Too Late To Love Me I Already Left With His Twins (Lydia and Dave) novel Chapter 227
Lets go
Dave POV
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+20 Bonus
Today was my day with the twins.
According to the co parenting schedule Lydia’s lawyer had sent over, I was supposed to spend the afternoon with – them. A walk. Some time at the park. Nothing dramatic.
Simple.
Normal.
The kind of thing fathers did every day.
Which was precisely why I was nervous.
Because normal was still new to me.
I arrived at Lydia’s house almost an hour early.
An hour.
Ridiculous.
The twins usually got home from school around two or two thirty.
I knew that.
I had their schedule saved.
I had read it enough times to memorize it.
Yet somehow my brain kept producing scenarios.
What if school ended earlier today?
What if they had a special event?
What if traffic was lighter?
What if they arrived before I did?
So naturally I left early.
Very rational behavior.
I sat in one of the living room armchairs while the nanny moved quietly around the house. A financial journal
rested in my lap while I skimmed through an article about emerging infrastructure investments.
I was halfway through a paragraph about renewable energy markets when voices drifted in through the open front
windows.
Tiny voices. 1
Arguing.
Very passionately.
I lowered the magazine.
1/5
“That is literally not how gravity works.”
Immediately recognizable.
Ava scoffed.
“Gravity works exactly how gravity works.”
“That’s not an explanation.”
“It is.”
“It isn’t.”
“It is.”
“Eli.”
“Ava.”
“Eli.”
“Ava.”
I could practically hear her rolling her eyes.
Then Eli continued.
“If gravity pulled everything equally, then a feather and a rock should fall at the same speed.
“They do.”
“They absolutely don’t.”
“They do in space.
“We are not in space.”
“We could be one day.”
“We are currently walking home.”
“Temporary problem.”
I laughed before I could stop myself.
The front door opened.
Both children entered mid argument.
School bags bouncing against their backs.
Ava was gesturing dramatically.
Eli looked deeply offended by physics.
Then they noticed me.
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The argument stopped immediately.
Both froze.
Not frightened.
Not upset.
Just cautious.
Careful.
Still measuring me.
Still deciding.
“Hi Dave,” Ava said politely.
“Hi Dave,” Eli echoed.
I smiled.
“Hi.”
They walked inside.
The silence lasted about three seconds.
Then I stood.
“So.”
Both looked at me.
“Today we’re spending the afternoon together.”
Ava blinked.
Eli narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
“That sounds vaguely threatening.”
I laughed.
“It’s not.”
“That’s exactly what somebody planning something threatening would say.”
Ava nodded thoughtfully.
“He has a point.”
I stared at both of them.
Then shook my head.
“You two spend far too much time together.”
“We’re twins.”
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“Fair.”
ointed upstairs.
“Go get changed.”
Eli immediately sighed dramatically.
“I just got home.”
“You survived school.”
“Barely.”
“You’ll survive changing clothes.”
Ava patted his shoulder sympathetically.
“He fought gravity today.”
“Gravity fought me.”
I watched them disappear upstairs.
And despite the sarcasm.
Despite the caution.
Despite the distance still between us.
Neither child had hesitated to come.
Neither child had resisted.
That mattered.
A lot.
Twenty minutes later they returned.
Ava wore soft jeans, sneakers and a pale yellow sweater covered in tiny embroidered stars.
Eli wore a dinosaur shirt.
Of course.
At this point I was beginning to suspect every shirt he owned involved dinosaurs.
“Ready?” I asked.
Both nodded.
“Let’s go.”
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More than enough
Dave POV
The drive started awkwardly.
Not hostile.
Just awkward.
The twins occupied the backseat while discussing something that apparently required my complete exclusion.
“…because velociraptors were smarter.”
“They were not smarter.”
“They absolutely were.”
“Tyrannosaurus was stronger.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
I attempted participation.
“So-”
Neither noticed.
“Eli-”
Nothing.
“Ava-”
Still nothing.
Remarkable.
