Extended Family Meeting

Jake's POVMy father called with an idea. Family gathering. His estate. Introduce Alex to everyone properly."No drama. No Margaret. Just family meeting family. What do you say?""I say Emma will be terrified.""I know. But it needs to happen. Alex deserves to know his family. And they deserve to know him."He was right. But that did not make it less daunting.I told Emma that evening. She went pale."Your entire family? All at once?""My father thinks it is better than doing it piece by piece. Rip the bandage off.""They have all heard Margaret's version. They think I am the villain who kept Alex away.""Some of them think that. Not all. Jessica does not. My father does not. Others are just curious.""Curious about the woman who trapped their golden boy and hid his son for eight years?""Emma—""That is what they think, Jake. That is the story Margaret has been telling for months.""Then we show them the truth. We show them who you really are.""And if they do not care? If they have

Last Updated : 2025-12-28

Defining the Relationship

Emma's POVWe were lying in bed. Not sleeping. Just existing in the dark.Jake's arm around me. My head on his chest. Normal. Comfortable.But something had been bothering me for weeks."Jake? Can I ask you something?""Always.""What are we exactly?"He shifted. "What do you mean?""I mean us. Our relationship. What are we?""We are together. Are we not?""Are we? We live together. We have Alex. We work together. But we never actually... defined this."Jake was quiet. Thinking.I continued. "We were together eight years ago. Then we were not. Then you found me. Then we were fighting for custody. Then fighting to save the company. We act like we are together but we never actually started over. Not really.""You are right.""So what are we? Roommates? Co-parents? Business partners?""More than that. Obviously more than that.""But what? Are we dating? Are we still engaged? We never had that conversation."Jake sat up. Turned on the bedside lamp. Looked at me seriously."You are absolut

Last Updated : 2025-12-28

Balancing Act

Jake's POVBeing everything to everyone was exhausting.At work, Emma and I were business partners. Professional. Strategic. Making decisions about the company.At home, we were parents. Co-parenting Alex. Managing schedules and homework and bedtime routines.In our relationship, we were supposed to be romantic partners. Dating. Building intimacy.But the roles kept bleeding into each other.Tuesday, we had a disagreement at work. Marketing strategy for a new client. Emma wanted aggressive social media campaign. I thought it was too risky."We need to make a splash," she argued in the conference room."We need to be careful. This client is conservative. Flashy campaign could backfire.""Or it could establish us as innovative agency.""Or it could lose us the client."We went back and forth. Professional. But tense.Finally compromised on moderate approach. But the disagreement lingered.That night at home, Emma was quiet. Distant."You okay?" I asked while making dinner."Fine.""You

Last Updated : 2025-12-28

Alex's Adjustment Issues

Emma's POV We canceled the weekend trip. Stayed home with Alex. His fever broke by Sunday. He recovered fine. But something else started happening. Alex was acting out. Small things at first. Talking back. Refusing to do homework. Crying over minor frustrations. Then bigger things. Tantrums. Defiance. Clinginess. He would not let me out of his sight. Following me from room to room. Panicking if I left for work. "What is going on with him?" Jake asked after a particularly difficult bedtime. "I do not know. Maybe he is still processing everything. The custody battle. Margaret. All the changes." "It has been months though. I thought he was adjusting." "Maybe he was. But now something is different." Tuesday, the school called. Alex got in a fight. "He pushed another student during recess. The other child fell and scraped his knee. Can you come pick him up?" I left work immediately. Drove to school. Found Alex sitting in the principal's office. Face red. Arms crossed. "Alex, w

Last Updated : 2025-12-29

All Chapters of Breaking Up With The Hottest Man On Ice : Chapter 141 - Chapter 144

Extended Family Meeting

Defining the Relationship

Balancing Act

Alex's Adjustment Issues