worry. Alexander’s words unsettled her. And that worried him. Jeruel’s face was flushed with anger, her earlier mockery gone, replaced by something deeper, something darker.

It clicked in Jack’s mind—if Alexander still had money from the loan, he could hire a lawyer. If he had enough, there was a chance he could fight for Zoe in court, especially considering the bond she had with her father. This thought gnawed at Jeruel, and her desperation began to take form. She needed to strike at the heart of Alexander’s confidence to break him completely. And that’s when it came to her—the secret. The one thing that could destroy him.

With a cold, predatory smile, Jeruel turned to face Alexander. Her voice was sharp, dripping with venom. “And do you think you’re Zoe’s real father?”

The words hung in the air, cold and heavy, like a bell tolling at the end of everything Alexander had believed. His heart stopped. His mind reeled. What did she mean? His throat tightened, panic creeping in. He needed to understand, to hear the truth.

“What do you mean?” His voice came out shakier than he intended, but he couldn’t stop it. Jeruel, what are you talking about?

Diana and Jack exchanged a confused glance, but Jeruel’s face twisted into a cruel smirk, her eyes glinting with malice. She could see the effect her words were having.

“If you doubt me, let’s do a DNA test,” she said, her tone cold and final. “Alexander Kane is not the real father of my daughter.”

The words struck Alexander like a punch to the gut. Not his daughter? His world seemed to tilt, his vision narrowing. The thought of it made him sick, twisting his insides. Could it be true?

Her smirk deepened, a twisted satisfaction radiating from her. “I only told you she was yours because we were married, and I didn’t want to break your heart. But now? I don’t care anymore.”

The room seemed to close in around him. His mind raced, his heart pounding in his ears. Was she lying? Was this just another of her cruel tricks? Or was this the horrible truth?

“I need to know,” he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion. “Do it, Doctor.”

The doctor, who had been standing quietly by, nodded and left to prepare for the DNA test. The silence in the room deepened, the tension unbearable.

Two days later, Alexander arrived early at the hospital, his mind a whirlwind of uncertainty and dread. Thirty minutes later, Jeruel, Diana, and Jack arrived, and the doctor emerged, holding the test results. He handed them to Alexander, his expression unreadable, and passed a copy to Jeruel.

With shaking hands, Alexander tore open the envelope. His eyes scanned the results, each word, each detail, hitting him like a wave crashing against the rocks. His stomach dropped, and his world tilted dangerously as the truth sank in. Jeruel’s smirk deepened, her satisfaction radiating from her in cruel waves.

“You’re not the father, Alexander,” she spat, her voice dripping with triumph. “Jack is. So, back off!”

The words landed with a brutal finality, and Alexander felt the ground beneath him give way. Not his daughter. He could hardly breathe.

Jack, too, stood frozen, a look of disbelief plastered on his face. “How? When?” he stammered, unable to wrap his mind around it. He had only started the affair with Jeruel recently—how could he be the father?

Alexander’s gaze met Jack’s, both men stunned, their worlds crumbling beneath them—but for vastly different reasons. For Alexander, it was the unraveling of everything he thought he knew. For Jack, it was the sudden realization of a responsibility he never asked for.