MasukFernando's POVThe moment I stepped out of Henry's room, I quietly closed the door behind me and rested my hand against the wooden surface for a second.A smile tugged at the corner of my lips.It wasn't a complete victory, not yet but it was progress.For the first time since I'd returned to this town, my son hadn't looked at me with nothing but resentment. He had let me into his room, he had spoken to me and he had even admitted that he wanted us to be a family again.That alone was enough to make my chest feel lighter.I walked slowly down the hallway, replaying every word of our conversation.For years, I had convinced myself that Henry hated me.How could he not? I had disappeared from his life. Michael had been the one who raised him.Michael had been there for birthdays, scraped knees, school events, sleepless nights and every milestone I had missed. I had no right to expect Henry to welcome me with open arms.And yet, something had shifted. I could feel it.There was finally a
Theo's POVI didn't want to see Michael, not after what I'd watched. Not after those cursed hidden cameras had shown me exactly what I never wanted to witness.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw them together.Fernando's hands on Michael, Michael kissing him back, not resisting, not pulling away. Kissing him as though years of separation had never existed.Hearing Michael's moans as Fernando drove his dick inside him.It replayed over and over in my mind like a punishment and I clenched my jaw."No..he manipulated you" I muttered to myself.That had to be the truth.Fernando had always known how to get inside Michael's head. How to make him doubt himself, how to make him forget the pain he had caused.Michael wouldn't willingly betray me, he couldn't.The Fernando I knew was calculating, manipulative, patient. He had probably waited for the perfect moment when Michael felt vulnerable.That was the only explanation I was willing to accept because the alternative meant Michael had chose
Michael's POVI stood in the kitchen for several moments after Fernando disappeared upstairs.The frying pan hissed quietly on the stove, filling the room with the comforting smell of bacon and eggs, yet my attention wasn't on breakfast anymore.It was on Henry. I couldn't shake the image of his face when he had walked through the front door.His eyes had looked tired, not physically, emotionally. I would know because I saw that same expression on mine whenever I looked in the mirror recently. Something had happened last night. Something he wasn't ready to tell me.Ashley noticed me staring absent-mindedly at the stove and gently nudged my shoulder."You're burning the bacon" she said."What?"I blinked before quickly looking down. Sure enough, the edges were beginning to darken.I sighed and turned the heat down and Ashley folded her arms."Are you're worried about Henry?" She asked calmly. I nodded."He wasn't himself and he snapped at me" I answered, my eyes moving from the bacon
Fernando's POVI watched Henry disappear upstairs, and something about the way he carried himself unsettled me.He hadn't looked angry, not exactly. He had looked... burdened, like someone carrying a weight far too heavy for his shoulders.I glanced toward the kitchen.Michael was still standing there with Ashley, worry written all over his face. I knew that expression better than anyone. He wanted to follow Henry, but he also knew pushing him would only make things worse.Which left me.Maybe I wasn't the best person for the job, actually, I was probably the worst. Still, he was my son.Whether he accepted me or not, I couldn't ignore the look on his face.I climbed the stairs slowly, each step echoed through the quiet house. When I reached Henry's door, I knocked gently but silence answered me.I waited a few seconds before knocking again."Henry? It's me" I called.Still nothing.I rested one hand against the door."I just want to talk" I said.His voice finally came from the other
Michael’s POVI woke up slowly.For several seconds, I simply stared at the ceiling above me, feeling unusually comfortable then the memories of last night came rushing back. Every single one of them.My face immediately turned red."Oh God."I dragged a pillow over my face. This was exactly why I hadn't wanted any of this to happen because now I couldn't stop thinking about it, or him, or how much I had missed being close to Fernando.The realization alone was enough to make me groan.After everything we'd been through, after all the years, It was ridiculous that he still had this effect on me.A reluctant smile appeared on my face.Despite all my frustration, there was one thing I couldn't deny. I had missed him.The memory made my smile grow wider before I quickly forced it away.I sighed and got out of bed. I made my way downstairs and headed into the kitchen. The familiar routine immediately helped calm my thoughts.I tied an apron around my waist and started pulling ingredients
Fernando’s POVFor several moments after everything had settled down, neither Michael nor I spoke.The intensity from earlier still lingered between us, not just the fact Michael had thought someone was watching us, but the fact we'd had sex.Not in the way it had before, but in the awkward silence that followed when two people realized they had crossed a line they had been dancing around for far too long.I adjusted the collar of my shirt and glanced across the room.Michael was standing near the dresser, fixing his hair in the mirror, his expression was unreadable and that bothered me because usually I could tell exactly what he was thinking.Today, however, he seemed determined to keep his thoughts locked away."You keep staring at me."His voice broke the silence.I smiled."You noticed.""I noticed because it's creepy" he replied. I raised my hands innocently."I'm not planning anything" I said."That's a lie.""Okay, maybe a little" I joked.Michael groaned and the sound made m
Fernando’s POV The coldness of the grand dining hall seemed to fade the moment Michael’s hand was trapped in mine. My back pressed against the polished wood of the massive table, but I barely felt it. All I could feel was him—his presence, his warmth, his resistance, his trembling. Our eyes locke
Michael’s POV The heavy double doors had creaked open, and candlelight spilled across the marbled floor. For a moment, I had only stood at the threshold, unwilling to step further, unwilling to play into Fernando’s carefully staged drama. But the air of the grand dining hall had dragged me forwa
Michael POV The minute the doctor pushed open the double doors and stepped into the corridor, the air shifted. Everyone’s back straightened. Archer’s attention immediately shifted to the doctor. Marlo moved closer. I kept my mind clear and met the doctor’s gaze directly. He was a short man with
Michael's POV The chill of the air conditioning grazed my arms as I leaned against the side of a one of the shelves near the entrance of the store. The hum of fluorescent lights overhead buzzed faintly, mingling with the shuffle of people moving around buying things, crinkling chip bags, and pop







