Chapter 4

Dylan  POV

Seven years of my life has no fun. Seven years of building walls, of keeping my heart locked away, of letting life pass by while I buried myself in work.

She had left me, my girlfriend back then, the one I thought I could spend my life with. I had hated myself for what I did after that break-up. Something I promised myself I would never tell anyone. Something that made me colder, harder, more unyielding than I had ever imagined.

My father had not made things easier. He had pressured me constantly threatening to take my position if I didn’t marry, if I didn’t settle down, if I didn’t carry on the family image. “You are Dylan Hart,” he had reminded me countless times. “You don’t get to waste your life being single.”

And yet, my mind hadn’t been on marriage or legacy. It had been on a small, energetic boy whose laughter had haunted me since yesterday. The boy I had met at the amusement park. Leo.

A part of me felt close to him.

I still couldn’t believe it. One moment, he was just a laughing child spinning around on a carousel, and the next… he was wrapped in my arms, calling me “Daddy.” I had never known such confusion, such warmth, such awe all at once. I hadn’t even been looking for a family, yet I had found one.

So today, I went to the school. It wasn’t for personal reasons, it was part of a project. I was a shareholder in the school, and part of my responsibility was to check on the new initiative the students were working on: a community art project involving paintings, sculptures, and other small “useless” projects, as I had jokingly thought.

I had arrived early, walking through the hallways with the precision of a CEO used to inspecting operations.

Then I heard a little noise that draw me close.

"Fatherless child! Leo with no Dad!"

A young boy was in the middle of a small group of students, obviously working on a painting, but the teasing had begun. A few kids were laughing, pointing, and whispering. “You don’t have a dad,” one of them said cruelly.

My chest tightened. I stopped, my eyes narrowing as I studied him. And then it hit me.

Oh. My. God. That’s him.

The boy from the amusement park. Leo.

I stepped forward, my leather shoes echoing in the quiet hallway as I moved closer. His head lifted slightly, and when our eyes met… I was stunned by how unmistakably familiar he was. That small face, the shape of his mouth when he frowned or smiled, the curve of his jaw—it was him. My son.

“Hey,” I said, my voice low but firm as I approached the group. “Which one of you said this boy doesn’t have a dad?”

The children looked up, startled, unsure how to respond. I didn’t give them a chance.

“Listen carefully,” I continued, my eyes fixed on each of them in turn. “I’m his father. Do you understand?”

Leo froze for a second, then his small face lit up with recognition. His lips parted, and in that tiny, perfect voice, he said,

“Daddy!”

The word hit me like a physical blow. My chest tightened, my knees almost buckled. He called me Daddy, the first time outside of our brief, chaotic encounter at the amusement park. I knelt down instinctively, pulling him close, holding him with every ounce of careful awe I had in me.

“Don’t… don’t ever bully my son again,” I said firmly, my eyes scanning the other children. “Or you’ll answer to me.”

Leo buried his face against my chest, clutching my jacket as if he were trying to memorize me, imprint me forever. I felt something I hadn’t in years: pride, protectiveness, and a strange, dizzying joy I didn’t expect.

And then his mother appeared.

Panting, as if she had run to get here, stepping lightly but with determination. Our eyes met, and everything stopped. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak at first. There was something about her, the curve of her shoulders, the sharp intelligence in her eyes, the way she carried herself with such quiet strength that seemed painfully familiar.

And the boy.

The boy clinging to me, calling me Daddy. I could feel it in my chest, in my mind, in the way my heart refused to settle.

Why do both this woman and her son look so familiar?

I knelt slightly, holding Leo a little tighter, feeling the warmth of him against me. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his mother, couldn’t ignore the strange pull, the recognition, the memories that teased me at the edges of consciousness.

Leo’s tiny fingers dug into my jacket, and I whispered softly, almost to myself,

“You’re incredible, you know that? So brave, so smart, so… perfect.”

He giggled, his laughter filling the room, and I couldn’t help but smile. My chest ached in the most wonderful way.

She stepped closer, watching us with a mixture of apprehension and awe. I studied her face, noting the subtle signs of weariness, the softness in her eyes when she looked at him.

I just felt pity for the young boy, it's obvious she is a single mother.

My father’s voice echoed faintly in my mind, the reminders, the pressure, the threats. But I didn’t care. Not now. Not when I had him in my arms, not when I saw the woman who had given him life standing there.

Leo wriggled slightly, looking up at me again. “Daddy… can we play?”

I laughed softly, the sound low and filled with emotion. “Yes,” I said. “We’ll play. All day.”

I signal to the guards behind me and they disappeared instantly.  Today,  no more schedules, I want to help this little boy play fatherly role.

"You don’t have to stress yourself,  I will take care of the rest" His mother tried to stop me respectfully.

I smiled and look at the boy. "He seems like someone who doesn't back off easily from what he want. I will play with him today,  we cant afford to hurt him more"

She nodded and bows. "I really appreciate,  thanks so much"

For a moment,  I felt my heart travelled round the world as her voice sweetened my soul. How can she be so sweet?

"Daddy, let's play!" Leo’s voice brought me back. I smiled and lift him up as we run towards the school playground.