Chapter 6

The clang of the kitchen door echoed sharply as Octavia stormed back inside, her breath uneven. The image of Carl holding Jason's tiny hand wouldn’t leave her mind. She braced herself against the counter, her knuckles whitening as she gripped its edge. Every fiber of her being screamed to go out there and grab her son away from the man who had no right to hold him. Yet, she froze, her thoughts spiraling into chaos.

“Mommy?” Avery’s small voice broke through the haze.

Octavia turned sharply to find her daughter standing a few feet away, clutching her favorite stuffed rabbit. Avery’s wide emerald eyes glimmered with concern, so much like Jason’s... and Carl’s.

“Yes, sweetheart?” Octavia knelt, forcing calm into her tone.

“Is Jason okay?” Avery asked, her voice trembling. “Why did he run off?”

Octavia hesitated, unsure how to answer. Her eyes darted toward Nathaniel, who had walked in behind Avery. His gaze was steady, but the crease in his forehead betrayed his worry.

“Jason’s fine,” Octavia said softly, brushing a strand of hair from Avery’s face. “Stay here with Uncle Nate, alright? Mommy needs to check on your brother.”

Avery nodded reluctantly, clutching her rabbit tighter as Nathaniel placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“You’re not going alone,” Nathaniel said firmly, stepping closer.

“Nate—”

“Don’t.” His tone left no room for argument. “You’re shaking, Octavia. Whoever that man is, I’m coming with you.”

Octavia wanted to argue, but the look in his eyes silenced her. She didn’t have time for this. “Fine,” she muttered, standing abruptly. “Let’s go.”

Nathaniel followed her out of the kitchen, his strides matching her hurried pace.

As they reached the front of the restaurant, Octavia saw them. Jason was still gripping Carl’s hand, talking animatedly about something. Carl’s gaze, however, was fixed on the door, as though he had been waiting for her.

“Mommy!” Jason’s cheerful shout sliced through the tension as he let go of Carl and ran toward her.

Octavia bent down, scooping him up into her arms. Relief washed over her as she held him close, but the moment was short-lived.

“Octavia,” Carl’s voice called, smooth and confident, the sound of it like a ghost from her past.

She straightened, her arms still around Jason, and locked eyes with the man she had fought so hard to forget.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, her tone colder than she intended.

Carl smiled faintly, but there was no humor in it. His emerald eyes, once a source of comfort, now felt invasive as they scanned her face. “Looking for you,” he said simply.

“You’ve found me. Now leave.”

“Mommy?” Jason’s curious voice interrupted. “Do you know him?”

Octavia’s heart sank. She didn’t want to have this conversation now, not in front of her son. She pressed her lips together and set Jason down. “Go back inside, baby. Uncle Nate is waiting for you.”

Jason hesitated, glancing between his mother and Carl. “But—”

“Now, Jason.” Her tone softened, but the urgency was clear.

Nathaniel stepped forward, taking Jason’s hand. “Let’s go, buddy. Your mom’s got this.”

As Nathaniel led Jason back inside, Carl’s gaze lingered on Nathaniel. His jaw tightened. “So, that’s the guy?”

“What do you want, Carl?” Octavia asked sharply, cutting through his observation.

Carl’s expression shifted, his features softening into something almost vulnerable. “We need to talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” She crossed her arms, determined to stand her ground.

“Don’t do this, Octavia.” His voice dropped, losing its edge. “Not here, in the middle of the street. At least give me a chance to explain.”

She let out a bitter laugh. “Explain what? How you abandoned me? How you believed every lie Kristine fed you? Or maybe you’d like to talk about the bruises?” Her voice cracked despite her resolve, and she hated herself for it.

Carl flinched but didn’t look away. “I know I made mistakes—”

“Mistakes?” Her eyes burned with fury. “You didn’t make mistakes, Carl. You made choices. You chose her over me. You chose to throw me out when I was carrying your children!”

“I didn’t know—”

“Exactly. You didn’t know, because you never gave me the chance to tell you. And now you think you can show up here, five years later, and... what? Pretend none of it happened?”

Carl’s shoulders tensed, and for the first time, she saw a flicker of something behind his confident façade. Regret? Pain? It didn’t matter. She wouldn’t let it sway her.

“I came to make things right,” he said, his voice low.

“You’re five years too late.”

Before he could respond, Nathaniel reappeared at the door, his presence an unspoken reminder of the life Octavia had built without Carl.

“Is everything alright here?” Nathaniel’s calm yet authoritative tone cut through the charged air.

Carl’s eyes narrowed slightly as he regarded Nathaniel. “Who are you?”

“Someone who cares about Octavia and her children,” Nathaniel replied smoothly, stepping closer to her side.

Carl’s gaze shifted back to Octavia, and she could see the questions swirling in his mind. “Is he—?”

“That’s none of your business,” she snapped. “Just leave, Carl.”

“I’m not leaving,” Carl said, his voice steady. “Not until I’ve said my piece. You can hate me all you want, Octavia, but I deserve to know my children.”

Her blood ran cold. “What?”

“You heard me.” Carl’s tone was firm now. “I know about the twins.”

The world seemed to tilt beneath her feet. She opened her mouth to speak but found no words.

Carl took a step closer. “I’ve spent five years searching for you. I’m not going anywhere until I’ve seen them. Both of them.”

Nathaniel’s hand rested lightly on her arm, grounding her. “You don’t have to do this,” he said quietly.

Octavia’s chest heaved as she tried to steady her breath. Her mind raced, torn between protecting her children and the fear that Carl wouldn’t back down.

Finally, she lifted her chin, meeting Carl’s gaze with steel in her eyes. “You’re not walking into their lives just because it suits you. If you want to see them, you’ll do it on my terms.”

A slow smile spread across Carl’s face, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Fair enough.”

As he turned to leave, he glanced back over his shoulder. “But don’t think this is the end of it, Octavia. I’ll be back.”

The weight of his words hung in the air long after he disappeared down the street.

Nathaniel exhaled beside her. “Are you okay?”

Octavia didn’t answer. Her gaze remained fixed on the spot where Carl had stood, her mind already racing with the implications of his return.

“I need to protect them,” she whispered, more to herself than to Nathaniel.

“Then let me help you,” he said gently.

She didn’t respond, but deep down, she knew this was only the beginning. Carl’s reappearance wasn’t just a complication—it was a threat to everything she had worked so hard to build.

And she had no intention of letting him tear it all down.

Carl knows about the twins and has vowed to return, leaving Octavia with no choice but to confront her past while protecting her children.