Chapter 10

The room was silent except for the ticking of the clock. Williams sat in his study, the report from David lying open in front of him. The truth stared back at him, mocking him with its simplicity.

Her cousin. The man in the photographs—the supposed evidence of Lisa’s betrayal—was her cousin, Jason Hart. A name, a history, even a picture of them together at family gatherings filled the file.

Williams let out a heavy breath, his head sinking into his hands. How had he let it come to this?

It wasn’t the evidence that haunted him the most, though. It was the memory of Lisa’s face the night she left. The pain in her eyes, the tremble in her voice, the way her words had hit him like a physical blow.

“I thought we were building something real, Williams. But I can’t keep fighting alone.”

He had replayed those words countless times over the past three months, each repetition cutting deeper than the last. He had destroyed the one thing he hadn’t even realized he couldn’t live without—her trust.

And now she was gone.

The journey to England was long and restless. Williams spent the flight staring out the window, his thoughts a whirlwind of regret and determination.

He had spent weeks searching for her, calling in favors, tracking down leads until he finally found her. A small cottage on the outskirts of a quiet English village.

When the car finally pulled up to the cottage, Williams’s heart pounded in his chest. The sight of the quaint stone house, surrounded by blooming flowers, filled him with a bittersweet sense of longing. This was the kind of place Lisa would thrive in—peaceful, warm, full of life.

His steps were slow and hesitant as he approached the garden. Then he saw her.

Lisa was kneeling by a flowerbed, her back to him. Her hair was tied in a loose braid, strands falling around her face as she carefully tended to the roses. She looked calm, content even. But then his eyes moved to the bassinet beside her, and his breath caught.

Two tiny infants lay inside, one babbling softly while the other kicked their little legs in the air. His heart clenched as realization washed over him.

They were his.

“Lisa,” he called softly, his voice trembling.

She froze, her hand stilling mid-motion. Slowly, she turned, her eyes widening as they met his.

“Williams,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

For a moment, neither of them moved. The weight of everything unsaid hung heavily in the air between them.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her tone cautious but steady.

Williams swallowed hard, taking a step closer. “I came to find you,” he said. His voice was thick with emotion. “I—I was wrong, Lisa. About everything.”

Her gaze flickered to the twins, then back to him. “It’s too late for apologies, Williams.”

“It’s never too late,” he replied quickly, his voice breaking. “Lisa, I let my insecurities ruin what we had. I let myself believe lies because… because I was afraid. Afraid of how much I needed you.”

She stood, dusting off her hands, her expression unreadable. “Needed me? Williams, you didn’t trust me. You accused me without a second thought. Do you have any idea how that felt?”

“I do,” he said, his tone low. “I’ve spent every single day of these past three months thinking about what I did. And I hate myself for it.”

Her jaw tightened, and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Hating yourself doesn’t undo the damage you caused. It doesn’t change the fact that you broke my trust.”

“I know,” he said, his voice barely audible. “But I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you if you let me. Please, Lisa. I love you. I’ve always loved you. I was just too much of a coward to admit it.”

The vulnerability in his voice caught her off guard. For a moment, she looked away, her emotions warring within her.

“They’re yours,” she said finally, nodding toward the twins.

Relief and awe washed over him as he stepped closer, his gaze fixed on the tiny figures in the bassinet. His hands trembled as he reached out, gently brushing a finger against one baby’s tiny hand. The baby cooed, their little fingers curling around his.

“They’re beautiful,” he whispered, his voice filled with wonder.

Lisa watched him, her heart aching at the sight. She had spent months trying to convince herself that she didn’t need him, that she could raise their children alone. But seeing him now, so raw and open, made it hard to hold onto her anger.

“You hurt me, Williams,” she said softly, her voice trembling. “You hurt me in ways I didn’t think were possible.”

“I know,” he said, looking up at her. “And I’ll never forgive myself for that. But I promise you, Lisa, I’ll spend every day of my life proving that I can be better—for you, for them.”

Tears filled her eyes, and she looked away, trying to compose herself. She had dreamed of this moment, of him coming back and saying all the things she had wanted to hear. But the pain of their past still lingered, a barrier she wasn’t sure they could overcome.

“You have a lot to prove,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper.

“And I will,” he said, his gaze steady. “Whatever it takes.”

The sincerity in his voice made her chest tighten. For the first time in months, a small glimmer of hope began to form.

She nodded slowly, wiping a tear from her cheek. “We’ll see.”

It wasn’t a promise, but it was a start.

Later that evening, as the twins slept soundly in their crib, Lisa sat on the porch, her arms wrapped around her knees. Williams joined her, sitting quietly beside her.

They didn’t speak for a long time, the silence between them filled with the soft hum of crickets and the occasional rustle of the wind.

“Why now?” she asked finally, her voice breaking the stillness. “Why come back after all this time?”

“Because I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t,” he admitted. “Because I love you, Lisa. And because I want to be the man you deserve—the father they deserve.”

She turned to look at him, searching his face for any trace of deceit. But all she saw was honesty and a vulnerability she had never seen before.

“I’m scared,” she admitted, her voice barely audible. “Scared of letting you back in. Scared of getting hurt again.”

“I know,” he said, his voice soft. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to earn your trust again. No matter how long it takes.”

For the first time, Lisa allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, they could find their way back to each other.