All Chapters of Once Downtrodden; Now Divine: Chapter 341
- Chapter 350
358 chapters
Chapter 342
Donald thanked the Kessington family briefly before leaving the mansion.The moment felt intentionally restrained, as though both sides understood that further conversation would only stretch the formality without adding anything meaningful. A few polite nods followed, a final exchange of acknowledgments, and then he was already turning away.The night air outside felt cooler than the atmosphere inside—less polished, less performative, and strangely easier to breathe in. The contrast was immediate, like stepping out of a carefully controlled environment into something more honest, even if it was colder.His driver was already waiting by the car, standing with professional stillness beside the open rear door. Donald gave a small nod, and within minutes he was seated inside. The engine started smoothly, and the vehicle pulled away from the estate gates, the grand structure of the Kessington mansion shrinking behind him as it disappeared into the web of city lights.For most of the ride,
Chapter 343
After the banquet night at the Kessington mansion, Evelyn did not reach out to Donald for a long while. There was no message, no call, and no attempt to bridge the distance that had formed between them. The absence was not accidental or forgetful; it was complete and deliberate, as though whatever thread had once tied them together had been placed aside and left untouched. Instead, she returned to her normal routines with an unusual calmness, as though nothing significant had shifted on the surface of her life. She attended meetings in polished rooms filled with long tables and careful voices, handled conversations with the same controlled precision she was known for, and moved through her days with the same composed demeanor she had always carried in public.She spoke when necessary, smiled when required, and listened with measured attention. To anyone watching her from the outside, nothing about her suggested disruption. Her schedule remained intact, her presence consistent, her inf
Chapter 344
When the clock struck 5 p.m., Donald arrived at the lounge exactly as agreed.The building stood in a quieter part of the street, away from the heavier flow of traffic and the usual evening rush. From the outside, it looked modest enough, but the moment Donald stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted. The interior carried a deliberate calmness—soft golden lighting that didn’t strain the eyes, polished wooden tables arranged with careful spacing, and a faint scent of clean fabric and mild fragrance that suggested order rather than chaos.The sound level was low. Conversations were present but subdued, almost respectful of the space itself. A few guests sat scattered across the lounge, speaking in low tones, their movements unhurried. Gentle music played in the background, the kind that filled silence without demanding attention, blending into the environment rather than standing out.Donald paused briefly just inside the entrance, taking in the room. His expression remained neutral, obse
Chapter 345
Evelyn didn’t answer immediately.She simply leaned back in her chair, watching him with a calmness that felt almost too deliberate for the moment.Then she spoke.“You don’t need the paper to understand,” she said softly.A pause.“You can see it for yourself.”Donald frowned slightly.“See what?”Evelyn placed a hand lightly over her lower abdomen.“I’m pregnant,” she said.She let the words settle for a moment before continuing.“And the pregnancy…” she added, looking directly at him now, “is yours.”For a brief second, Donald didn’t react.Then he laughed.It started as a short, disbelieving chuckle—sharp and sudden. Then it grew louder. He leaned back in his chair, shaking his head as the laughter continued, unable to contain it.People at nearby tables turned to look.Evelyn didn’t move.She just watched him.Donald finally exhaled, still smiling as though he had heard the most absurd thing imaginable.“I’m sorry,” he said, still amused. “I’m really trying to understand this.”H
Chapter 346
Donald sat still for a moment, staring at Evelyn as though waiting for her words to correct themselves mid-air.But they didn’t.She remained composed, her voice steady, her expression calm, as if what she had just said was the simplest explanation in the world.“It was on the banquet night,” she repeated.That was when Donald leaned back slowly, his jaw tightening.“No,” he said flatly.Just one word.But it carried enough force to cut through the atmosphere between them.Evelyn didn’t flinch.She simply watched him, waiting.Donald exhaled through his nose and shook his head once, slowly.“I remember that night,” he said.His voice was lower now, controlled—but sharper.“I remember everything clearly.”A pause.“I arrived at your family banquet. I attended the event. I ate. I spoke briefly. Then I felt tired—unusually tired.”He tapped the table lightly as he spoke.“Dizzy. That’s the word.”He looked directly at her now.“And then I was excused to rest.”A pause.“That’s it.”Evely
