Chapter 3

A wave of unease washed over Josie.

Kira had always been a well-behaved child. She had never once caused trouble at kindergarten.

This was the first time a teacher had ever called her like this.

She rushed to the school office, only to find Kira standing in the corner, trembling, tears streaming, and hiccupping. Her small face was flushed an alarming shade of red.

Across the room, Graham stood with his usual cold, detached expression. Beside him was a little girl and a slender, elegant woman.

Josie recognized the woman immediately—Allison Blake, Graham's first love.

She clung to his arm with the effortless intimacy of a wife. The two of them looked as though they had always belonged together.

And the child by his side? That was Allison's daughter.

The moment Josie stepped into the room, she saw the girl grip Graham's arm and burst into tears. "Daddy, she bullied me!"

Kira's eyes widened in disbelief. Graham had never once let her call him that. The teachers all assumed Kira came from a single-parent home.

But now, another child could openly call him "Daddy" in front of everyone—and he didn't just allow it, he welcomed it.

He wrapped the little girl gently in his arms, comforting her in a soft voice. "Don't be scared, Cami. Daddy's here. Daddy will protect you."

That tender tone, that loving gaze—

Kira had never known any of it.

But when Graham turned to look at her, his expression turned hard, glacial. "Who taught you to fight with your classmates? Don't you have any manners? Apologize to Cami right now."

Kira flinched under the sharpness of his voice. She clutched her bunny plush tightly. Through her sobs, she stammered, "She… she tore my toy first…"

On the desk sat the torn bunny—last night, Graham had brought it home while drunk and muttered that it was a gift for her.

Kira had been thrilled. She had fallen asleep holding it, and even brought it to school this morning, unwilling to part with it.

But now, Cami Blake pointed at it, furious. "What do you mean your toy? That was for me! My daddy bought it for me! You're a thief!"

Thief. To a five-year-old, that word cut deeper than anyone realized.

Kira's eyes turned red, her small fingers twisting the hem of her shirt. "I'm not…"

She looked up at Graham, desperate for him to defend her. Just once.

But he averted his gaze, cold and unmoved.

Allison stepped in with a soft smile. "Graham did buy Cami several toys yesterday. She didn't like the bunny, so he took it home. Maybe Kira just happened to have the same one."

The sadness in Kira's eyes deepened.

So the gift she had treasured—her only gift from her father—was nothing more than a discarded afterthought.

Still, she whispered, her voice full of hurt, "But… Daddy gave it to me…"

Graham's brows furrowed.

He avoided her gaze again and said with indifference, "So what? It's just a toy. You were still wrong to hit someone. You owe Cami an apology."

Then he turned on Josie. "Is this the kind of child you raised? Hitting others, then showing no remorse? What kind of mother are you?"

Josie felt her heart go cold. She opened her mouth to speak.

But Kira tugged her hand.

Her eyes were red, her voice urgent. "It's not Mommy's fault. Mommy is the best mom in the world."

Then, as if afraid she'd said too much, she wiped her face with her sleeve, gave Josie a trembling smile, and said softly, "It's okay, Mommy. I'll apologize."

She knew—if she didn't apologize, Graham wouldn't let this go.

And her mother would be blamed.

She didn't want that. She didn't want her mom to suffer for her.

So, with her little heart breaking, she turned toward Graham and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Holloway."

The words landed with a quiet ache, slicing into Josie's heart like a blade.

"I'm sorry, Cami."

"I'm sorry… Cami's mom."

Then she reached out, took Josie's hand, and turned to leave.

The teacher, caught off guard by Kira's unusually subdued behavior, blinked and chased after her with the torn bunny in hand. "Kira, you forgot your toy."

Kira paused, glanced at it. Then, eyes filled with tears, she shook her head. "I don't want it anymore."

Josie stared at her in disbelief.

Graham stood frozen at the doorway.

A sharp ache bloomed in Josie's chest as she thought, 'Graham… you have two chances left.'