Chapter 210
Audrey’s POV:
The dining hall was so quiet that the ticking of the clock could be
heard.
“When are you leaving, exactly?” Caspar asked, breaking the silence.
“Monday morning,” I replied with a lightness I didn’t feel.
“It’s just a quick trip to check on the exhibition preparations. Three
days, four at most.”
Caspar nodded, his expression unreadable.
But I noticed how the temperature in the room seemed to drop
several degrees.
Noah, who had been chattering happily about school just minutes
earlier, now pushed his peas around his plate, eyes downcast.
“Is something wrong with the food, sweetheart?” I asked, reaching
over to smooth his hair.
1/6
Chapter 210
Noah shook his head but didn’t look up.
Later that evening, I sat on the edge of Noah’s bed, a storybook open
in my lap.
It was about a little lion cub learning to be brave when separated
from his parents.
“‘Even though his mother and father had to go away for a while,‘” I
read, “‘Little Leo knew he needed to be strong. He practiced his roar
every day and learned to hunt for berries all by himself…“”
Noah’s small hand suddenly covered the page, stopping me mid-
sentence.
I looked up to find his dark eyes studying me intently.
“Is that why you picked this story?” he asked, his voice so small yet so
precise. “Because you’re going away?”
My heart clenched.
Sometimes I forgot how perceptive he was, how deeply he understood
things children his age shouldn’t have to think about.
2/6
Chapter 210
“It’s just a short trip, Noah,” I said, trying to keep my tone light. “I’ll
be back before you even have time to miss me.”
He didn’t look convinced.
“That’s what they told Little Leo too,” he pointed out, referencing the
story. “But he still missed them.”
I set the book aside and gathered him close.
“You’re right,” I admitted. “And it’s okay to miss people. But that
doesn’t mean I’m abandoning you.”
“Promise?”
The word hung between us, weighted with all the fears of a child who
had already experienced too much uncertainty.
“I promise I’ll come back as quickly as I can,” I said carefully.
I couldn’t lie to him about the exact timing–not when I truly didn’t
know how long it would take to secure Jasper’s antidote and address
our other problem.
Noah nodded solemnly.
3/6
Chapter 210
“I’ll be brave like Little Leo,” he declared. “I’ll practice my drawing
every day while you’re gone, and I’ll make sure Daddy smiles more.”
I blinked back tears. “That sounds perfect.”
“And when you come back, I’ll be even more independent,” he
continued earnestly. “So you’ll be proud of me.”
“Noah,” I whispered, cupping his small face in my hands.
“I’m already so proud of you. More than you could ever know.”
held him until his breathing deepened and his small body relaxed
against mine.
A lump formed in my throat as I gazed down at his peaceful face.
The universe had a cruel sense of timing–my son had been right
before my eyes for months without my knowing, and now that I’d
finally discovered the truth, I was forced to leave him.
Life gives with one hand and takes with the other, I thought bitterly.
But I pushed the self–pity aside.
Unlike before, this time I was leaving by choice, fighting for a future
4/6
Chapter 210
where I could be there for all his tomorrows.
I carefully tucked him in, placing a soft kiss on his forehead before
quietly leaving the room.
In search of Caspar, I headed toward his study.
The door was ajar, a sliver of light spilling into the hallway.
In the far corner, partially hidden behind some leather–bound
volumes, was a stack of photos.
The top one was clearly visible–a baby, probably just weeks old,
bundled in a blue blanket.
Noah as an infant.
I moved toward them automatically, fingers itching to touch this
missing piece of my son’s early life that had been stolen from me.
5/6
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.
