Chapter 244
Chapter 244
Ethan stared at his sister.
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Since they came back from Alex’s company, Mia has not said a word. Not a single one.
He leaned against the kitchen counter, his arms folded, watching her from a distance.
She was sitting on the couch in the living room, her legs folded tightly under her like a small child, her arms wrapped around herself. Her eyes weren’t even moving, they were locked on the wall.
She looked… empty.
Ethan expected different reactions though.
Mia had always been strong, yes, but she was also emotional. She was never one to bottle things up completely.
He expected her to be screaming, to throw things, to curse. He expected her to storm into her room and continue packing her things to leave.
But Mia didn’t do any of that.
She just sat there, still and silent.
The events of today had knocked him off balance too.
Ethan had imagined different outcomes when he persuaded Mia to come here, when he told her again and again that it was time for Alex to know about Aiden.
He always thought that if it happened, it should happen on Mia’s terms. When she was ready. When she could stand and look Alex in the eye and tell him herself.
But it hadn’t gone like that.
Instead, it had blown up in a way he never wanted. And now… now there was nothing he could do to change it.
A sharp sting of guilt sat heavy in his chest. This was his doing. He was the one who had persuaded Mia to come to this country.
And now, everything was chaos.
Ethan reached for the glass of water on the counter, his fingers gripping the cool surface as his mind drifted back to a month after he got here.
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Chapter 244
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He had found out about Alex Blackwell. The name alone had sent fear rushing through his body. The Blackwell family was the last kind of people he wanted to cross paths with. At first, he had considered packing his things and leaving.
But then he saw something that surprised him.
Alex Blackwell had built an empire here. A kingdom of his own. He had cut ties with his father completely. Ethan couldn’t even believe it at first. Akex was now standing on his own, feared, respected.
His brother Jullian was no longer the broken addict Ethan remembered. He looked healthier, stronger, and alive.
They weren’t the same Blackwells from Willowcrest. Not at all.
They had even changed their last name.
And then came the biggest shock of all.
Alex wasn’t married.
All this time, they had believed he was. They had believed Charles Blackwell.
But it was a lie.
Ethan had started to see it differently then. Started to think maybe…
just maybe, the whole thing with Mia and Alex had been a full blown misunderstanding
Alex was not in on it with his father.
His mind had run with possibilities.
Could there be another chance?
Was it possible for them to rebuild what was broken?
At the time, Ethan thought maybe he was reaching too far. Maybe he was being foolish. But then he remembered how Alex had loved Mia.
It wasn’t a secret.
Everyone who knew Alex Blackwell knew him as cold, indifferent, untouchable. He was heartless. A man with ice in his veins. But with Mia… with Mia he was different.
Ethan had seen it with his own eyes.
Chapter 244
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One night, years ago, he had gone to the club. He hadn’t meant to spy, but he couldn’t help watching. He saw Alex with Mia. Saw the way Alex touched her, not like a man who wanted possession, but like a man holding something sacred.
He saw how Alex looked at her, like she was the only star in his sky.
It had scared Ethan then. Because he knew. He knew his sister’s heart was in danger. And he knew Alex Blackwell falling in love with Mia Turner could never end well.
Charles had seen it too. And Charles had reacted fast, ripping them apart before it grew into something bigger than he could control.
But Ethan remembered. He remembered how Alex had loved Mia, and how Mia had loved Alex.
It was raw, real, pure and intense in a way most people never got to experience.
And maybe that’s why Ethan pushed Mia so hard. Maybe that’s why he believed that Aiden deserved to have both his parents, even if it meant digging up old wounds.
But after what happened today, Ethan wasn’t so sure anymore.
There was too much pain, too much hate between them.
He doubted they would ever trust each other again.
With a heavy sigh, he refilled the glass of water and carried it to the sitting room.
Mia looked up at him, her eyes dull but softening slightly as she gave him a weak smile.
“How are you feeling?” Ethan asked quietly, settling down beside her.
Mia nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “Fine, I guess.”
He knew she wasn’t fine. Not even close.
“I’m sorry it turned out like this, Mia,” he said gently.
She glanced at him, her lips parting slightly before she spoke. “It’s not your fault.”
But Ethan knew it was. At least partly. He couldn’t tell her though. He couldn’t add another betrayal to the long list she had already endured today.
If she knew how much he had pushed for this, how much he had believed it could work, she would break.
“You need to rest,” Ethan said softly.
Chapter 244
Mia let out a short snort, her gaze still glued to the wall. Her voice cracked when she spoke again.
“What am I supposed to do now?”
Ethan leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Let him get to know his father, Mia.”
Her eyes flickered with pain, but she nodded slowly.
“I’m so scared, Ethan,” she whispered. A tear slipped down her cheek, silent but heavy.
Ethan’s heart clenched. He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, pulling her gently against him until her head rested on his shoulder.
“It’s okay to be scared, Mia,” he murmured. “But I need you to know… you are not alone. You don’t have to do this alone. His father will protect him just as much as you will.”
Her body stiffened. She shook her head against his shoulder. “You don’t know that.”
Ethan’s lips pressed into a tight line. He didn’t want to bring up the past, but she needed to understand.
“Alex Blackwell is a monster when it comes to protecting his family,” Ethan said, his voice heavy with memory. “He tortured me. He almost killed me three times because of what I did to Jullian. Do you know why I disappeared for two years? It was because of him. Because he gave me no choice.”
Mia pulled back, her brows furrowing. “That was his brother, Ethan.”
“And Aiden is his son,” Ethan countered. “His flesh and blood. If he would walk through the storm for Jullian, then believe me…he will walk through fire for Aiden. He is that kind of man.”
Mia stared at him, silent.
“Let him into his son’s life,” Ethan said firmly. “Let Aiden know what a father’s warmth feels like.”
Her lips trembled. “What if he doesn’t accept him?”
Ethan chuckled softly, though there was no humor in his voice. He didn’t want to scare her, but the truth was clear in his mind. Alex had looked like a starving man when he saw Aiden. Like he wanted to rip the boy out of Mia’s arms and never let go.
“Trust me on this one, Mia,” Ethan said. “He is going to adore him.”
Mia nodded slowly, though doubt still clouded her face.
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Chapter 244
Her voice cracked when she spoke again. “God, what am I gonna say to my little baby?”
“The truth,” Ethan said simply.
At that moment, a small, sleepy voice broke the heaviness.
“Mama.”
Mia’s head snapped up immediately. Her arms loosened from around herself, opening instinctively.
“Yes, baby,” she said gently, her tone softening instantly.
Ethan turned to the tiny boy standing at the edge of the hallway, rubbing his little his fists, his hair messy from sleep.
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“You ready?” Ethan asked softly,
“Yeah.”
B
