CHAPTER SEVENTY FOUR

** Hi, guys. Chapter Seventy three was accidentally posted twice. Since it's the weekend, the chapters would not be corrected until Monday.

To make it up to you, I'm posting the chapter Seventy Four as a free chapter. But it will be deleted once the error chapter is corrected.**

ESSENCE

I sat there, still trying to wrap my head around it all. Lucian—that boy. The boy I once saved at the orphanage. The boy who had once looked at me with tearful eyes and said he didn’t want to live anymore. It was him. All this time, it was him.

While he spoke, memories began creeping back like timid cats in the night. Faint images, blurry conversations, childish giggles. I remembered the pink dress. I remembered the pigtails. I remembered his sad eyes and the way I had tried to cheer him up by telling him dreams were where angels sent hugs.

I never thought something so surreal would be real.

I had judged Lucian so wrongly in the beginning. Oh, God. I had even wondered if he was playing me. But sitting here now, hearing everything, watching him bare his soul... I felt small. Not worthless-small, but humbled. Honored. Loved in a way I never knew I needed.

He loved me. Genuinely. Deeply. And not because I was beautiful or smart or any of those things. But because of a moment—one I had even forgotten—where our hearts touched long ago.

And the way he remembered me? That picture? Even I didn’t have that picture. That meant something. That meant everything. All those times I thought our meetings were fate playing jokes—oh no, it was Lucian. Mr. Smooth Planner. Mr. "I have waited all my life for you."

Looking back at every single encounter, I laughed. I had been such a naive muffin. But a grateful one. Because if I had been too smart, too suspicious, I might never have fallen into the arms of the only man who truly saw me.

His family? Pfft. They didn’t matter. They could keep their opinions and snotty expressions. I wasn’t marrying them. I wasn’t here to impress anyone.

Brittany? Hah. That one was slippery. I’d give her that. She had played her cards well. Standing outside like some lost, loving mother beside little Danny—hoping I’d misunderstand. And I did. For a moment. But never again.

Lucian made it clear. He wanted me. And I wasn’t about to let go.

Even if it meant fighting. Even if it meant clawing my way through petty relatives and social events dripping with passive-aggressive comments. As long as Lucian held my hand, I’d swing at them all with the last drop of my blood.

Danny. Sweet, precious Danny.

At first, I’d worried. That he might not like me. That he might reject me and choose Brittany instead. But that boy? He lit up like a Christmas tree when Lucian introduced me as his mommy.

He ran into my arms. Hugged me like he had known me all his life. And I knew, without doubt, that he loved and trusted Lucian too much to question his choice.

So there we were, hand in hand, walking into one of the finest five-star restaurants in the city. The place was breathtaking—golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling like frozen fireworks, walls adorned with elegant paintings that probably cost more than my former apartment. Waiters in tuxedos moving like silent swans.

And, of course, the stares.

People stared.

Some tried to pretend they weren’t. Others just gave up all pretense and gawked. Phones came out. Snaps and secret videos. I wasn’t used to this, but I held my head high. I was with Lucian. And our adorable little prince.

Danny clung to my hand the entire time. When we sat down, he practically squeezed himself between Lucian and me, his small hands grabbing onto mine like he never wanted to let go.

"You’re so beautiful, mummy," he said out of nowhere, blinking up at me with those huge brown eyes.

I turned to Lucian, eyebrows raised. "This boy has a sweet mouth."

Lucian laughed, deep and hearty, and ruffled Danny’s hair. “He gets it from me.”

We ordered food. Or rather, I became the order queen. I asked Danny what he liked—his favorite juice, his best meal, what he hated. I made mental notes.

Then I helped him wear his cute little bib and even fed him a few spoonfuls, especially when he started focusing more on chattering than chewing.

The food? Divine.

We had roasted duck breast with cherry glaze. Garlic truffle mashed potatoes. Creamy lobster bisque. For dessert, Lucian ordered the signature tiramisu while Danny picked chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream.

Danny kissed my cheek when I gave him a napkin. “Thank you, mummy. You’re very nice.”

“My ovaries,” I whispered, clutching my chest dramatically. Lucian burst into laughter.

After lunch, as we walked out hand in hand, I turned to Lucian.

"Can you drop both of us off at my workplace? I want to take Danny shopping."

Danny’s ears perked. "Shopping?!" he squealed and began jumping.

I mean jumping like he was about to take off into the sky.

Lucian and I just stood there watching him, our hearts full. His joy was contagious. My face hurt from smiling.

