Nico steps through the door with Leo’s hand held tight in his own. I look up and moan at the sight of my little boy, who looks frightened and scared, his face pale and –And flecked with blood –I reach for him, crying his name, and Leo breaks from Nico, dashing for me, throwing himself into my lap
“This entire life was a lie, Iris,” Christian insists, his voice steely. “You’re mine, my wife, whether you like it or not. And I’m taking you home.”Nico stands back, watching silently, his face a mask of indifference. I realize he’s not here to comfort me; he’s here to enforce Christian’s will.I
A few days later, the world outside the limousine blurs past in a haze of color and noise. Inside, a heavy silence envelops us. I hold Daisy tightly in my arms, her small frame trembling slightly, while Leo sits beside me, his eyes wide with uncertainty. He hasn’t said much in the past few days as h
“I’m Leo,” my brave boy says, setting his shoulders back and reaching out a hand. Bianca laughs as she takes it in both of her own, beaming at the boy, clearly immediately seeing the affinity between Leo and his father, between Leo and her own son.“Leo, I’m your Auntie Bianca,” she says, grinning.
Disappointment floods my chest, a sense of disbelief washing over me. “You think I would trust you again after everything? After how you treated me? You expect me to just come back and forget?”His eyes narrow, disappointment etched into his features. “You were faithless. I thought you’d be loyal. I
“Yes,” he answers, a growl in his voice. “That should suit just fine.”I laugh at the irony in this and shake my head, looking away. “So now you want me to come back, to pretend as if nothing ever happened? You expect me to just accept this, the way things are now?”Christian opens his mouth to resp
My heart sinks as I look Christian in the eyes – because beyond all hope, I had been praying that he hadn’t noticed that Leo is his son. But how could I have been so naïve? Leo looks just like him - dark hair, striking grey-blue eyes. The resemblance is unmistakable. I feel a wave of guilt crashing
But…was it? Was it me, missing Chris? Wanting to have yet another piece of him, even if I long denied wanting any ties to my past life?I look down, my heart heavy, not truly understanding what I think or what I feel.“I mean it, Iris,” Chris says, his voice steady and cool. “I’ll be a father to her