99
His behavior was perfect.
All the arguments I had mentally prepared for, all the tantrums I had steeled myself to handle–none materialized.
Noah simply went through the motions of dinner with robotic precision.
He was being so obedient, so well–behaved that it was frankly unsettling.
This silent compliance was worse than any outburst could have been.
After dinner, I followed Noah as he headed upstairs.
He didn’t look back once, didn’t acknowledge my presence, but he also didn’t close his bedroom door in my face when we reached it.
“Noah,” I began, sitting beside him with enough distance not to crowd him.
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“I need to explain something important.” I paused, searching for the right words. “Miss Audrey, not wanting to… be with me doesn’t mean
she doesn’t like you. She cares about you very much.”
Noah’s eyes remained fixed on his dinosaur, but his grip tightened slightly.
“You can still see her. I can arrange for you to continue your art sessions. She just… probably won’t be coming to our home anymore.”
The words felt like stones in my throat.
‘Noah. I’m sorry I can’t make her… I can’t make her your mother.”
Noah didn’t respond.
His eyes were closed, his breathing deliberately slow and measured. He was pretending to be asleep.
I sighed softly, reaching out to adjust his blanket, watching his pretense gradually transform into genuine slumber.
The days that followed were eerily peaceful.
Noah woke up, dressed himself immaculately, ate his breakfast without complaint, completed his lessons with perfect focus, and went to bed precisely at bedtime.
Meanwhile, I buried myself in work, deliberately packing my schedule to capacity.
I filled every minute with something demanding my full attention. It was easier than allowing my mind the space to drift toward thoughts
18:31 Fri, Jan 30
…
Chapter 99
of Audrey.
We were both trying to accept that she had made her choice, and I was determined to respect it, not to become the kind of man who
couldn’t take no for an answer.
Life settled into a new rhythm. Different, emptier, but functional.
Until the answer came after three days.
I was reviewing quarterly reports in my home office when Edward knocked urgently.
“Sir,” he said, his normally composed face etched with concern, “Noah has been sick in the bathroom.”
I found my son bent over the toilet, his small body convulsing with another wave of nausea. His face was pale and clammy, eyes glassy
with fever.
“Noah,” I murmured, kneeling beside him and placing a hand on his forehead. It was burning hot.
“What happened?” I asked Edward.
“I’m not entirely sure, sir. He seemed fine at breakfast, but then complained of a stomachache during his morning lessons. Within the
hour, he started vomiting.”
Edward hesitated, “There’s… something else you should know.”
I pressed the cool cloth against Noah’s forehead as he leaned weakly against me. “What is it?”
Edward reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.
‘I was tidying his art supplies and noticed… well, he hasn’t been drawing at all these past few days.”
I unfolded the paper with one hand, keeping the other firmly around Noah’s shoulders,
Instead of the colorful artwork that usually filled Noah’s pages, there was just a single sentence written over and over in his careful,
childish handwriting:
Noah always does what Audrey says. When will Audrey come get me?
My heart cracked as I looked down at my son, who had closed his eyes and was trembling against me.
“Call Dr. Matthews,” I said to Edward, my voice tight.
‘Of course, sir.‘ Edward paused, then added gently, “Should I also call Miss Lane? I think at this point…”
2/3
18:31 Fri, Jan 30
Chapter 99
…
:
He glanced meaningfully at Noah’s shaking form. “Noah clearly needs her.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
