ALEX

We''re almost to the car park.

The echo of our footsteps fills the concrete silence, tension hanging thick in the air.

Athena is quiet beside me, her hands in the pockets of her coat.

Mum hasn''t said a word since the session ended. We have more than enough to have Leah locked up for life. But I won''t stop there. Her family will lose everything.

I''ll make sure of it.

"Athena, go on ahead sweetie."

Mum''s voice cuts through my thoughts as she halts her steps.

I freeze.

Athena nces between us, sensing the shift, but doesn''t argue. She nods and walks ahead toward the car, her coat swaying around her ankles.

The moment she''s out of earshot, Mum grabs my arm, not hard, but firm.

Her short nails digging slightly into my sleeve. I look down into her eyes.fn9096 ??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? F?ndNovel/fn9096

And I know.

She''s hurt.

And it breaks my heart.

But I had no choice, I had to keep it from her to protect her. I''ll admit, at the beginning, I did it to punish them for how neglected I felt. I hoped I would drop dead one day, and they woulde back home to my cold body, and when the doctors told them what killed me, it would haunt them.

That was my punishment to them, but over the years, my reason began to change. I guess I saw how she struggled with granny and didn''t want her to feel like it was her fault. I also didn''t want granny to me herself into thinking she did this to me.

"How long," she asks, her voice low and trembling, "How long have you kept from us the fact that you have a heart condition?"

I open my mouth, but nothinges out.

She stares me down, every inch of her the formidable woman the world fears

except now it''s hurt and her eyes are shining with tears.

Tears for me.

Her son.

My throat tightens. "Mum-"

"How long, Alexander?"

Silence.

I can''t lie.

Not to her.

Not anymore.

"Since I was seventeen," I say quietly.

She takes a step back like I''ve struck her.

"Seventeen?" Her voice cracks. "You''ve been hiding it from us for fifteen years?"

I swallow hard. "I didn''t want to be treated like I was fragile. I didn''t want Dad pulling me from the business, you worrying yourself sick every time I took a flight-" "And instead I''m standing here listening to a psychopath confess that she used your condition against you," she snaps, cutting me off. "That she triggered it. And you''re lucky to be alive because you thought what? Protecting us from the truth was worth that?"

I drop my gaze.

Her voice softens, but it''s thick and full of emotion.

"I am your mother, Alex. And I had to hear about my son''s heart failure from his

abuser. Do you have any idea what that did to me in there?"

Tears are now rolling down her cheeks.

"How dare you take away my chance to protect you?"

She sobs.

And it guts me.

"I''m sorry," I whisper.

She breathes in deep, brushing her hand through her hair as if trying to stayposed.

"You don''t get to die on me," she says finally, her voice barely steady. "You don''t get to keep secrets like this anymore. You are never alone, Alex."

"I know. I love you mum. I''m so sorry." I whisper and she tugs on my shirt like it''s her lifeline.

"Come home tomorrow." She says.

I nod slowly.

She looks past me where Athena is waiting by the car.

"You will tell her everything too. Or I will."

Then she turns and pauses, "Your father too."

Then she holds my hands and softly tugs me as we walk towards the car in silence.

"Is everything okay?" Athena asks, seeing my mother''s red eyes.

She just smiles and gives me a kiss before doing the same to Athena.

"I''ll see you at home."

We watch Ryan hold her door open and drive off. So much has happened in thest hour and for the first time in my life,

I don''t know what to do next.

The air inside the car is heavy.

Athena hasn''t spoken since we got in, and I can''t bring myself to start. My fingers tighten around the steering wheel, but I don''t start the engine.

I''m still stuck on Mum''s words. The sound of her voice cracking, the look in her eyes when she said

"How dare you take away my chance to protect you?"

I''ve faced betrayal, heartbreak, violence, you can name it, but nothing cut deeper than that.

Beside me, Athena shifts in her seat.

"I... I wasn''t sure if I should say anything," she begins, her tone careful, "but you

don''t look like you should be driving right now."

I nce at her. Her eyes meet mine briefly before flicking away.

There''s still coldness there... still anger. But there''s concern, too.

For Rayen''s sake, I''m sure.

"I''m fine," I say, but even I don''t believe it.

She raises an eyebrow.

"I needed us to discuss how we will co-parent, but you look like you''ve been punched in the gut. Maybe... let''s talk about the parenting stuffter, yeah?"

I blink at her.

And for the first time in hours, I feel something settle inside me.

"Thanks," I murmur. The gratitude surprises even me. But I mean it.

She gives me a small nod and then straightens in her seat. "Switch seats."

I frown. "Why?"

"I''ll drive," she says simply, already unbuckling.

"To where?"

She pulls the door handle. "To where my car is parked. I have to take care of something."

I hesitate, still watching her. "Take care of what?"

"None of your business. Pick Rayen up from Isabelle," she says without looking at

me. “I''ll get him from your ce in a few hours."

I bite the inside of my cheek, but I don''t respond. I''m too tired to go back and forth

with her. Luca is protecting her, so thatforts me.

"Aren''t youing out?" She asks impatiently.

I unbuckle my seatbelt slowly. She''s already out of the car, walking around to my

side before I even open the door.

Since I''m six foot two and she''s five foot five, I adjust the seat for her before walking to the other side.

The passenger''s seat still holds a bit of her warmth, and I nce over at her hands on the wheel.

I sigh. We have a lot to talk about.

But isn''t it easier pretending to be okay than dealing with what we''ve both got hanging over our heads?

She pulls out of the parking lot without a word, and I lean my head back against the headrest.

I don''t know how to ask for her forgiveness.

I don''t know how to co-parent with the woman who hates me.

But I have to fix this because when Rayen grows older and finds out this is how

deep I hurt his mother, he''ll hate me.

And I''d rather pull my own heart out than-

The screeching of tires and the way she suddenly steps on the brakes throws me forward, and if not for the seatbelt, my head would have been on the windscreen.

I turn to check on Athena, who looks at me with fake concern,

"Oh I''m sorry, I didn''t see the red light."

I grind my teeth as I re at her,

She''s not sorry. The smile and sarcastic way she says it tells me so.

"You did that on purpose, didn''t you?"