bChapter /bb193 /b

    “I want to,” Mia began, her voice trembling. “Believe me when I say I do” She stood up abruptly, unable to sit still.

    Her hands moved restlessly, as if trying to grasp the right words from air.

    87%

    15

    “But I’m scared, Ethan. Scared of raising his hopes high about meeting his father. Scared of his father rejecting him.” Her throat tightened, the thought alone making her chest ache. “I can’t scar him like that.”

    Ethan stayed where he was, watching her pace. His expression was calm but not dismissive, like he was holding his own emotions in check. “You don’t know what his reaction will be,” he said gently. “It could be positive… or negative.”

    Mia’s shoulders slumped. “And if he acknowledges him as his son,” she continued, her voice quieter now, “I’m still scared he’ll try to take him away from me.” Her hands curled into fists at her sides. “If he doesn’t ept him… I don’t think I’ll ever recover from that hurt, Ethan. And I can’t put Aiden through that.”

    Ethan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Okay, firstly, he won’t take him away. He can’t do that, not if he wants Aiden to hate him. No sane man would do that to a child. Secondly…you can never know if he will acknowledge him or not. You just..have to try.”

    Mia shook her head, almost violently, as if trying to shake the idea out of her mind entirely.

    “I can’t tell him.”

    “You can’t hide him forever,” Ethan said, his tone firm now. “Even if you run away to some remote ce where there’s no inte, you can’t

    hide him from his father forever.”

    “But I can try,” she shot back, her voice rising a little.

    Ethan let out a long sigh. He stared at her for a moment, like he was deciding whether to push further or let her be.

    And Mia will really appreciate it, if he lets this go and let her leave.

    “Come, sit down,” he said softly, patting the couch beside him.

    Mia hesitated but eventually lowered herself back down. The couch dipped under her weight, and she leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, her face hidden behind her hands.

    “Okay,” Ethan said after a pause. “Take it at your own pace. But I want you to have it in your mind that keeping him away from his father

    could hurt himter in the future. I’m not saying you should tell him right away. Just..think about it. Make your decision. Alex isn’t in

    Willowcrest anymore. He’s not tied to his father. He’s here. You’re both here. Maybe this is fate.”

    Mia let out a small, humorless snort, shaking her head. Fate. She didn’t believe in that. But a part of her, a very strong part of her was quietly agreeing with him. Maybeing here really was just fate, a chance for Aiden to meet his father.

    “Start work tomorrow,” Ethan said suddenly, and Mia’s head snapped up.

    “What? No!” She moved to stand, but Ethan’s hand was quick, pushing her gently back down into the cushions.

    “I’m not going anywhere near thatpanyi, /ishe said, ring at him, her voice sharp.

    “Yes, you are,” Ethan replied without hesitation. “You can’t miss such an opportunity just because you’re running from your ex–the ex you never fought with, the one who never did anything to you. And don’t give me that crap about him supporting what his father did to us. You have no proof. That man..” Ethan’s voice tightened,

    “-was obviously lying, just like he lied about Alex getting married. Him cutting ties with his father is enough to believe he wasn’t in on what

    1249

    his father did to us.”

    His words sat between them like an immoveable weight

    And deep down, Mia knew he had a point.

    He didn’t just have a point, he had a whole lot of them.

    Things were so different from what she had told herself all these years. Different from the lies she had fed herself to make it easier to live with what could be the truth, and she just needed a good reason to hate him

    She looked at her brother, her brows knitting together. “Why are you so on his side?”

    Ethan didn’t flinch. “I’m on your side, Mia. You can’t miss such a great opportunity because you’re still holding on to the past.”

    “Ethan, it’s hispany. I can’t see him. I can’t face him. Not now. Not ever.” Her voice cracked on thest word.

    Ethan chuckled lightly, almost like he had expected her to say that. “Fair enough. Who knows, you might not even see him at all while working there. Felix, who’s in a high position, said he hardly sees him. So trust me…you’ll be safe there.”

    Mia stared at him, her lips pressing into a thin line. She shook her head. “It’s too risky.”

    “Okay,” Ethan said, holding his hands up as if making peace. “Let’s do this. You work there while looking into otherpanies. There are a lot

    here. You can easily get employed in another ce if it makes you feel better.”

    “How about not even going back there?” she countered quickly. “If we will be staying here. I can look for something else.”

    “And miss that kind of sry?” Ethan’s eyebrows rose. “Mia, you might not even see the man the whole time you’re working there. Plus, having ABL on your resume will be a big boost to get a job elsewhere.” He gave her a meaningful look. “Think about it.”

    He stood then, his movements unhurried. Stepping toward her, he bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

    “Get some sleep, little sis,” he murmured.

    And then he walked toward his room, leaving Mia alone..

    Alone with her thoughts, clouded with fear and uncertainty.