Ethan was too close. So close that Grayson's eyes narrowed, his chest tightening like someone had lit a fire beneath his ribs. "Gray, what is it?" Sienna asked, catching the change in his expression. He barely turned his head. "Nothing. Let's sit." She followed without another word. But before she sat down, Sienna's eyes had already scanned the room. She'd seen Kate. She just pretended not to. But inside, her thoughts were as sharp as broken glass. 'So, here you are.' She smiled sweetly across the table at Grayson, pretending everything was perfectly normal while watching him like a hawk. He, however, couldn't take his eyes off the other table. "The menu looks amazing," she said, flipping a page casually. "How about foie gras? It's one of your favorites, right?" "Order whatever you want," Grayson muttered, not even glancing at the menu. Sienna raised her eyes, taking in the tension in his jaw, the cold line of his mouth. "You okay?" "Perfectly," he said through

The taxi rolled to a smooth stop in front of the towering entrance of Maxwell Industries. The building loomed like a wall of glass and steel scraping the clouds, reflecting the gray morning sky. Oliver leaned forward and handed the driver a carefully folded bill. "Thank you, sir," he said with flawless manners that didn't quite match his chubby cheeks and dinosaur backpack. The driver accepted the money but paused before unlocking the door. "You sure you're going in there alone?" "Yes, sir. I'm not lost," Oliver replied with a smile that seemed rehearsed—but was undeniably charming. His small legs hopped out of the car, and his backpack bounced on his back as he marched confidently toward the glass doors. In his mind, everything was running on schedule. A security guard near the entrance spotted him immediately and narrowed his eyes. "Where you headed, champ?" Oliver stopped and looked up, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Sorry, sir. I dropped my ID inside the elev

From inside the office, Sienna stood frozen at the glass wall, watching the scene unfold. At first, she couldn't quite process what she was seeing. But when Grayson's arms wrapped around the boy and his fingers brushed through that blond hair with such tenderness, her entire body tensed. Her hands pressed flat against the glass as a sharp, burning jealousy flared in her chest. Something was off. Her sixth sense that was sharp and rarely wrong told her that boy hadn't lied. "Could Grayson have a kid and keep it from me?" The thought made her stomach twist. "No. No way. I am not raising some other woman's brat. Kids are noisy, messy, entitled. They take up space, demand attention… and worst of all, they make you invisible." Outside, Grayson gently pulled back from the hug and looked down at the boy with a faint, uneasy smile. "Wow… I wasn't expecting that hug, but thank you. Now tell me, are you lost? Or does your dad work here?" Oliver looked at him for a moment without answ

The car hadn't even come to a full stop in front of the station when Kate flung the door open. She didn't wait for Ethan to kill the engine. She leapt out and bolted for the entrance like her legs might outrun the panic rising in her throat. Her heartbeat thundered so loud she could barely hear her own steps. She burst through the doors of the police station in a whirlwind of fear and fury, ignoring the stares, the voices, everything... until she saw her. The school principal was standing beside an officer, hands clasped tightly in front of her, her face stiff with tension. Kate didn't hesitate. She stormed toward her and slapped her across the face. "Where is my son?! Where is Oliver?!" she screamed, her voice raw and frantic, almost unrecognizable to her own ears. Her eyes were wild, overflowing, and she was already raising her hand to strike again. "Kate, Kate!" Ethan grabbed her from behind just in time, his arms wrapping tightly around her. "You have to calm down. Listen

The room was dim, lit only by the warm glow of the dragon-shaped lamp beside the bed. A white comforter covered both Kate and Oliver as they lay together, wrapped in each other's arms. Kate gently ran her fingers through his hair, slow and rhythmic, feeling his small body gradually start to relax. Her heart was still beating a little fast, like it hadn't quite shaken off the fear from earlier. "Can you promise me something, sweetheart?" she whispered. Oliver lifted his head and looked at her, those big eyes still shiny from the tears he'd shed that day. "What?" "That you won't ever run off again. Not from school. Not from anywhere. You scared me so much, Oli... way too much." The little boy bit his lip and looked down. "I'm sorry, Mommy…" Kate gently took his chin and tilted his face back up. "I'm not mad. I just need you to promise me you'll never do that again." He nodded and hugged her tighter. "I promise." Kate smiled at his words and kissed his cheek. "That