Lucian looked at me with the softest gaze and said, "Thank you."

I didn’t know what for.

But it didn’t matter.

In that moment, I knew we were a family. A very beautiful family.

The moment Lucian's car pulled away from the curb, Danny and I stood waving like two people in a romantic drama—except instead of tears, I had a bright grin stretched across my face, and Danny waved like he was trying to chase the car down with his fingers. I could see Lucian glancing in his rearview mirror, smiling like the lovesick billionaire that he was. My heart warmed at the sight.

Once he was out of sight, I took a deep breath and turned to look at the little boy standing beside me, his hand wrapped around mine like I was the safest person in the world. I wasn’t sure who was luckier—him for having me, or me for being trusted so quickly by this charming little human.

I gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Come on, soldier. Time to storm the castle."

"Castle?" Danny blinked.

"My office," I said, chuckling. "It might not have thrones and dragons, but it does have computers and annoying coworkers. Close enough."

He giggled, and I led him inside. The receptionist almost dropped her cup of coffee when she saw us, blinking like I had walked in with a tiny celebrity. I mean, with the way Danny was dressed in that crisp little shirt and suspenders, he did look like someone’s billionaire heir. Which, well… technically, he was.

I walked him to my floor, greeting a few stunned coworkers along the way. My heels tapped across the tiles like I had just walked into the office as a full-time CEO instead of a woman who snuck out during lunch for a casual emotional meltdown and found herself an unexpected bonus child.

I spotted Hailey and Sky in the design area and waved them over. They trotted up like two nosy hens, eyes darting from me to the little boy clutching my hand.

"Who is this deliciously adorable creature?" Sky asked, crouching.

“Hey, can I borrow you guys for a second?” I asked, glancing down at Danny. “Stay right here, okay, baby? I’ll be right back.”

Danny nodded politely, then quietly sat on the nearest chair like a perfect gentleman. I took Hailey and Sky aside to the corner where I knew he couldn’t hear us.

Hailey raised an eyebrow. "You? Coming in here like a drop of honey in our bitter office, with a child, and not spilling tea? Girl, what even is friendship anymore?"

“Okay,” I whispered, “don’t freak out.”

“Why would I freak out....” Sky began, then blinked. “Wait. Are you about to say what I think you're about to say?”

“I’m not pregnant,” I said quickly. “But… that boy out there? Danny? He’s mine now.”

“What do you mean ‘he’s mine now’?” Hailey whispered, eyes wide. “You didn’t have a child last night. You just got married!”

“It’s a long story,” I said, sighing. “Lucian’s best friend passed away. Danny is his son—well, adopted son. Long story short, he’s ours now. Lucian wants him to live with us permanently.”

“Oh my God,” Hailey gasped.

I nodded. "Yeah.... I have something juicy to share with both of you but not today. I have to get Danny settled in, I'll fill you guys in tomorrow."

"Is it the sex?" Sky blurted. "Are you finally ready to give us the juicy details?"

I shot her a look that could fry eggs. "Sky, you need a filter. Or a priest. Possibly both."

"I get that a lot," she muttered. "So..... nothing about the sex?"

“Sky!” I hissed.

“What? It’s a valid question!”

“I am not telling you anything about that,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Not today.”

Sky pouted dramatically. “You never let us have fun.”

Hailey smirked. “Well, I guess the boy is our nephew now, huh?”

“Yep,” I said with a small laugh. “Come on, come say hi.”

We walked back to where Danny was sitting like he was waiting for a job interview. As soon as he saw me, he stood up and gave the ladies a charming little wave.

“Hello,” he said, his voice sweet and proper. “Are you Mummy’s friends?”

I had a feeling Hailey’s heart melted right then and there.

“We sure are,” she replied, bending down to his height. “And you must be the famous Danny.”

“You’re very pretty,” he said, looking up at her and then at Sky. “Both of you.”

I confirmed it..... Hailey actually melted. "Oh my God, Essence! Can I borrow him when I go on dates? He’s a natural-born charmer."

Sky blinked. “He’s a flirt already? Oh, Essence, this one’s a heartbreaker."

I couldn’t help it—I beamed like I’d raised him myself since birth.

“You are so lucky,” Hailey said to me, still smiling. “Forget Lucian—you’ve got yourself a mini prince.”

“I know, right?” I replied, ruffling Danny’s hair gently. “He’s a little gentleman.”

I felt my heart swell with pride as I said goodbye and took Danny by the hand again. We stepped back into the sun, ready for part two of our adventure: shopping.