I had been ignored.
The conversation continued without interruption.
Then an idea occurred to me.
“Astronomers discovered a possible new dwarf planet candidate recently.”
Silence.
Instantly.
Both heads snapped up.
Ava leaned forward immediately.
“Wait.”
Eli sat upright.
“What?”
1/7
I smiled.
Soccess.
“Very recent observations.”
“How recent?” Ava asked.
“Last few months.’
“Where?”
“Outer solar system.”
“Past Neptune?”
“Far past Neptune.”
Now both children were fully engaged.
Questions came rapidly.
Could humans visit it?
How long would it take?
Could there be life?
Did it have moons?
Who found it?
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Would it get an official name?
The rest of the drive transformed completely.
Without noticing, Ava eventually leaned against my shoulder while showing me an astronomy article she’d saved.
Later Eli climbed halfway into the center seat to explain why future Mars colonies should absolutely include dinosaur museums.
“Why dinosaur museums?”
“So future generations know what excellence looked like.”
“Dinosaurs are excellence?”
“Obviously.”
Ava nodded.
“Fair.”
I laughed.
Neither child moved away.
Neither seemed to notice.
Neither did I.
2/7
More They and
Not immediately.
And somehow that felt important.
Then Eli pointed toward the dashboard.
“Can I ask something?”
“Sure.”
“You have a lot of cars.”
I glanced at him in the mirror.
“That is true.”
“Why?”
I smiled.
“Curious?”
“Very.”
The next twenty minutes became a surprisingly serious discussion about automobiles.
I explained engine types.
Electric systems.
Luxury engineering.
Safety ratings.
Manufacturing processes.
Ava wanted to know how electric vehicles worked.
Eli wanted to know which cars could survive a zombie apocalypse.
Apparently both were equally important questions.
By the time we reached the park, they had already selected future dream vehicles.
Ava wanted something environmentally efficient.
Eli wanted what he described as:
“A scientifically responsible tank.”
The park was beautiful.
Late afternoon sunlight filtered through trees.
Families wandered across open paths.
Children played.
Dogs chased tennis balls.
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Butterflies drifted lazily between flowerbeds.
The twins immediately spotted one.
A bright blue butterfly.
Ava crouched.
Eli crouched beside her.
Neither spoke.
Just watched.
The butterfly landed briefly on a flower.
Its wings opened.
Closed.
Opened again.
“It’s beautiful,” Ava whispered.
“It looks painted.”
I found myself smiling.
Children noticed things adults forgot.
Small things.
Quiet things.
Things that mattered.
The afternoon passed gently after that.
We walked.
Talked.
Examined flowers.
Counted butterflies.
Debated whether alien civilizations would prefer rockets or teleportation.
1
Eventually we found a recreation center attached to the park where several board games were available.
Eli immediately spotted Monopoly.
Of course he did. 1
The next hour became absolute chaos.
Ava approached the game strategically.
Eli approached it like corporate warfare.
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I was apparently the victim.
Every negotiation ended badly for me.
Every trade somehow benefited them.
Every property acquisition felt suspicious.
By the final hour I had effectively been financially destroyed by two six year olds.
Eli folded his arms proudly.
“Capitalism.”
“You bankrupted your father.”
“Capitalism.”
Ava nodded.
“Unfortunately he’s right.”
I laughed so hard people nearby turned to look.
The sun had already begun setting by the time I drove them home.
The car felt different now..
Comfortable.
Easy.
The twins talked freely.
Shared observations.
Asked questions.
Argued over stars.
Argued over rockets.
Argued over whether dinosaurs would enjoy modern civilization.
Normal.
Just normal.
And I found myself wanting more of it.
When we arrived at Lydia’s house, the twins immediately climbed out.
Ava hugged me first.
Quick.
Natural.
Like she hadn’t thought about it.
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Then Eli did too. 1
ying very hard to look like it wasn’t a hug.
I didn’t point that out.
The front door opened.
Lydia stood there.
