Chapter 252
Mia paused, her breath catching in her throat as she watched Aiden run out of the living room.
For a second, her mind went blank. She had no idea what to do or even say.
Her eyes flickered to Alex.
He looked like someone had just stepped all over him. His broad shoulders slumped, his jaw tight, but his face -God, his face looked wrecked. Dejected. Defeated.
He was staring at his hands. If she didn’t know him so well, she would have thought he was on the verge of
tears.
Mia’s throat tightened. She didn’t know whether to comfort Alex or to run after Aiden.
But why had Aiden run like that? He has always wanted to meet his father. Always. She remembered the nights he asked her questions, the way his little eyes would light up when she told him stories about Alex…..even though she had to wrap those stories carefully, hiding the ugly parts.
Aiden had dreamed of him, longed for him. So why run away when he saw him.
Was he shy?
She needs to go check on him, Alex will have to come back another time.
She glanced at Ethan. Even her brother looked surprised. He didn’t know what to make of it either.
Mia turned back to Alex, forcing herself to say something “He just needs… uh, time.”
Her voice was soft, almost apologetic, as if she was trying to shield Alex from the weight of rejection.
Alex nodded, but the movement was stiff. His eyes stayed glued to his hands, his fingers clenching together, unclenching, over and over again.
Mia parted her lips to try and say something else but stopped when she heard his footsteps.
Aiden came running back into the living room.
Her heart melted instantly.
He was holding a box, his tiny arms wrapped tightly around it, the box almost too big for him to carry. It was full of toys, rattling slightly with each step he took.
Mia chuckled softly, tears stinging her eyes as she watched her son. He was walking carefully toward Alex, each step slow, cautious, but determined.
Alex’s eyes were locked on his son, wide and emotional. He looked… lost? Happy? Confused?
Aiden stopped right in front of him, still clutching his toy box.
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Alex looked at him, his expression torn between awe and uncertainty. He looked utterly confused but at the same time so heartbreakingly vulnerable.
The almighty Alex Blackwell Lowell looked like he had no idea what to do with a three–year–old boy.
Mia caught his eye and mouthed silently…….Say something.
Alex blinked at her, clearly nervous, before turning back to Aiden.
“What’s that?” he asked gently, nodding toward the box.
And that was all it took.
Aiden’s eyes lit up. His little body dropped the stiffness it carried, and in a rush of excitement, he darted forward…..straight between Alex’s legs….he places the box on the couch and urges him with tiny hands to look
inside.
Alex’s chest rose sharply, his hands trembling as he instinctively lifted his son onto his lap. The boy didn’t fight it. He didn’t hesitate. He simply plopped himself down like he had been waiting for that moment forever.
Then, with the excitement only a child could carry, Aiden began pulling out toy after toy, introducing them one by one as if this man he had only just learned is his father, needed to know everything.
“This is Mr. Car!” Aiden shouted happily, showing him a toy car with chipped paint.
Alex nodded, his lips trembling into a smile. “Mr. Car, huh?”
“And this one is Dino!” Aiden giggled, holding up a green plastic dinosaur, waving it in the air.
Alex chuckled softly, his chest visibly shaking. He looked like he was about to burst into tears but was fighting so hard to hold them back. His son was right there, in his arms, introducing toys as if they had always belonged together.
Mia felt her heart swell until it hurt. Pride filled her chest.
Her eyes stung, tears pooling until her vision blurred. She had never thought this moment would come. She never thought Alex would be here, holding their child, looking at him like he was the only thing in the world that mattered.
Her lips wobbled as she tried to hold in her emotions.
Ethan must have noticed. He reached out, placing a steady hand on her shoulder. The simple touch broke her last thread of control. She looked up at him, her tears finally slipping down.
Ethan squeezed her hand, then gently tugged her away from the living room, leading her into the corridor so
father and son could have their moment.
The second they were out of sight, Mia broke down completely. Her sobs came fast and quiet, muffled against her brother’s chest as he wrapped his arms around her.
Chapter 252
“I don’t know why I feel so emotional,” she whispered between shaky breaths.
