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    “Mia,” Lily said softly into the phone she was holding, her voice trembling just a little.

    There was a sharp pause before Mia’s voice came through the speaker, low and dangerous.

    “Where is my son?” her voice growled, cutting through the already tensed room

    55 Vouche

    Alex’s head snapped toward the phone instantly. His eyes stayed on it, glued to the small device clutched in Lily’s hands.

    That was Mia’s voice. But at the same time, it didn’t sound like her. It was her, yet there was so much fire, so much fear, so much fury in it, that he almost didn’t recognize it.

    He stood up suddenly, the scrape of the chair legs against the floor making everyone flinch. His sudden movement pulled his mother’s eyes, his brother’s eyes, and Lily’s eyes on him.

    Lily looked back down at her phone quickly.

    “That’s why I called,” Lily said, her voice still trembling even though she was obviously trying to act strong “To tell you where we are.”

    There was another pause on the other end, heavier than before.

    “Where is my son, Lily?” Mia asked again, her voice firmer this time.

    Alex leaned back against the wall of the conference room, his body trembling faintly. His palms itched, his throat felt dry.

    He had no idea how the hell he was supposed to react. His mind screamed that this was impossible, that none of this was real, and yet here it was…..Mia’s voice on the phone, raw and sharp, echoing in his ears.

    Mia.

    His eyes slid from the phone back to Lily.

    She lifted her gaze slowly, meeting his with uncertainty in her eyes. She inhaled deeply, and Alex could see the way her chest rose and fell.

    “Come to ABL,” Lily said into the phone. “We are there.”

    The line went quiet.

    The silence stretched, long and tensed.

    Everyone in the room waited, eyes fixed on Lily’s phone.

    “What?” Mia’s voice broke the silence, shocked and trembling.

    “I’m sorry, Mia.” Lily’s voice cracked

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    “What did you fucking do?” Mia’s voice growled out again, this time louder, more furious, and rawer than

    before.

    Lily’s eyes fluttered shut for a second before she forced herself to answer. “I let his father meet him.”

    There was a beat of silence.

    “What?”

    “I’m sorry, Mia,” Lily whispered again, her voice faint, her grip around Aiden tightening. She didn’t wait for another word. She ended the call, dropping the phone to herp like it had burned her.

    The room stilled

    Alex’s eyes were still locked on her, but he wasn’t really seeing her. Everything around him seemed blurred, muted, as if he was underwater. None of this felt real. None of it made sense.

    “You…like really, why are you doing this?” Jullian asked finally, breaking the silence with his calm but steady

    tone.

    Lily lifted her head slowly, her lips pressing together before she answered. “I told you,” she said quietly, then looked down at the boy sleeping in her arms. Her eyes softened, her voice breaking as she added, “It’s all for him. He deserves the world.”

    Alex’s eyes slid back to the boy.

    His son….

    He wanted to reach out, to take the boy from Lily’s arms, to hold him, to feel the weight of him in his hands. But he didn’t move. He stood rooted in ce, his arms at his sides, trembling.

    He has a son….

    His chest ached with thousands of emotions all at once….

    His throat felt tight, and his hands clenched at his sides.

    “Just promise me,” Lily whispered, looking up at him again. “Promise me you will protect him. And please… don’t try to take him away from his mother.”

    Esther leaned forward quickly, her hand pressing against her chest. “We would never do that,” she said firmly. “Never.”

    Jullian exhaled deeply, dragging his hand over his face. His eyes flickered to Alex before he spoke. “Should we take the boy to a safe ce? This room is going to be heated when Miaes here. The way she was sounding on the phone-”

    “I think…” Esther interrupted softly, shaking her head. “I think she will need to see her son when she gets here. At least to calm her down first.”

    Jullian considered it, then gave a small nod. Esther nodded too. Lily said nothing, only held Aiden tighter.

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    But Alex… Alex felt like he wasn’t really there at all. He felt like he was floating above his own body, watching everything unfold from a distance.

    His head was buzzing, his chest heavy, and yet his eyes never left the boy, his son…

    Meanwhile, Mia was falling apart.

    She had already cried until her eyes burned. She had screamed until her throat was raw. She had shouted and cursed at Lily until her voice cracked.

    She had let all the fury and betrayal pour out of her like fire. And now… now she was empty.

    She felt numb

    The anger still burned inside her, but it no longer came with tears. The fear had burned out too. All that was left was a cold, hard numbness.

    “What are you going to do now?” Ethan asked softly, careful with his words.

    Mia lifted her head slowly, her eyes dark, her face pale. already. I can’t run away from it anymore.”

    What’s there to do?” she muttered. “They know

    She reached up, pulling down the car mirror. She looked at herself, saw the smudges of dried tears on her cheeks. She grabbed a tissue, wiped her face quickly, then tied her

    air back into a ponytail.

    “Time to go get my son,” she said, her voice steady now.

    “Alexander ckwell will be there,” Ethan reminded her gently, his voice almost apologetic.

    Mia’s lips pressed into a thin line. She let out a long breath. “I guess I’ll be meeting my ex face to face then… after almost five years.”

    Ethan hesitated.

    “Let’s go,”

    “Are you sure?” he said, still watching her carefully.

    Mia’s head snapped toward him, her eyes narrowing. “What, you want me to leave my son with them?”

    “What? No.” Ethan rushed to exin, his hands lifting slightly. “That’s not what I mean. I just think… Everyone should take some time to breathe. Meeting when emotions are this high… it’s not a good idea.”

    “I’m not leaving my son there for another minute,” Mia snapped.

    “Mia-”

    “Let’s go, Ethan.”

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    He sighed, defeated, and nodded. “Okay.”

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    He started the car and pulled out, driving them toward ABL. The ride was quiet, the tension thick between them.

    Mia sat stiffly in her seat, staring out the window, her fists clenched tightly in herp.

    She didn’t feel fear right now. Fear was dead. What was there to fear? The truth was out now. It wasn’t time for fear…. it was time for strength. Time to fight. Time to protect her son.

    When the car finally slowed and stopped in front of the massive building, Mia’s heart pounded harder in her chest. She took in a sharp breath as Ethan parked the car.

    They climbed out together heading into the building.

    When they stepped inside, Mia wanted to grab her phone, to call her sister and demand to know exactly where Aiden was.

    But then she saw him.

    Jullian.

    He was walking toward her down the wide corridor, his hands in his pockets, a smirk already tugging at his lips.

    “Mia Turner,” he said, his voice smooth.

    Mia’s chin lifted. Her eyes locked on his. “Jullian ckwell,” she said right back,

    They stared at each other.

    “Oh, hi there, Ethan,” Jullian added casually, his smirk deepening as he nced at the man beside her. “Long

    time no see.”

    “Hi, Jullian,” Ethan replied.

    “You’re here? I’m not sure my brother will take well to you being here.”

    “I’m not here for you…. In case you didn’t notice, we’re a little far from Willowcrest.”

    Jullian tilted his head, his smirk never fading. “Heard you’re a tattoo artist now. Good for you.”

    Mia’s re hardened. She wasn’t here for this. She wasn’t here for games, for reminiscing, for anything but

    her son.

    “Where bis /bmy son?” she demanded, her voice cold, her hands curling into fists at her sides.

    “You mean my nephew?” Jullian teased, his grin widening.

    Mia’s eyes narrowed into him.

    …

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    Jullian chuckled. “Rx… this way.”

    They follow Jullian. Every step down the long corridor made her chest tighter, her breaths shorter.

    Her heart was beating so fast she thought it might explode.

    And then, finally, Jullian stopped at a conference room door.

    He nced at her once before pushing it open.

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