Professional clothes.
Perfect posture.
Calm expression.
The twins immediately rushed toward her.
Talking over each other.
Excited.
Loud.
Happy.
Something eased inside my chest seeing that.
She listened patiently.
Then looked toward me.
“Thanks.”
I nodded.
“You’re welcome.”
A brief pause.
Then she said,
“Have a good night, Dave.”
I smiled slightly.
“You too.”
Then before I could stop myself-
“How was-”
The look arrived instantly.
Not rude.
Not angry.
Just a very clear boundary.
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A closed door.
Areminder.
That part of her life wasn’t mine anymore.
The question died Immediately.
I nodded once.
“Goodnight, Lydia.”
She nodded back.
Then closed the door behind her.
Fair.
Honestly?
Completely fair.
I stood there a second longer before walking back toward my car.
The twins had laughed today.
Talked to me.
Argued with me.
Trusted me a little.
That was enough.
For now.
More than enough.
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- 20 8gnus
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Nothing
Dave POV
As I drove away from Lydia’s house that evening, I should have gone straight back to the hotel.
That would have been the logical thing to do.
Go back.
Answer emails.
Review reports.
Pretend I wasn’t still smiling because Eli had bankrupted me in Monopoly and called it capitalism.
A normal evening.
A productive evening.
Instead, I found myself driving toward one of the luxury shopping districts.
The twins had spent the entire afternoon talking.
And somewhere between discussions about dinosaurs, rockets, butterflies, and scientifically responsible tanks, I had learned more about their preferences than I had in six years. 1
Ava liked soft colors.
She preferred practical things over flashy things.
She hated uncomfortable fabrics.
She loved stars.
Books.
Anything astronomy related.
Eli cared surprisingly little about clothes but had very strong opinions about shoes.
Apparently shoes needed to be useful.
Durable.
Capable of surviving adventures.
Whatever that meant.
So naturally, I found myself shopping.
Or attempting to.
I had already called one of the designers I worked with regularly.
She had immediately recognized my description.
Apparently Eli’s preferred shoes belonged to a specific children’s collection.
Of course they did.
1/9
Everything had a collection nowadays.
She had offered to send them over personally.
Ideclined.
Not because delivery wasn’t convenient.
Because for once I actually wanted to do something myself.
A strange concept.
I knew.
But after spending time with the twins, it felt important.
Small. 1
Normal.
Human.
I parked and headed toward the specialized luxury section of the mall.
The entire floor catered almost exclusively to people with more money than common sense.
Polished marble floors.
Floor to ceiling glass.
Designer boutiques.
Private lounges.
The usual.
I had just stepped through the entrance when I saw someone standing near one of the jewelry displays.
And immediately regretted leaving my hotel.
Iny.
Of course.
Because apparently the universe enjoyed practical jokes.
For one hopeful second, I considered simply continuing forward.
Pretending I hadn’t seen her.
Which technically wasn’t even pretending.
I genuinely would have preferred not to see her.
Unfortunately fate had other plans.
Because the exact moment I turned slightly away-
She spotted me.
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овали
2/9
Wonderful.
Her entire face it up.
“Dave!”
I closed my eyes briefly.
Just briefly.
Then turned.
She was already walking toward me.
Smiling.
Friendly.
Almost cheerful.
Which honestly felt bizarre considering everything that had happened over the last several years. 1
“Hi,” she said brightly.
I nodded once.
“Iny.”
Her smile faltered slightly.
Probably because my tone contained all the warmth of a tax audit.
Not intentional.
Just honest.
She stopped in front of me.
“You look good.”
“Thank you.”
Silence.
Iny shifted awkwardly.
Then laughed lightly.
“You’ve always been terrible at small talk.”
I looked at her.
“I wasn’t aware we were having small talk.”
That earned an uncomfortable smile.
Good.
Because frankly, I wasn’t interested in pretending we were old friends reconnecting at a coffee shop.
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Wonderful.
if
Per entire face Hit up.
“Dave!”