Ethan held her tighter, his chin resting lightly on her hair. He didn’t speak, just let her cry.
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After a minute, her sobs died down into small sniffs. Ethan pulled back, guiding her into her bedroom. She sat on the bed, wiping at her damp cheeks, while Ethan leaned against the wall, his arms crossed but his
soft.
“They look like identical twins,” he said finally, shaking his head with something between disbelief and
wonder.
Mia chuckled wetly, her voice hoarse. “Yeah.”
“They really do,” Ethan said again.
“Are you okay?” he asked after a beat.
eyes
Mia gave a weak laugh. “I don’t even know. I think I am? I just felt…” She trailed off, searching for the right words.
“Emotional, seeing them together,” Ethan finished for her. “Even I feel that way. Even though I still feel… fear.”
Mia’s brows pinched as she looked at him.
He shook his head slowly. “You are not who you were in Willowcrest, Ethan. Stop being afraid of him,” she told him softly.
“Easy for you to say,” Ethan muttered, his jaw tight. “I know what I went through in his hands, Mia. You know he was a boxer, right? An underground boxer at that. He almost punched me into a coma.”
Mia smiled faintly, her eyes glazing over with memories. Of course she knew. She remembered going to that dangerous place just to see him. To watch him fight. To watch him own the ring like he was born to do it. She fell for him over and over again in that place. God help her, but he was so hot in that ring. She couldn’t resist him.
Sue her….
She sighed, pushing the memory aside as she stood up. “Do you think they’re okay in there?”
“They’re fine,” Ethan assured her.
As if to prove his point, the sound of giggles and laughter echo down the hallway.
Mia’s heart clenched. Their laughter sounded so alike. Their smiles would look too identical if put side by side. It was ridiculous how much Aiden had taken after Alex, in everything from his features to his laugh.
Maybe God hadn’t wanted her to hide him from his father.
That much was clear now.
*
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Chapter 252
…
When she walked back into the living room, she stopped when she saw them.
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Aiden was curled up on Alex’s lap, his tiny head resting on his father’s chest. His little body had gone slack with sleep, his lips parted in peaceful breaths.
Alex’s arms wrapped securely around him, his gaze fixed on his son with a softness Mia had never seen in him before. His eyes glowed with pure adoration.
When Alex noticed her, he looked up, his lips curving into a small smile.
Mia forced herself not to smile back.
“I’ll take him inside to lie down,” she said, her voice steady even though her heart wasn’t.
Alex nodded without protest.
She stepped forward and carefully scooped Aiden from his arms. Alex let go reluctantly, his eyes following their son
“You can leave,” she said over her shoulder.
But his voice stopped her. “I’d like to take him to school tomorrow.”
Mia pauses, uncertain. Her first instinct was to say no, to keep control, to protect. But then she looked down at her son’s sleeping face, so peaceful, so innocent, and she knew she couldn’t deny him that.
“Okay,” she whispered.
She carried Aiden into her bedroom, laying him gently on the bed. She tucked the blanket around him, brushing a soft kiss against his forehead.
“That went well,” she whispered, almost to herself.
But as if her voice reached him, Aiden stirred. His eyes fluttered open, heavy with sleep. He blinked up at her, then smiled sweetly.
“Mama, where’s Papa?” he asked, his eyes suddenly wide awake,
Mia froze, caught off guard.
Before she could answer, Aiden had already scrambled to his feet, sliding off the bed and running out of the
room.
“Aiden!” Panic surged through her. She rushed after him, her heart racing.
He darted into the living room, eyes scanning frantically, searching for Alex.
“Papa?” His small voice broke, and when he didn’t find Alex, tears immediately welled up in his eyes. His little chest hitched as sobs spilled out, panic overtaking him.
Mia felt her own panic flood through her as she tried to reach him. “Hey, baby, Papa-” she began, but he
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Chapter 252
wasn’t looking at her. He wasn’t listening.
Aiden suddenly ran toward the front door.
“Aiden, stop!” Mia screamed, running after him.
