Chapter 3: “Mummy?”

Annalyn’s POV

“Because you’re not what I need anymore…”

His voice echoed through the tiled walls like a sentence. Flat. Final. I reached for him, but he stepped back like my presence was too loud.

Then he shoved me aside like I was a broken door in his way.

And just like that… he was gone.

He didn’t look back. Didn’t flinch. Didn’t care that I was shaking, screaming his name.

Didn’t care that my heart was shattering.

I slid down the wall, my body folding in on itself. My fists were clenched, my chest hollow, my mouth open in a silent scream.

“You promised me,” I whispered, even though he wasn’t there to hear it. “You said I was your future…”

My sobs cracked against the white tiles like glass.

He’d kissed her.

He’d smiled.

And I broke.

I whimpered in my sleep, still caught in the dream, gripping something warm and steady. Something that didn’t feel like goodbye.

A hand.

A chest.

Soft cotton.

A heartbeat.

Then..

“Why is Mommy crying?”

That small familiar voice. Curious yet gentle

I stirred.

Felt the weight of my tears soaking into something soft. The soft sound of sniffles…mine. I blinked slowly, the world behind my lids unraveling into light.

Then I saw him.

A man.

A handsome stranger.

And for a breathless moment, I forgot where I was.

He was beyond beautiful.

Has Sharp cheekbones, perfectly sculpted lips, a jawline dusted with stubble like it had been painted on. His eyes were dark brown and impossibly steady, and there was something about the way he held himself, quiet power and controlled elegance that made it hard to look away.

I was drowning in those hypnotic eyes..

I stared, stunned, mesmerized by the man who’d caught me like a fallen star.

“Mommy?”

The little boy’s voice broke the trance.

And just like that, everything rushed back.

The accident.

The boy who called me mother.

The warm arm of a stranger who saved me from being hit.

I gasped, realizing I was curled into this man’s chest, my fingers still clutching the front of his blazer, staining the expensive fabric with my tears, makeup, and runny nose.

“Oh my God… I’m so sorry,” I stammered, jerking back, mortified. My body tried to retreat from his warmth, even as my cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “Your shirt.. I didn’t mean..”

He lifted a hand, stopping me mid-sentence.

“It’s fine,” he said, voice low and firm. “Please do not move too much”

I blinked again, struggling to sit up on my own. My limbs felt like wet paper.

My eyes flicked to the little boy with wide eyes who was now clutching the hem of the man’s jacket. He looked about Four, maybe five. Same sharp eyes. Same dark hair. He was staring at me like I was made of magic and sunlight.

“Where… where am I?” I asked, dazed.

The man didn’t answer right away. Instead, he turned toward the nurse walking briskly toward us.

“Could you please take Nolan to the waiting hall for a snack or something?” he asked.

The nurse smiled kindly. “Of course, Mr. Quinn.”

The little boy’s grip tightened. “No! I want to stay with Mommy!”

My heart lurched.

That title again “mummy”

The man the nurse had just called Mr. Quinn knelt down to the boy’s level, whispering something in his ear too low for me to hear.

The boy pouted, I couldn’t help but chuckle lightly at his adorable face but eventually he nodded and followed the nurse reluctantly.

As soon as the door jammed shut the man turned his attention back to me.

“Do you know that you could have been killed,” he said, voice clipped. “What were you thinking crossing the road like that?”

I flinched, swallowing hard. “I.. I didn’t see the car…”

“Of course,” he cut in, exhaling through his nose as he pinched the bridge between his eyes. “You didn’t.”

He seemed more frustrated than angry. Like someone trying to hold back a tidal wave of something.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “And… Thank you. You saved my life.”

He sighed. “It’s fine.”

There was a beat of silence before he straightened his jacket and extended a hand.

“I’m Alexander Quinn,” he said. “but you can call me Alex. Your doctor says you’re fine. Just a mild concussion and shock. Also I’ve covered the bills…”

“What?” I blinked. “You… didn’t have to”

“Again, it’s fine Miss, Once you’re discharged, you’re free to go.”

“Thank you,” I said, then hesitated. “I hope you don’t mind if I asked, who’s that little boy and why did he call me Mommy?”

He looked at me.. really looked at me and something flickered across his face. Grief? Fear? I couldn’t tell.

“Perhaps because you look like her,” he said finally. “My wife, his mother”

My breath caught.

“She's been gone for a year now. Nolan…my son doesn’t fully understand what this means, as you can see he’s too young. And you…” his voice dropped, “…you could pass as her twin.”

Her twin? How’s that even possible

I opened my mouth, but no words came.

Then he reached into his coat and pulled out a card. Placed it gently on the edge of my hospital bed.

“I have a proposal,” he said. “You could call it a job, if you’re willing to consider it. I’d like you to be a stand-in mother to Nolan. Help him transition. Help him heal. It’s a live-in role. A one year contract.”

I just stared at him in disbelief.

“Hold on if I'm getting you right, You want me to pretend to be his mom?”

“Not pretend,” he corrected. “Just… be there. Be a presence. Be available for him .”

My heart thudded in my chest.

“I…”

“You don’t have to say anything now,” he said, already turning to leave. “But think fast. I don’t have time to waste.”

Before he could turn his phone rang.

He smoothly slid out his phone and answered without missing a step.

“Hey Clarissa?” he said into the receiver. “I’m heading back now…” the sound of the door slamming behind him startled me briefly

I froze.

Clarissa?

Did I just hear that name from his mouth?

What are the odds that it’s the same Clarissa Kristoff is getting married to.

My stomach turned. My breath caught.

I picked up the card and read through it “Alexander Quinn, CEO QuinnTech”

Without hesitation I searched for my phone, hands shaking as I pulled it from beneath the blanket.

I opened the browser.

Searched.

“Alexander Quinn.”

And there it was.

A family photo.

With her.

Clarissa.

The one I’d seen on the banner with Kristoff.

Smiling beside him in a family portrait.

The caption read: Alexander Quinn, CEO of QuinnTech, pictured with his sister Clarissa at the Innovators Gala.

The air rushed out of me.

He’s Kristoff’s brother-in-law.

My jaw dropped.