I closed my eyes briefly..
Just briefly.
Then turned.
She was already walking toward me.
Smiling.
Friendly.
Almost cheerful.
Which honestly felt bizarre considering everything that had happened over the last several years. 1
“Hi,” she said brightly.
I nodded once.
“Iny.”
Her smile faltered slightly.
Probably because my tone contained all the warmth of a tax audit.
Not intentional.
Just honest.
She stopped in front of me.
“You look good.”
1
“Thank you.”
Silence.
Iny shifted awkwardly.
Then laughed lightly.
“You’ve always been terrible at small talk.”
I looked at her.
“I wasn’t aware we were having small talk.”
That earned an uncomfortable smile.
Good.
Because frankly, I wasn’t interested in pretending we were old friends reconnecting at a coffee shop.
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3/9
We weren’t.
And we both knew it.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
For the first time, I noticed the differences.
Not dramatic differences.
Just noticeable ones.
The designer labels were gone.
The expensive accessories.
The effortless luxury she used to wear like a second skin.
She still looked ok.
Still polished.
Still elegant.
But quieter somehow.
Less curated.
Life had clearly happened.
And judging by what little I’d heard over the years, it hadn’t been particularly kind.
“How have you been?” she asked.
“Busy.”
She nodded.
“I heard about the audit.”
“Mm.” 1
“And the company.”
“Mm.” 1
“And… everything.”
I said nothing.
Because everything was carrying a lot of weight.
The company.
The scandal.
The divorce that never officially became a divorce.
The children.
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Lydia.
e years.
Everything.
Iny seemed to realize I wasn’t going to help this conversation along.
So she pushed forward anyway.
“I actually saw Lydia recently.”
That got my attention.
Only slightly.
But enough.
“You did?”
She nodded.
“At her office.”
My expression remained neutral.
“What happened?”
A strange smile crossed her face.
One that looked almost sad.
“I apologized.”
I wasn’t expecting that.
Of all the possible answers.
That wasn’t one of them.
“And?”
Iny laughed softly.
“And she listened.”
I waited.
“Then she told me she believed I was sorry.”
Another pause.
“And?”
“That was it.”
For the first time during the entire interaction, she looked genuinely vulnerable.
No performance.
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No manipulation.
Just honesty.
“She didn’t yell.”
“She didn’t insult me.”
“She didn’t throw me out.”
Her smile became smaller.
“Honestly, I think that would’ve been easier.”
I studied her quietly.
Because strangely enough, I understood exactly what she meant.
Lydia’s anger was manageable.
Predictable.
You could fight anger.
You could defend against anger.
But indifference?
Indifference was different.
Indifference meant the battle was already over.
And one side had stopped showing up. 1
Iny exhaled slowly.
“I think I hurt her more than I realized.”
I didn’t answer.
Because there wasn’t really anything to say.
She already knew.
Maybe for the first time.
But she knew.
Another silence settled between us.
This one less awkward.
More resigned.
Then Iny looked at me carefully.
“You know,” she said softly, “I think she could be happy.”
I frowned slightly.
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“With life.”
e corrected herself immediately.
“With everything she’s built.”
I nodded once.
“She already is.”
Something flickered across her face.
Regret perhaps.
Or acceptance.
Maybe both.
Then she smiled again.
Smaller this time.
Realer.
“I suppose that’s true.”
I checked my watch.
Not subtly.
Deliberately.
The universal signal for this conversation has reached its natural conclusion:
Iny noticed.
Of course she noticed.
She always had been perceptive.
“I should let you go.”
“Probably.”
That made her laugh unexpectedly.
Then she shook her head.
“You really don’t like me.”
I considered the question honestly.
Because honesty felt easier nowadays.
“I don’t know you well enough to like you.”
That stopped her.
I continued calmly.
на
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“But I know what happened.”
Me smile disappeared.
Not dramatically.
Just quietly.
Truth usually did that.
For a moment neither of us spoke.
Then she nodded slowly.
