Bound By A Broken Night novel Chapter 161

Chapter 161

Kai stiffened just slightly

Not enough to cause a scene. Just enough that Ashton’s eyes sharpened almost imperceptibly.

“Oh, by the way,” Maricris continued breezily, as if she hadn’t just invaded the personal space of a future heir, “this is Aunt Tanya. She’s my friend.”

She gestured for Tanya to step forward.

Tanya obeyed instantly, smoothing the silk of her gown as she stepped forward. The movement was graceful, practiced. Her smile bloomed at just the right angle–warm, polished, deliberately gentle.

And then–almost imperceptibly she glanced at Ashton.

Not once. But twice.

Her gaze lingered longer than necessary, subtle yet intentional, as though silently asking to be seen.

“Hello, Kai,” Tanya said sweetly as she crouched to meet the boy at eye level. “It’s such a great honor to meet CEO Ashton Pierce’s little prince. You’re absolutely adorable.”

Her tone was light, musical. The kind adults used when they wanted to charm a child.

Maricris beamed beside her, clearly pleased with the performance. But amidst the theatrics, Kai remained placid. Observing.

His expression did not changed. He simply studied her. The same way his father studied competitors across a negotiation table.

Calculated. Silent. Assessing.

“I’ll come with Aunt Maricris when she visits you,” Tanya continued with a charming tilt of her head.

“I can’t wait to spend time with you. We can play together.”

Again–that glance. Quick. Measured.

Directed at Ashton.

Cassie watched everything from across the hall.

Her expression remained serene, almost detached. A calm queen observing a performance staged in her own court.

But her gaze sharpened to a blade’s edge. The entire scene was almost amusing. And at the same time, deeply irritating.

The exaggerated warmth. The strategic eye contact with Ashton.

It was too obvious.

Cassie’s fingers curled subtly at her side, though her posture never wavered. Her lips curved faintly, though there was no humor

in her eyes.

“Tanya loves children,” Maricris sang lightly, her giggle far too delighted for the occasion.

“And you’ll surely grow to love her like a mother. She doesn’t mind becoming one at twenty–four.”

Across the hall, Cassie scoffed under her breath.

Beside her, Drie lifted an impressed brow, almost in disbelief at the audacity unfolding before them. They truly believed the child’s existence was some convenient arrangement. A clinical miracle.

Kai remained unmoved. Like his father, he gave nothing away.

+20 Bonus

His Sinall hands rested calmly at his sides. His posture remained impeccable. His expression inscrutable. He watched the women the way Ashton watched volatile investors. Patiently. Quietly. Measuring “What do you think of Tanya?” Maricris pressed on, emboldened by his silence.

“She’s very pretty, isn’t she? She could be your pretty mother.”

A few nearby guests shifted uncomfortably as Ashton’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

But before he could speak

Kai did.

“I don’t need another mother.”

His voice was clear. Calm. Steady.

For the first time since the women approached, the boy responded.

Maricris stiffened.

Tanya’s smile faltered.

Several heads turned toward them, sensing the shift in atmosphere.

By sex

”

Kai lifted his chin slightly, those piercing eyes–so hauntingly identical to Ashton’s–locking onto the stunned faces before him.

“I already have one,” he continued, his tone unwavering.

A deliberate pause.

“And my Mama is way prettier.”

The arrogance in the final statement was unmistakable.

A ripple of reaction spread through the surrounding guests–gasps, muffled laughter, poorly concealed shock.

Maricris’s hand slowly dropped from Kai’s shoulder.

Tanya’s cheeks flushed crimson, her carefully crafted composure cracking under the weight of a six–year–old’s certainty.

Ashton did not intervene. He didn’t need to.

The faintest hint of approval flickered in his eyes as he looked down at his son.

Across the hall, Cassie felt her heart swell so fiercely it almost hurt.

Drie let out a low whistle.

“That’s my boy.”

Cassie’s lips curved slowly, pride blazing behind her calm exterior.

****tbc****