POV: HENRY
I turned around and saw Theodor uncovered, the blanket fallen near his feet. With one hand, I pulled the fabric up and gently covered him, making sure he was warm. I ran my fingers through his messy hair, and he mumbled something incomprehensible but didn’t wake up. He just snuggled even deeper into the pillow.
I stood there for a few seconds, watching the two of them. My chest tightened—but in a good way, like everything was finally starting to make sense.
“You two are the best things that ever happened to me,” I said, full of emotion.
The little one let out a fart so loud he even startled himself for a second. He mumbled softly, his little face scrunching up, and the smell in the air quickly confirmed what I already suspected. Diaper full.
I sighed, raising an eyebrow and gently shifting him to check his face, which was now relaxed and peaceful, as if nothi
POV: HENRYI stepped forward, invading Ethan’s space. I noticed his body tense in that involuntary reflex of someone who had already felt the pain of being confronted by me—and lost.“That’s the difference between us,” I continued, with a cutting coldness, my gaze locked on his. “I’m man enough to claim my wife and her daughter as mine. To protect them. To take care of them. To give them my last name and my entire world if necessary.”I raised my chin, keeping my posture firm, imposing, and unblinking.“No, Ethan… we are not the same. I would never be a filthy, petty, abusive coward like you. You can barely control yourself, let alone a family,” I concluded.The vein on Ethan’s forehead throbbed violently, his face flushed a deep shade of red, and he clenched the cigar between his teeth like it was the only thing keeping him from exploding. He stared at me in silence, unable to hide the hatred and desperation growing by the second.“I expect a fixed date and time for the DNA test,” I
POV: HENRY“And what exactly do you think you can offer me in exchange for my daughter?” Ethan asked with disdain, leaning back indifferently as he brought the cigar back to his lips. “Do you really think I'm going to trade my own daughter like she's some kind of luxury item?”“Coming from you, that wouldn’t surprise me one bit,” I replied without hesitation, keeping my gaze fixed on him, sharp. “But we’re not talking about trades yet. I’m here to propose a deal.”The tension in the air thickened. I took a firm step forward, making sure to assert my presence. He didn’t intimidate me—not his posture, not the smoke he used as a distraction.“I’m willing to freeze the lawsuit against you and authorize partial release of your accounts, which were blocked after the corporate fraud report,” I spoke slowly, each word hitting i
POV: HENRYI slowly slid my hands into the pockets of my suit jacket. The movement was calculated and controlled. My fingers curled into fists inside, tightening with force, as if that subtle gesture was the only barrier between reason and violence. I could feel the heat of anger rising through my arms, my muscles tense, and cold sweat beginning to form at the base of my neck. The urge to lunge at him was nearly uncontrollable. But not now.I raised my gaze and looked at him with absolute coldness. My voice came out firm, commanding—the kind that silences an entire room the moment I walk in.“We’ll deal with this situation another time, Walker,” I said clearly, without raising my tone, but with the kind of rigidity that comes from someone used to giving orders and being obeyed. “As I said, we have matters to discuss.”“And you expect me to welcome you like this, without ev
POV: HENRYI was on my way to Ethan Walker’s mansion when the car came to a sudden stop in front of the main gate. My eyes were immediately drawn to one of the vehicles parked ahead. I recognized Kate’s car instantly. My jaw clenched tightly, the muscles in my neck tensed, and I felt my blood rush faster through my veins.I got out of the car and marched straight to the side of her vehicle. I knocked hard on the window, in no mood for politeness. The glass rolled down slowly, and there she was, with a baseball bat on the passenger seat and a clearly forced smile on her lips. Her eyes carried a trace of nervousness poorly hidden beneath a mask of false calm.“Henry? What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice slightly shaky, though she tried to sound casual.I raised an eyebrow slowly and stared at her without looking away. The weight of my presence was intentional. Cold. Commanding.
POV: LAURENI stepped back with difficulty, feeling my legs falter under the weight of what I had just done. My entire body trembled. The baby’s cry still echoed in my ears when, suddenly, the door was flung open violently. The wood slammed against the wall, and Ethan stormed in like a hurricane. His eyes were wide, bloodshot with rage, and his clenched fists made it clear that his fury was about to explode.“Have you completely lost your mind, Lauren?!” he shouted, his voice sharp, filled with hatred. The yell made the baby jolt in the nanny’s arms and cry even louder. Ethan whipped his head toward the sound and shot the nanny a look that sent chills down my spine. “Shut that child up! Her crying is driving me insane!”My chest tightened instantly. That hurt more than any physical blow. I stepped forward, placing my body between him and the nanny, my eyes locked onto his, burning with indignation.
POV: LAUREN“What?” she gasped, her eyes wide with shock at my reaction. The mask of superiority slipped for a moment, revealing pure astonishment. Before she could respond, the loud cry of a baby echoed through the house.My body jolted instantly. The uncontrollable crying filled the stairs and flooded the halls like an alarm, triggering every cell in my body. My eyes welled up with tears, and I let go of Violet’s wrist forcefully, shoving her back without hesitation. She stumbled two steps, but I didn’t look back.I ran up the stairs, heart pounding, hands shaking, completely ignoring Violet’s desperate screams echoing behind me:“Hey! You can’t go up there!” she shouted, breathless. “This isn’t your house anymore!”I didn’t care. I opened one door, then another, until I flung open the third. Inside the room, I found a y