Caesar's POV Julia's labor was unexpected and abrupt. Of course, I knew nothing about pregnancy, but I'd believed her when she said the baby wasn't due for another few weeks. When I held him in my arms, I remembered Julia's words. This child could have been ours. I wasn't the kind of man who dwelled on what-ifs from the past. The truth was, whenever I imagined having children in the future, there was only one person I saw beside me. And for that to happen, I had to make it home alive. John was still working out the final details of our escape, arranging documents, contacts, and alternate routes. Going home was no longer an option. It wasn't safe anymore. The plan was now to leave the hospital and head straight for a more distant city, disappear for a while until things settled down. But with a newborn in our arms, everything became infinitely more complicated. Our vulnerability was no longer just our own. Now it had a name, a face, a tiny, fragile body breathing inside a bassinet

Julia's POV Caesar was an excellent father, even though he wasn't Adam's father. The house was large, spacious, and peaceful. It had been a long time since I'd known any kind of peace. At first, running away had felt strange. Deep down, I was afraid of the unknown. But I knew that as long as I was beside Caesar, I would always be safe. I tried to include him in my routine with the baby. I took care of the house and everything else while Caesar talked on the phone or went outside to make sure no one was following us. His beard kept growing, and he carried himself with an increasingly controlled and determined air. I was falling in love with that man all over again, remembering all the feelings we'd shared in the past and feeling even more deeply the regret over the choices I'd made. One day, we went for a walk together, like a family. It had been so long since I'd known what a real family felt like. I didn't want to remember my life with Kyle anymore, and I was grateful that C

Caesar's POV The baby was asleep in Julia's arms when the car pulled up in front of the embassy. Packing had been quick since there wasn't much in the house. One of the security men was driving, while another team followed us from a distance in a second car. Everything went smoothly, with an unexpected calm, until the moment I stepped onto the sidewalk. As soon as we got out of the car, that familiar prickling sensation of being watched hit me. I scanned both sides of the street, assessing every face and movement while Julia entered the building with the baby. Two support vehicles were strategically positioned a few yards away, with trained men watching for anyone who approached. Even so, the back of my neck continued to tingle. I told myself it was just paranoia from the past few weeks. Spending so long on high alert had taken its toll. "Everything okay?" Julia asked, holding the baby tighter against her chest. I nodded, even though my gut disagreed. The freezing air con

Camille's POV "Well, look who showed up again…" she murmured. "Our favorite lumberjack." Raymond walked in as usual, discreet, with a posture far too relaxed for a man who naturally drew attention without even trying. His dark hair was tied in a low bun, a few loose strands falling around his face. He wore a simple white T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing the tattoos on his forearms. He gave us a polite nod and went straight to his usual table. "Go wait on him," Nina whispered. "And put a smile on that face. You had that weird expression again, like you're lost in the past." I took a deep breath and walked over to him. "Good evening," I said professionally. "The usual?" He smiled. It wasn't an arrogant smile. It was calm, almost shy, and a man like him had no business being shy. "Actually… today I'd like to order something else." He looked at me intently, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Of course." He tilted his head slightly, studying me carefully. His

Julia's POV Rain began falling in the middle of the afternoon. Light, steady, relentless, canceling our late-afternoon outing. I was sitting on the living room rug with Adam resting against my legs when I heard his footsteps in the hallway. I already knew that rhythm. With every passing day, I found myself waiting for him. I felt that now, in a safe environment, on Caesar's territory, he was more relaxed. Adam let out a loud laugh, that new laugh he'd only recently discovered, and I laughed with him. "He figured out he can pull my hair," I said when Caesar appeared in the living room. "He's going to be a strong little boy." He watched us for a second longer than necessary. That look that made my heart race and my legs tremble. "I'm sure he will," he replied with a faint smile. The way he treated my son, how gentle he was with him, was another thing that made me happy. The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable. We looked like a family. And as much as he still kept h