Declan was born at the end of September, and his father got to hold his son in his arms before dying two days later. Iseult was beside herself with grief, but comforted knowing that her husband had got to see his son before passing on. Heather, Jamie and Calum rallied around her, and Heather was especially pleased to see her daughter taking comfort in having baby Liam around as well. In fact, she often treated him as another son, and Heather quietly got to work on making Iseult Liam's foster mother, taking advantage of Patrick's continued acquiescence of the matter. So long as the man believed he had a chance with the now-widowed Iseult, Heather knew she had a good chance of securing Liam's future so he wouldn't be treated as a pawn by his grandmothers. Nora was still behind bars, but Sophia would seize her grandson by fair means or foul, and Heather vowed not to let that happen.
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Liam's adoption passed successfully, and by the time Sophia did turn up on the doorstep to try and claim her grandson, it was Iseult who told her to pound sand. "Liam is my son," she told the older woman. "It's all legal and above-board, and Patrick signed his rights away. He's got no legal claim on Liam, and you, therefore, have no legal claim to a grandson who doesn't exist. Go harass your daughter for more grandchildren if you're that desperate, and leave both my sons alone."
Sophia, thus quashed, gave ground. "Do me one favour," she said. "You tell that older boy of yours the truth." 94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddMoC1tnI8
"I'm not going to lie to him," Iseult told her. "But neither am I going to paint either of his parents in a light they don't deserve to be painted in."
"None of us are perfect," Sophia admitted. "Yes, my shit stinks just as much as the next person's."
Iseult's eyebrows shot up. "Well, the old bat has finally admitted she shits like the rest of us."
"Don't gloat," Sophia warned, but the heat had gone out of her tone, and Iseult had the feeling she'd just gained a rather unexpected ally.
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The following year, after Liam's first birthday, Patrick arrived at the house. "I'm sorry for your loss," he told Iseult. "But you and I can make a future together. I know I signed away my rights to your son, but I can always adopt him and Declan as mine if you agree to marry me."
"What about Kate?" Iseult asked.
"I divorced her after she went to jail," Patrick said. "And she was never the woman you are. I only turned to her for comfort; I didn't expect her to take it so seriously and insist on getting married. But now she's not in the way, and neither is your husband. We can still make something together; all you have to do is say yes. I can overlook everything you put me through, and we can make a fresh start."94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbDyY1sUdO
Iseult sighed. "Just when I thought you might have grown up," she said wearily, rising. "Patrick, you're a good man. But you're perpetually stuck in that afternoon where I told you I couldn't be with you, or any man, because I was worried about what Saraid would say if she found out I was happy where she wasn't. But I've grown up and moved on, and Gerry turned out to be far more patient than you when I told him my reluctance had nothing to do with him, but with the demons going on in my head. That's why I married him; he proved the better man in the end."
"You'll be sorry," Patrick said, standing. "I've taken over Nora's business, and I'm going to make myself a very rich man. One day, I'm going to out-do you, and you'll come crawling back to me, asking for forgiveness on bended knee. If I'm feeling generous, I'll marry you, but only if you admit to your mistake, and agree to merge our companies together. I'll even let you go squidding, but it will be with a crew of my choosing."
"Just go," Iseult told him. "I'll never marry you, and I'll be damned if I let you take over any part of my company. I'll be the one taking over your company; that is, if you don't run it into the ground first."94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJxW0se1d0
"I can use the lessons your father taught me," Patrick said. "Believe me; Ryans' will one day eclipse Murrays' and leave it in the dirt where it belongs. I don't know where your great-granddad got his godforsaken luck, but you're not him. You'll be the one running your hard-earned empire into the ground." So saying, he turned on his heel and left, and Iseult swore softly. 94Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxCpdcwPLQ
"I've a feeling I won't be quit of you yet," she said to the empty air.
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