“Fair.”
Very fair.
Another pause.
Then she extended a hand.
Not for reconciliation.
Not for friendship.
Just acknowledgment.
I looked at it.
Then refused to shook it politely.
Professional.
“Goodbye, Dave.”
“Goodbye, Iny.”
She walked away first.
Disappearing into the crowd.
And oddly enough, I felt nothing.
Just distance.
The kind created by years and consequences and choices nobody could undo.
I watched her disappear around a corner.
Then turned and continued toward the designer showroom.
Because Ava still needed her dresses. 1
Eli still needed his shoes.
And unlike the past, those were the things that actually mattered now.
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Suite
Dave POV
By the time I got back to my hotel suite that night, the city lights had already taken over the skyline.
Country Z looked different at night.
Softer.
Less intimidating.
The glass towers reflected gold and silver across the river while traffic moved below in neat streams of light.
I loosened my tie as I stepped inside.
The shopping bags carrying Ava’s dresses and Eli’s shoes sat on the dining table.
For a moment, I found myself smiling.
Ava was going to love the constellation themed dress.
And Eli was absolutely going to pretend he didn’t care about the shoes before secretly wearing them every chance he got.
I already knew the routine.
I was still thinking about that when my phone rang.
The caller ID immediately made me straighten.
Daniel.
Acting CEO.
Friend.
One of the few people on Earth I trusted with my company.
I picked up immediately.
“Daniel.”
“Dave.”
His voice came through clear.
“Tell me you’re finally sleeping like a normal human.”
“I slept four hours yesterday.”
“That’s not a normal human.”
“It’s an improvement.”
“It absolutely is not.”
I laughed despite myself and walked toward the balcony.
Daniel had always been like this.
1/13
Half executive.
Half concerned parent.
“I assume you aren’t calling to discuss my sleep schedule.”
“No.”
Papers shuffled on his end.
“We need to talk about the Jakarta deal.”
Immediately my brain switched gears..
Work mode.
Comfortable territory.
Predictable territory.
“The acquisition?”
“Mm.”
“What happened?”
“Their board folded.”
I frowned.
“Already?”
“Already.”
That was fast.
Too fast.
I leaned against the balcony railing.
“How?”
Daniel laughed.
“Apparently one of the shareholders suddenly remembered he had several undeclared offshore accounts.”
I blinked.
“And how exactly did he remember that?”
Daniel remained silent.
I remained silent.
Then we both laughed.
“Daniel.”
“What?”
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2/13
“What did you do?”
did nothing.”
“Daniel.”
“I merely ensured that certain regulators received information they were already legally entitled to.”
“Of course.”
“Completely ethical.”
“Naturally.”
“Entirely professional.”
“Very professional.”
We both knew exactly what happened.
No laws broken.
No threats.
No crimes.
Just strategic pressure.
The kind powerful corporations had been using for decades.
A shareholder had attempted to block an important deal.
Daniel had discovered weaknesses.
Then quietly applied pressure until resistance became inconvenient.
Simple.
Elegant. 1
Effective.
Very Daniel.
“Problem solved?” I asked.
“Problem solved.”
“Good.”
“Unfortunately,” Daniel continued, “that wasn’t our only headache.”
I sighed.
“When is it ever?”
“The Morrison Group.”
I groaned immediately.
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Daniel laughed.
hat bad?”
“That family has been trying to manipulate voting rights for three years.”
“Four.”
“Even worse.”
More papers shuffled.
“We handled them.”
I already knew what that meant.
Still.
I asked anyway.
“How?”
Daniel sounded almost offended.
“Dave.”
“Daniel.”
“We invited them to dinner.”
I rubbed my face.
“Of course you did.”
“It was a very nice dinner.”
“Mm.”
“Excellent steak.”
“Mm.”
“Expensive wine.”
“Mm.”
“And during dessert they suddenly understood why cooperation was in everyone’s best interest.”
I laughed.
“Translation?”
“We bought out their leverage before they could use it.”