Chapter 347
The single word “ingrate” cut through the lounge like something deliberately aimed, not spoken in anger alone, but in accusation that carried weight far beyond the room itself.Donald went still.For a moment, it was as though even the ambient sound of the lounge had dulled around him. The soft music, the distant clatter of glasses, the low murmur of other guests—all of it faded into something secondary. What remained was only the word, hanging in the air between them like a line that had been crossed without warning.Then his expression changed.Slowly.Not loudly.But dangerously.It wasn’t an explosion of emotion, nor a visible outburst. It was something more contained, more controlled, and therefore more unsettling. The kind of shift that happened when patience stopped being restraint and became decision.He looked at her for a long moment, as though confirming he had actually heard her correctly. His eyes held steady, searching her face not for clarification, but for intent. Whet
Chapter 348
Donald stood frozen beside the crib.His eyes did not move away from the child.Not even for a second.It was as though everything around him had slowed down—sound, movement, even breath—compressing the entire world into a single narrow focus. The lounge, the hospital room, Evelyn standing behind him, all of it faded into background noise that no longer demanded his attention. Only the small life in front of him remained, and the unsettling familiarity that came with it.The shape of the face.The line of the jaw, even in infancy.The faint tension in the brow that looked disturbingly familiar.He did not want to reach conclusions too quickly. He had always relied on reason, on observation, on what could be proven rather than what could be felt. But standing here, none of that discipline seemed to reduce what he was seeing.It was him.Or something too close to him to dismiss.Evelyn watched him carefully from the bed.Her voice came softly, but firmly.“You can see it now,” she said.
Chapter 349
Donald’s gaze lingered on Margaret for a fraction longer than normal.Her words had been casual. Too casual.“He is just as handsome as you,” she had said with a light laugh, as though it were a simple, harmless observation made in passing.But something about the ease in her tone made Donald pause internally.He had heard many compliments in his life—on his intelligence, his medical achievements, even his composure under pressure. Praise was not unfamiliar territory to him. It rarely unsettled him, and even more rarely made him question intent.But this one felt different.Not because of what was said, but because of how naturally it was said, as though the conclusion had already been accepted long before he arrived.Calculated.Not accidental.Donald shifted the baby slightly in his arms, his grip steady but thoughtful, his eyes narrowing just a little as he studied Margaret instead of responding immediately. He was not reacting emotionally—he was observing patterns, tone, implicati
Chapter 350
Donald stood near one of the large windows overlooking the beautifully landscaped gardens outside the event hall.The naming ceremony was still in full swing.Soft music floated through the air.Guests laughed, exchanged business cards, and moved from table to table discussing everything from politics to investments.Yet despite the celebration surrounding him, Donald found himself strangely distracted.His eyes drifted toward the child once again.The baby was resting peacefully in Evelyn's arms several feet away.Every now and then, a guest would stop to admire him, and Evelyn would smile proudly.The sight stirred complicated emotions within Donald.Just a year ago, his life had been completely different.He had been focused on his work.Focused on his marriage.Focused on building a future with Ivy.Now everything had changed.His relationship with Ivy had crumbled.The allegations, the pictures, the arguments, and the separation had destroyed whatever peace they once shared.Now
Chapter 351
Donald did not respond immediately.The word pictures hung in the air like a blade suspended just above skin.Around them, conversations had completely died. Even the distant music seemed muted now, as though the entire hall had been forced to listen.Ivy stood firm, her gaze locked on Donald.Not pleading.Not emotional.Focused.Donald finally spoke, his voice low.“What about them?”Ivy took a small step forward.“I didn’t send them.”A faint ripple moved through the crowd.Evelyn’s eyes narrowed immediately.Margaret shifted uncomfortably.Edmund watched carefully, saying nothing.Donald didn’t react outwardly, but his expression tightened.“You already said that before,” he replied.“I know,” Ivy said quickly.“But you didn’t let me finish.”A pause.Then she continued.“The man in those pictures is my ex,” she said.“Yes. That part is true.”Donald’s jaw clenched slightly.“But what you were shown,” she added, “was not what you think it was.”Evelyn scoffed softly from where she