Semua Bab Dear Ex, I'm More Than Your Plan B: Bab 131 - Bab 140

Dorian stared out the windshield, the quiet hum of the street lamps flickering in the reflection. Her words hit deeper than he wanted to admit.He had built something. He just didn’t know what right he had to claim it.“You think she’d say yes?” he asked suddenly.His mother didn’t skip a beat. “You think she’s stayed single four years because she likes eating dinner alone?”He chuckled tiredly. “You’re unbelievable.”“No. I’m a mother. And I know love when I see it. Just don’t be a coward.”“I’m not a coward,” he said, firm now.“Then prove it. Bring them both home. Let me spoil that little angel before she gets too big for my lap. You know she already calls me abuela behind Vera’s back?”Dorian’s heart tugged sharply. He didn’t know that. But it warmed him like nothing else.“I’ll think about it,” he muttered.“You always say that,” she said with a sigh. “But alright. Think. Just don’t wait too long. I want them here for the summer. Make it happen, hijo. I’m waiting.”The call ended

The bedroom was too quiet, too cold, too foreign, and yet Asher lay wide awake in the king sized bed, sweat clinging to his skin despite the air conditioner humming low.It had been hours since he returned. Hours since Sarah had finally given up texting him. Hours since he had stared blankly at the city skyline from the window, trying to reason with himself, trying to pull the threads together in his mind.But nothing made sense.He ran a hand over his face, the shadows under his eyes stark in the moonlight filtering through the curtains. The silence that pressed into the room wasn’t peaceful. It was suffocating.The bed felt like a trap. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her, the little girl.The one with those big, curious eyes and soft curls.Eira.He didn’t even know her name until she said it. He hadn’t asked. He hadn’t dared. But somehow, the memory of her voice whispering, “You shouldn’t be sad,” looped over and over in his mind like a lullaby soaked in guilt.It shouldn’t

Damien wasn’t ready to gamble that, not when his best friend was hanging by threads thinner than spider silk.Still, as he picked up the black duffel and slung it over his shoulder, something inside him whispered, You’re not wrong.He stepped into the elevator just as Asher strode through the main corridor of the private Donovan wing, dressed in black, silent and unreadable, but with that same haunted look in his eyes.Not rage. Not sorrow.Hope.A fragile, dangerous kind of hope.“You ready?” Damien asked, keeping his tone level.Asher nodded once. “I need to see her.”Damien said nothing more. He didn’t ask why. He didn’t press. Because despite everything, he could feel the shift in Asher, like he was moving with purpose for the first time in years.As they stepped into the jet, Damien silently prayed.That his suspicions were right.That the girl Asher saw was truly Eira Donovan.And that whatever storm waited in that city, they would all survive it.Because secrets, no matter how

They found a quiet, upscale gelato shop tucked near the park.It was late enough in the day that there weren’t many people around.Asher ordered vanilla and strawberry for Eira, with extra sprinkles, chocolate chips, and yes, gummy worms, and just a simple espresso for himself.They sat by the window, the sunlight casting a golden glow across the little girl's face as she dug enthusiastically into her treat.Asher sipped his coffee slowly, watching her.He still couldn’t quite wrap his mind around it.She wasn’t just any child. She was his child.And Vera… she had never told him.“Do you like ice cream too?” Eira asked, swinging her legs. “Or are you just too serious for fun?”Asher raised an eyebrow, amused. “Too serious, huh?”“Mommy says people who frown too much have tiny little hearts that forgot how to smile.”He almost choked on his espresso. “She said that?”Eira nodded seriously. “But I think you smiled in your dreams. So your heart just got sleepy.”Asher stared at her for a

Damien stepped further into the suite, then gave Asher a pointed look. “I’ll be in the room next door if you need anything.”“Thanks.” Asher nodded, watching as Eira began opening drawers and curiously inspecting a decorative globe.The suite door clicked shut behind Damien, leaving an odd silence between them.Asher cleared his throat. “Hungry?”“Not really,” she said, then turned to face him. “Can I draw something for you instead?”He led her to the couch, handed her the sketchpad and colored pencils that had just been delivered, and sat beside her.As she began drawing, he let himself study her.Her brows furrowed the same way Vera’s did when she concentrated.Her lashes fluttered in the same rhythm, and when she bit the end of the pencil, it was all Vera again.“You really love drawing?” he asked.She nodded. “Mom says when I’m sad, I should draw how I feel. It helps.”“And are you sad today?”“Not anymore,” she replied honestly. “You came back like you promised.”His throat tight