“There it is.”
Daniel chuckled.
“Sometimes I miss doing these things with you.”
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4/13
“That’s concerning.”
‘s efficient.”
“It’s concerning.”
We continued talking for almost another hour.
Quarterly projections.
New acquisitions.
Board dynamics.
Market expansion.
The company.
My company.
The machine I had spent years building.
Eventually the conversation drifted away from work.
As it always did.
Daniel suddenly laughed.
A full laugh.
The kind that immediately made me suspicious.
“What?”
“Oh God.”
“What?”
“I was just thinking about freshman year.”
I immediately frowned.
“No.”
“Oh yes.”
“No.”
“Oh absolutely.”
I already knew where this was going.
“Daniel.”
“You crashed a golf cart into the dean’s fountain.”
“It was an accident.”
“It was absolutely not.”
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5/13
“It was.”
You were racing.”
“We were testing acceleration.”
“You were racing.”
“It was scientific.”
Daniel laughed so hard I had to pull the phone away from my ear.
“Scientific?”
“It was.”
“You launched a golf cart into a fountain.”
“Technically the fountain launched itself into my path.’
“Dave.”
“It did.”
“You’re impossible.”
“I became a responsible adult.”
“You became a billionaire.”
“Same difference.”
That made him laugh even harder.
For a few moments the years disappeared.
We weren’t executives.
Or board members.
Or businessmen.
Just two friends remembering college.
Before responsibilities.
Before expectations.
Before the world became complicated.
Then Daniel grew quieter.
The shift was immediate enough that I noticed.
“What happened?”
A long pause.
Then another.
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When he spoke again, his voice sounded different.
Nced.
“He showed up.’
I frowned.
“Who?”
“My father’s son.”
I blinked.
Then understood.
The illegitimate child.
Daniel had mentioned him years ago.
Briefly.
Never in detail.
“How bad is it?”
Daniel laughed.
Without humor.
“Worse than bad.”
Silence stretched.
Then he finally began talking.
“My father had an affair twenty seven years ago.”
I listened.
“The family buried it.”
“Of course they did.”
“Of course.”
Another pause.
“The boy grew up overseas.”
I stayed quiet.
“He found out who his father was recently.”
“How?”
“A former employee talked.”
That was enough explanation.
+20 Bonus
7/13
Money.
Resentment.
Loose lips.
Old secrets.
Classic disaster.
Marcus continued. 3
“At first he just wanted acknowledgment.”
“Reasonable.”
“Then he wanted shares.”
I sighed.
“There it is.”
“Exactly.”
His voice hardened.
“My father refused.”
“What happened next?”
Silence.
Then:
“He poisoned him.”
For a second I genuinely thought I had heard wrong.
“What?”
“My father survived.”
The relief hit instantly.
“But barely.”
I straightened completely.
“What kind of poison?”
“A slow one.”
Jeez.
Marcus laughed again. 2
The sound hollow.
“Apparently family gatherings are becoming more creative these days.”
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“Daniel.”
I’m serious.”-
The joke vanished.
“My father nearly died.”
I looked out across the city.
Suddenly understanding.
“You’re going back.”
“Yeah.”
His voice softened.
“The board wants me home.”
Of course they did.
The family company needed stability.
Leadership.
Protection.
Someone competent.
Daniel had always been that person.
“The investigation?”
“Finished.”
“The son?”
“Arrested.”
“Good.”
“But the damage is done.”
I nodded slowly.
Even though he couldn’t see me.
Some wounds remained long after the threat disappeared.
Then Daniel said something that made my stomach tighten./
“Your company is stable now.”
I frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t need me anymore.”
Men:
“I’m leaving.”
The words settled heavily between us.
For years Daniel had been my second in command.
The person holding everything together while I was trapped inside investigations, scandals, audits and corporate
warfare.
And now
He was leaving.
Not permanently.
But still leaving.
Returning home.
Returning to responsibilities.
Returning to family.
I understood completely.
And somehow that made it worse.