The mall was bright, bustling, and loud. Danny’s eyes lit up like it was Disney World.

"Mummy," he whispered, tugging on my hand. "Are we really going to buy anything I want?"

I pulled out the sleek, black card Lucian had once handed to me and waved it like a wand. "With this? We could buy a castle."

His mouth fell open.

Okay, maybe that was a little dramatic.

He held my hand tightly as we walked through the aisles of the posh children's store like royalty on a spree. His eyes were wide with wonder like he’d just stepped into heaven and it had LEGO walls.

“Can I get this, mummy?” he asked, holding up a jacket with stars on it.

“Yes, baby. You can get anything you like,” I said, and I meant it.

As I used the black card, for once in my life, I didn’t feel shame spending someone else's money. I felt... loved. Provided for. Like someone actually wanted me to feel this free.

We moved from shoes to toys to books to clothes. He was so excited. The boy practically danced down every row.

He picked shirts with superheroes, jeans with rhinestones on the pockets—I almost argued, but hey, fashion is subjective—and hats I’m pretty sure he would never wear but insisted were essential.

While we waited for his stuff to be packed, out of nowhere, the joy twisted in my chest. My smile faltered as I held up a little blue hoodie with tiny clouds on it. I remembered... Asher. My son.

He never had this much fun shopping. Not once. Most times, I had to bribe him with snacks just to get him to try on clothes. He didn’t light up like this. Didn’t laugh like this. He didn’t trust me like this.

And it wasn’t his fault.

The tears threatened to rise before I even realized what was happening. I blinked hard and swallowed them down. I didn’t want to ruin this moment. I didn’t want Danny to notice.

But he did.

He stopped skipping beside me and tugged on my sleeve.

“Mummy... are you sad?”

I blinked. "What? No, why do you say that?"

"Your face changed. Like when I see sad cartoons. Did someone make you sad? I’ll punch them."

I gasped. "Danny! We don’t punch."

"I know. But if someone makes you cry, I’ll think about it."

I couldn’t help it. The tears came anyway — not because I was sad, but because he was so pure, so sweet, so kind... the kind of love I’d always hoped to feel from a child.

I knelt down and hugged him hard. “You are the sweetest boy in the world. Do you know that?”

He kissed my cheek and whispered, “And you’re the sweetest mum in the world.”

I laughed and wiped my eyes. “Now you’re just being cheeky.”

He giggled and hugged me tighter.

And in that moment, something shifted. I still missed Asher. I always would. But this little boy in front of me? He wasn’t replacing my son. He was healing the holes in my heart.

We finally left the shopping mall and began our journey back home.

The moment we stepped out of the car and I caught sight of the mansion again, I realized how strange it was that a place could feel like a dream and a home at the same time.

Danny’s jaw practically hit the gravel. His eyes widened as he looked up at the towering villa, his little mouth open in a perfect “O.” I think he stopped breathing for a second.

“Whoa…” he whispered, his tiny hand still clutching mine. “Mummy… this house is... this house is the most beautiful house in the whole world.”

I smiled down at him, my heart swelling like I’d just been handed a diamond wrapped in a rainbow. “Well, it’s your home now, sweetheart.”

He gasped again. “For real?”

“For real-real,” I said, tugging him gently forward.

The moment we entered, I could already see a few of the staff lined up in the hallway. I had texted ahead that I was bringing someone home, but I don’t think they were expecting the bundle of charm that was about to stroll into their lives.

“This is Danny,” I said proudly, nudging him gently forward. “He’s my son. And Lucian’s. So basically, your new little boss.”

Danny gave them a short, formal bow like he was a tiny prince in some Disney remake. “Good afternoon, everyone. I’m very pleased to meet you.”

I swear, half the maids melted on the spot. One of them literally put her hand to her chest and whispered, “Oh my God, he’s adorable.”

He stepped up politely, looking at each of them like he was memorizing their faces. “Can I know your names, please?” he asked.

One after the other, they introduced themselves.

“I’m Jenny.”

"I'm Sara"

“I’m Caro.”

“My name is Samuel.”

“I’m Matthews. The butler,” said the tall man in the crisp black suit who tried not to smile but totally failed. “And this,” he added with a nod, “is our chef, Madame Lydia.”

Danny nodded formally at each one. “It’s very nice to meet you, Miss Jenny, Miss Sara, Miss Caro, Mr. Samuel, Mr. Matthews, and Chef Lydia.”

Then, just to kill them properly with cuteness, he added, “I really like good food, so I’m sure I’ll love whatever you cook, ma’am.”