CHAPTER TWENTY-NINEStorms CollideLucy’s POVThe words hung in my chest like a blade.“Then I’ll take my place by force.”I didn’t answer Felix. Couldn’t. My throat had closed, my thoughts a whirlpool.He left soon after, without slamming the door, without raising his voice again. But his vow lingered, filling every corner of my apartment until even the walls seemed to echo it.By the time I finally crawled into bed, my body trembled with exhaustion I couldn’t fight.Sleep brought no rest—only dreams of courtrooms, Max’s cries echoing, Felix and Elias standing on opposite sides of me, each pulling while I broke apart in the middle.The next morning, Max padded into the kitchen still in his pajamas, hair sticking up like little wings.“Mommy,” he said, rubbing his eyes, “why does Uncle Felix come here a lot?”My hand froze on the coffeepot.Max tilted his head, waiting for my answer.I crouched, forcing a smile, tucking his hair behind his ear. “Because he cares about us.”Max blinked
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHTShadows at the DoorLucy’s POVMorning sunlight bled through the curtains, but it didn’t chase away the heaviness in my chest.Felix’s words from last night echoed still, looping endlessly in my mind.“I don’t want to take him. I want to be his father. I want him to know me.”For the first time, I believed him.And that terrified me more than his anger ever did.Because if Felix Creed really meant it, then the walls I’d built for five long years weren’t just cracking—they were already rubble beneath our feet.Max bounded into the kitchen, dragging his stuffed toy by one arm. “Mommy! Pancakes?”I forced a smile, reaching for the mixing bowl. “Pancakes it is.”But before I could even crack an egg, another voice answered from behind me.“I’ll handle it.”I froze.Felix stood by the counter, sleeves rolled up, moving with a confidence that didn’t belong in my kitchen but somehow fit anyway. He pulled the pan from the rack, setting it on the stove like he’d done it a h
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVENThe Edge of SurrenderLucy’s POVThat night, the walls of my apartment seemed smaller than ever. Every creak of the pipes, every hum of the refrigerator pressed down on me like a weight.But heavier than the silence was Felix’s vow, still ringing in my ears.“Max is my son. And I will fight for him.”I lay awake, staring at the ceiling long after midnight, afraid of closing my eyes. Because in the darkness, his face returned—furious, broken, determined—and there was no running anymore.I thought I had been strong. I thought I had been clever, building this life in secret, shielding Max from the Creeds’ world.But Felix had found us.And the truth was out.A soft rustle pulled me from my spiraling thoughts.“Mommy?”I turned. Max stood by my bed, hair rumpled, clutching his stuffed toy. His lower lip trembled.“I had a bad dream.”My heart clenched. I pulled him into my arms, tucking him against my chest. His small body was warm, fragile, so achingly precious.“Wha
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIXWhen the Walls BreakLucy’s POVThe hallway light flickered, buzzing faintly above us. I stood frozen at the building’s entrance, Max clutching my hand, while Felix’s shadow stretched across the tiles.He wasn’t moving. Wasn’t leaving.“I’m not going anywhere,” Felix said again, low, steady. His eyes locked on mine, relentless. “Not until you tell me the truth.”The air between us pressed heavy, suffocating.Max tilted his head up at me, confusion clouding his wide eyes. “Mommy? Who is he?”My heart squeezed.I forced a shaky smile. “A… friend, Maxie. Mommy just needs to talk with him.”Felix’s jaw clenched at the word friend, but he didn’t argue. Not in front of Max.I fumbled with my keys, every nerve screaming against this, and pushed the door open.“Come inside,” I whispered.The apartment smelled faintly of garlic and rice from last night’s dinner. The ordinary scent made the tension even sharper, like Felix’s presence didn’t belong in this fragile, hidden worl
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVEThe Weight of SilenceLucy’s POVThe moment Felix walked away from the park, my legs gave out. I sank onto the bench, trembling so hard my teeth clattered.His words echoed in me like a brand.He’s my son. I won’t let him grow up thinking I don’t exist.I had run for so long. Buried the truth under work, distance, and silence. But Felix’s eyes—raw, broken, furious—had shattered all of it in one blow.The walls I built weren’t just cracking anymore. They were collapsing.That night, I tucked Max into bed with hands that wouldn’t stop shaking.“Mommy, why are your eyes red?” he asked, his small fingers brushing my cheek.I forced a laugh, kissing his forehead. “Just tired, baby. Mommy’s fine.”He studied me with an earnest frown that looked too much like Felix’s. My throat tightened until I thought I would choke.When he finally drifted off, clutching his stuffed toy, I lingered at his side. My son. My everything.And the one secret I could no longer protect.In the
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURShadows of BetrayalFelix’s POVFor a moment, I couldn’t breathe.The park blurred around me—voices, footsteps, the hum of the city—all muffled, drowned beneath the single truth roaring in my skull.He’s mine.The boy on the swing—Max—laughing, legs pumping clumsily against the air, was my blood. My son.And Lucy—God.Lucy had kept him from me.I staggered back a step, fists trembling at my sides. Every detail I had ignored before, every flicker of familiarity, fell into place like cruel puzzle pieces.The way Max’s eyes crinkled when he smiled. The stubborn crease between his brows. Even his laugh—sharp, unpolished, but carrying an echo I recognized from old home videos of myself as a child.I had looked at that boy once and thought, he feels like mine.Now, there was no doubt.“Lucy.” My voice came out low, hoarse, dangerous even to my own ears.She flinched, guilt carved into every line of her face. “Felix—”“How old is he?” I demanded.Her lips parted, but no