“Thanks, man.”
The words came out quieter than intended.
Daniel laughed softly.
“Don’t get emotional.”
“Lol.”
“Disgusting.”
I smiled.
Then said honestly,
“Let me know what I can do.”
“Dave.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know.”
A pause.
Then:
“I’ll call.”
10/13
“You better.”
h please.”
His voice regained some energy.
“How could I possibly pass up the opportunity to exploit your terrifying brain?”
I laughed.
“There he is.”
“There I am.”
Another pause.
Then he sighed.
“I have to go.”
“I know.”
“Take care of yourself.”
“You too.”
The line disconnected.
And suddenly the suite became quiet.
Very quiet.
I stared at the city lights.
Then at the phone.
Then at the shopping bags sitting on the table.
Ava’s dress.
Eli’s shoes.
The twins.
Lydia.
Country Z.
For months my entire focus had been getting here.
Fixing things.
Showing up.
Being better.
And somehow.
Without noticing.
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11/13
This place had started feeling important.
at because of the city.
Because of the people.
I walked toward the window.
The glass reflected my own expression back at me.
Thoughtful.
Tired.
Confused.
For the first time in years, I genuinely didn’t know what the right answer was.
My company needed me.
My board expected me home.
My responsibilities hadn’t disappeared.
They had simply waited.
Patiently.
Across an ocean.
Yet here-
I had just started building something with my children.
Eli no longer looked at me like a stranger.
Ava laughed around me now.
They touched my arm when they talked.
Leaned against me in the car.
Asked questions.
Shared stories.
Tiny things.
But important things.
And Lydia…
I exhaled slowly.
That situation was somehow even more complicated.
Because nothing existed between us.
And yet somehow everything did.
- 20 Bonus
༩།
12/13
The silence.
e boundaries.
The conversations.
The honesty.
The possibility.
I rested one hand against the cool glass.
How was I supposed to leave now?
How was I supposed to stay?
For the first time in a very long time, there wasn’t a clear answer.
No strategy.
No acquisition plan.
No negotiation tactic.
No financial model.
Just a man standing alone in a hotel suite.
Staring out over a city he never planned to care about.
Trying to figure out whether doing the right thing meant going home.
Or whether home had quietly become something else entirely.
P
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Right thing?
Dave POV
+20 @gnus
I decided to message my lawyer that same night and told him to prepare Lydia’s and I divorce papers because that’s the best way to get Lydia to meet up with me and to also soften the blow I was about to deliver.
The divorce papers arrived faster than they should have. Not legally faster. Not technically faster. Just emotionally faster than anything that significant usually is.
My lawyer arrived in the hotel lobby looking like a man who had been personally offended by the concept of sleep. Which meant he had probably crossed at least two time zones and three levels of irritation to get here. I respected that. Loyalty like that is rare.
I signed my portion
As I was about to sign it, it felt so weird.
It felt like I was losing something very valuable and important.
I was thinking of that night where Lydia and I were so chill, the way I found out about interest in PR and all.
I was so lost in my thoughts that my lawyer said Mr Ashton?
I raised my head up and signed
Honestly, I have no idea why this was so hard.
That was the strange part.
Years reduced to administrative closure.
When my lawyer left, I stayed seated for a long time, staring at the folder like it might rearrange itself into something more emotionally manageable. It didn’t. Documents rarely do.
Eventually I called Madame Eloise.
Because at some point in life, you accept that intelligence does not always come with clarity, and clarity sometimes sounds like an old woman who refuses to let you lie to yourself.
She answered on the second ring.
“David.”
That tone already meant she knew.
I exhaled.
“My board reinstated me.
A pause.
“I know.”
Of course she did.
“I have to return.”
Another pause, longer this time, like she was deciding whether I deserved comfort or correction.
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“And what is your problem, exactly?”
eaned back in my chair, staring at the skyline through the glass.
“That I finally got in,” I said quietly. “With the children. With their routine. With something stable. And now I have to leave.”
