Chapter 5: The Boy with My Eyes

Noah POV:

For five years, I had imagined seeing Tracy again. Sometimes I pictured her angry, sometimes crying, and sometimes walking into my office to tell me everything had been a terrible mistake.

But I never imagined finding her in the hallway of an elementary school. She looked different, not because she wasn't beautiful, but because she carried a quiet strength that hadn't been there before. Still, I could see the sadness hidden in her brown eyes. "Hello, Noah," she said softly.

I swallowed before saying her name. "Tracy." For a few moments, we simply looked at each other while the busy hallway faded into the background. Five years of silence stood between us.

"I didn't expect to see you here," I finally said. "I work here," she replied.

My eyes fell on the name tag pinned to her blouse. Tracy Carter, Music Teacher.

"You teach music?" I asked. She nodded. "I've been here for almost four years."

I wanted to ask where she had been, if she was happy, or if she had ever thought about me.

Instead, all I managed to say was, "You look well." A faint smile crossed her face. "I've had to learn how to be."

Before I could answer, a little boy came running toward her. "Mom!" he called happily, holding a drawing in his hand.

He couldn't have been more than five years old. He hugged her tightly and said, "I got first place in the art contest!"

Tracy's whole face lit up with a smile that took my breath away. She hugged him back and praised him before looking at the drawing. "You even remembered my curly hair," she laughed.

"I forgot your earrings," the boy said. "That's okay. You can draw them next time."

I couldn't help smiling as I watched him. He was bright, cheerful, and full of confidence. Tracy rested her hand on his shoulder. "This is my son, Samuel."

Then she looked at him. "Samuel, this is an old friend." Those words hurt more than I expected.

Samuel smiled politely and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mister." I shook his small hand. "Nice to meet you too, Samuel."

The moment I looked into Samuel's face, something inside me stopped. His bright blue eyes were the exact same color as mine. I frowned, telling myself it had to be a coincidence. Lots of people had blue eyes, but then he smiled, my heart skipped a beat. The little dimple on his left cheek and the shape of his smile looked painfully familiar. I had seen that same smile every morning in my own reflection. No... I quickly looked away.

Tracy seemed to notice and gently touched Samuel's shoulder.

"Sweetheart, why don't you go back to your class? I'll be there in a minute." "Okay!" he said before waving at me. "Bye, Mister!" "Bye," I replied as he ran down the hallway.

I watched him disappear, unable to calm the strange feeling inside me. Tracy folded her arms. "I should go." "Wait," I said. She stopped. "Is he..." The question got stuck in my throat because I wasn't even sure what I wanted to ask.

She looked straight into my eyes. "What?" I slowly shook my head. "Nothing." For a brief second, relief flashed across her face before it disappeared.

"My students are waiting," she said as she turned to leave. "Tracy." She looked back.

The apology felt heavy inside me. "I'm sorry." She held my eyes for a long moment before giving me a small, tired smile. "Those words would have meant everything five years ago."

Then she walked away. I stood there, watching her disappear into the classroom.

I had built billion-dollar companies, closed impossible deals, and faced powerful enemies without fear. But at that moment, I had never felt so helpless.

An hour later, Family Day was over. Children filled the school entrance, laughing as they ran to their parents and climbed into waiting cars. I stayed near the front of the school, greeting teachers and families as they left.

Claire walked over and said, "Everything went well." I barely heard her because my eyes were searching the crowd. Then I saw Tracy. She was helping Samuel put on his backpack. He looked up at her with a bright smile, and she laughed before gently kissing the top of his head. The sight stirred something deep inside me. It looked like the life I had once dreamed of, a family. My family.

I quickly pushed the thought away. Stop it, Noah. You're imagining things. Tracy took Samuel's hand and started walking toward the parking lot.

As they passed me, Samuel looked up and smiled. "Bye, Mister Noah!" I smiled back. "Goodbye, Samuel."

He tilted his head and said proudly, "Mom says it's rude not to say goodbye."

I let out a small laugh. "Your mom taught you well."

Samuel grinned even wider. "I know. She's the smartest person ever."

Tracy looked slightly embarrassed. "Samuel" He shrugged with an innocent smile. "What? I'm only telling the truth."

I laughed, a real laugh that I hadn't felt in years. Tracy noticed, and for one brief moment, she smiled too. But the smile quickly faded.

She gently held Samuel's hand and continued toward the parking lot. I stood there watching them leave, just as I had watched Tracy walk away five years ago. But this time, something felt different, and I couldn't explain why.

"Sir?" My longtime driver, Harris, stepped up beside me. "Yes?" I answered without taking my eyes off Tracy and Samuel as they got into an old blue sedan.

Harris watched them for a moment before speaking quietly. "That little boy" I followed his gaze. "What about him?" He paused as if choosing his words carefully.

"I've worked for the Kingston family for almost thirty years." I nodded. "I know." He continued, "I've watched every generation of your family grow up." I frowned. "So?"

Harris looked at me with a serious expression. "That boy has the Kingston family eyes."

My heart seemed to stop. "What did you say?" I asked.

Harris answered calmly, "The same blue eyes your grandfather had and your father too."

My throat went dry. I looked back at the little boy laughing through the car window. For the first time, I wasn't looking at him as someone else's child. I was looking at him with questions I couldn't ignore.

The thought felt impossible, frightening, and life-changing all at once. As Tracy's car slowly disappeared down the road, only one question stayed in my mind. Who is Samuel Carter and why does he look so much like me?