LOGIN"Dad made breakfast for Mom!”“Dad made breakfast for Mom!”The words crashed into my sleep like tiny explosions.“Dad…what dad?” I groaned, dragging myself upright in bed, my hair falling into my face.The room was chaos.My children were everywhere, jumping, laughing, bouncing on the mattress like it was a trampoline. Their excitement was impossible to ignore.I blinked the sleep from my eyes… then froze.There he was, handsome, fresh and infuriatingly perfect Mario.He stood beside the bed, dressed casually yet unfairly attractive, like a man who had just stepped out of a dream instead of a kitchen. In one hand, he held a plate carefully covered with a napkin. Right beside him stood Paul, gripping a glass of milk with both hands, his chest puffed out with pride.My heart fluttered hard.For a split second, I forgot everything else. Forgot the past, forgot the complications. We were settled now.And suddenly, all I wanted was to wake up to this every single morning for the rest of m
AliceI stared at Mario. He was already staring back.We’ve been standing here since we entered the room, locked in silence, the air thick and uncomfortable. I cleared my throat.“Well,” I said slowly, forcing a casual tone I didn’t feel, “unless this is some staring competition you forgot to tell me about, I have something important to attend to.”I turned to leave, but he moved fast, stepping into my path before I could take two steps.“Please,” he said quietly. “Wifey… hear me out.”That word snapped my attention back to him.I lifted my chin, my eyes hardening.“I’m not your wifey! Your wife, your recognized wife is Elsa. Not me.”I expected anger, denial, or at least hesitation but he showed none of it.“You’re my wifey,” he replied calmly. “Not Elsa. Not anyone else.”A bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it.“Well, that’s not exactly proven, is it?” I said. “Those are just words, and I’m not dumb enough to believe anything that comes out of your mouth again.”I straigh
Chapter 054AliceFew Days LaterIt’s only been three days since Elsa’s public confession and Mario’s shocking declaration of love to me in front of the entire world. Three days isn’t a long time, really, but to me, it has felt like forever. The event has dominated every conversation since. It’s all anyone seems to talk about on the streets, in the market, even on TV.But despite the whirlwind of gossip and headlines, Mario hasn’t come to see me. Not once. And even though I’ve told myself over and over not to miss him, I do. Desperately. More than I’d like to admit.His words still echo in my mind: "I’m the real father of her kids, our resemblance isn't just a coincidence." At first, I dismissed it as something he said in the heat of the moment, some wild claim to stir drama, and morever he was once their contractual father. But I couldn’t shake it off. It kept playing over and over in my head like a haunting melody I couldn’t turn off.So today, I finally gathered the courage to take
Chapter 052Alice “Wait… Mom,” Ava’s soft voice broke the warm silence in the room. Her wide blue eyes shimmered with joy as she clutched her little hands in front of her chest. “So what Grandpa is saying is… you’re carrying my baby sister in your belly? And I’ll get to carry her too in the next eight months?”I smiled, my heart softening as I reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yes, sweetheart. Grandpa’s right. You’re going to be a big sister soon.”“Yay!” Ava squealed, and before I could say more, Liam, Paul, and Ava all sprang up, bouncing around the room in a storm of laughter and excitement.“She’s gonna be so cute!” Liam cheered.“I hope she has my hair!” Ava twirled with a dramatic spin.“I just want to carry her first!” Paul declared.I watched them, a soft ache blooming in my chest, the good kind. I hadn’t known how much I needed this moment until now.Across the room, Granny sat quietly in her favorite corner chair, smiling. Dad stood beside her, arms fold
Chapter 051 Mario Hell. That was the only word that even came close to describing what I’d been living in since the day Esha came and tore apart the fragile, beautiful thing that existed between Alice and me. Nothing felt right anymore. Not the silence. Not the air. Not even the taste of my own name. Since the separation, I’d been drifting, drowning in a reality where everything felt gray, numb, and wrong. The only thread keeping me from unraveling completely…was them. My children. We’d been meeting in secret, just for a few stolen minutes before they left school. It was our own little secret, like the early days before Alice and I met. If someone had told me I’d one day become a man who locked himself away for three straight days, drinking, smoking, with ash and broken bottles littering the floor, I’d have laughed and put a bullet between their eyes for the insult. But here I was. All because of one woman. One small, furious, unforgettable woman. Alice. She
Chapter 050AliceSeven days. Seven endless, airless days since everything came crashing down.Since Elsa came like a wildfire, and burned through the fragile little world we built.Mario’s been here nearly every day since. Pounding on the door like his fists could rewind time, like shouting my name would erase the betrayal. But my father? He stands at the door like a fortress. He doesn't let him in based on my order.The kids also kept on asking about him. At first, I lied. I dodged. Then I broke.I told them the truth or my version of it. That he wasn’t their father. That they should never say his name again. The words scorched my throat, but I said them anyway.And ever since, they’ve changed.They slam doors. Whisper behind my back. Their eyes are no longer full of wonder, just betrayal. Tiny, tearful accusations in every glance.I tried. God, I triedI begged. I bribed. I cried.But all they say is one thing. Just one heartbreaking sentence: “We want our daddy back.”And every







