Chapter 4

Iris's POV

I didn’t sleep well that night.

I kept wondering if he would actually keep his word and show up in the morning. I wasn't looking forward to the disappointment on Evie's face when he didn't come.

When a sleek black SUV pulled up in front of the house at 7 a.m., my heart jolted in surprise.

Eric stepped out, freshly dressed in a tailored black shirt and slacks. He looked like he had just walked out of a magazine. He looked effortlessly handsome, like always but cold, and unreadable.

Evie ran to the window, gasping in joy. “Mom! Daddy’s here!”

I smiled weakly. “Go on, grab your bag.”

Evie raced around the house gathering her things while I went to answer the door. I didn’t say anything to Eric when I opened the door.

“Ready?” he asked, not glancing at me.

Evie nodded eagerly, holding his hand with a wide grin on her face.

When they left, I followed behind in my own car. I didn't trust Eric with Evie, even though he was her father.

When I arrived at the pack school, I spotted them instantly.

And I froze.

Zara was already there.

She looked stunning, even at this hour. Her icy blue eyes lit up as Eric approached. Tiffany, her little blonde daughter, ran straight into Eric’s arms with a giggle. He caught her and lifted her up, spinning her around with a genuine laugh that I hadn’t heard in years.

Zara joined them moments later, slipping her arm casually through his like it belonged there.

And Eric didn’t shake her off.

Evie stood quietly, staring at them. Her smile slowly faded.

I quickly rushed to her, crouching beside her. “Hey, why don’t you go say hi to your teacher? I think I saw her just now.”

Evie nodded slowly and walked off, her shoulders drooping a little.

I stood back up, my jaw clenched as I marched toward Eric.

“We had an agreement,” I said lowly, pulling him aside when Zara and Tiffany turned toward the building.

He raised an eyebrow. “And I’m here, aren’t I? I dropped her at school.”

“You just neglected Evie for Zara and her daughter. That wasn’t part of the deal.”

Eric sighed, his jaw tightening. “So now you want me to neglect Zara when she’s clearly struggling? She’s a single mother, Iris. She needs support.”

I wanted to argue that I was also a single mother, and I needed support, but I didn’t.

“If you want me to sign those divorce papers, then yes. I want you to neglect her.”

His green eyes narrowed with disgust. “You’re unbelievable.”

I stood tall, “No. I’m a mother, and I will do anything to make sure Evie is taken care of.”

Eric clenched his jaw and stormed off without another word.

I stood there shaking as my heart pounded.

~

However, over the next few days something shifted.

Eric started ignoring Zara. He didn’t answer her calls whenever he was with Evie.

He started picking Evie up from school. He sat with her during lunch breaks, even attended her weekend drawing class.

He wasn’t warm with her like I had seen with Tiffany, but he was present and Evie was happy.

And that was enough for me.

On one of the days, Eric took Evie to the park.

The park was nearly empty that Saturday afternoon, just a few parents scattered around with their pups. Eric sat stiffly on the bench, arms crossed as Evie ran around, spinning in circles with a squeal.

I had brought my sketchbook, but I couldn’t focus on anything with Eric just two feet away, silent and unreadable as always.

Evie ran up to us with her cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling. “Let’s play together! All of us!”

Eric’s brows pulled together. “Play?”

“Yes! Tag! Mommy, you too!”

I hesitated. “Sweetheart, I don’t think—”

“Please?” Evie clasped her hands. “Just one game. It’ll be fun, I promise!”

Eric opened his mouth to object, but Evie was already tugging on his hand, then mine. “Please, please!”

We both stood reluctantly and stiffly. The next thing I knew, I was actually laughing as I chased my daughter across the grassy field. Eric joined in reluctantly at first, but Evie’s laughter was infectious, and he eventually cracked a small smile as he tagged her and ran.

For a fleeting moment, it felt like we were a family.

I turned to run, but my foot caught on a tree root, and I tripped with a gasp right into Eric.

We stumbled, and I fell against him hard, my hands landing on his chest. He caught me instinctively, his arms wrapped around my waist.

We froze.

Our faces were inches apart.

His eyes glanced at my lips for a second, and my heart pounded. I could feel the tension in the air. My lips parted slightly.

Eric’s phone rang, and the sound shattered everything.

He snapped out of the moment, stepping back quickly and letting me fall out of his arms like I had burned him. I staggered, catching myself just before I hit the ground.

He didn’t even glance at the phone, instead, he was glaring at me as if it had been my fault.

His jaw was clenched, and his eyes were cold.

“You always find a way to twist things,” he muttered under his breath.

My chest tightened. “What—”

Before I could say anything else, he shoved the phone to his ear and turned away, muttering harshly into the receiver. Without another word, he stormed off, leaving me standing there in the middle of the field, stunned.

Evie came running back later. “Where’s Daddy going?”

I forced a smile, kneeling to wipe grass from my daughter’s cheek.

“He just… remembered something. But it’s okay, baby. We had fun, didn’t we?”

Evie nodded slowly. “Yeah. It felt like we were a normal family.”

I blinked back tears at Evie's words.