Silence stretched.
Then she spoke, slower now.
“In five years, what will matter more to you?”
I frowned slightly.
“That is not a fair question.”
“It is the only useful question.”
I didn’t answer immediately.
Because I already knew.
The children.
She let that truth sit before continuing.
“You are thinking in endings,” she said. “That is your mistake.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You think leaving is the event. It is not.”
Her voice stayed calm, almost clinical in its clarity.
“The event is what they learn about you from leaving.”
I stayed quiet.
“And what is that?”
“Whether you disappear,” she said simply, “or whether you return.”
That landed differently.
Heavier.
Not dramatic. Just precise in a way that made avoidance impossible.
“You are not choosing between children and company,” she continued. “You are choosing what kind of father you become inside absence.”
I rubbed my forehead slowly.
“That sounds worse.”
“It is not worse,” she replied. “It is honest.”
A pause.
2/7
+20 Bonus
Then she added, almost casually:
Children do not suffer from distance, David. They suffer from uncertainty.”
I let that sit.
Uncertainty.
Not absence.
Not geography.
Uncertainty.
When the call ended, I stayed where I was for a long time.
Then I picked up the divorce folder again.
And decided I would tell Lydia before anything else complicated it further.
The next day, I arrived at her office early.
Not early enough to be dramatic. Early enough to be certain. There is a difference.
Her assistant took one look at the bag in my hands and decided not to ask questions. Smart woman.
When Lydia walked in, she looked exactly like she always did.
Controlled. Precise. Slightly too composed for someone carrying as much responsibility as she was.
Her eyes immediately landed on the folder.
“What is that?”
I placed it on her desk.
She opened it.
No hesitation.
No performance.
Just reading.
Page after page.
Line after line.
When she reached my signature, she didn’t react. Not immediately. Lydia never reacted immediately. She processed first. Emotion later, if at all.
Then she signed.
Clean. Efficient. Final.
She pushed the folder back toward me.
“I thought you were going to delay this.”
Her voice was neutral. Almost bored.
3/7
I shook my head slightly.
‘m not about to disappoint you again.”
That made her pause. Just briefly.
Then she stood.
“Whatever. I’m done here.”
“Lydia.”
She stopped, but didn’t turn fully.
“Wait.”
A long pause.
Then she looked at me over her shoulder.
“What?”
“I need to tell you something.”
She sighed, already irritated.
“Five minutes.’
She sat back down slowly, like she was granting access to something she didn’t fully approve of.
I took a breath.
Then another.
“I have to go back.”
Silence.
No interruption.
No immediate reaction.
Then her expression shifted slightly.
“What do you mean go back?”
“My board reinstated me.”
That was when it landed.
Properly.
I saw it in her face before she spoke again.
“How soon?”
“As soon as possible.”
The room changed.
20 Bonus
4/7
Not loudly.
Just subtly.
Like something inside it had lost stability.
Then she laughed.
Once.
Short.
Unbelieving.
“Wow.”
I didn’t respond.
She leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing.
“You’re serious.”
“Yes.”
Another pause.
Then her voice sharpened.
“You allowed my children to get attached to you.”
I exhaled slowly.
“I know.”
“You spent months building trust.”
“I know.”
“You became part of their routine.”
“I know.”
Her voice stayed controlled, but the edges were sharper now.
“And now you’re leaving.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Complete.
I tried again.
“I don’t have a choice.”
That phrase did not help.
It never does.
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aight thing
She stood.
Not dramatically. Just decisively.
“I knew this was going to happen.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is,” she said flatly. “I just didn’t want to admit it.”
I watched her carefully.
This wasn’t just anger.
It was disruption.
Of structure.
Of expectation.
Of something she had quietly begun adjusting her life around without naming it.
“I have to save the company,” I said.
She nodded once.
“Good.”
That surprised me.
“Good?”
“Yes.”
Her voice softened slightly, just enough to be more dangerous than anger.
“You should.”
I frowned.
She adjusted her bag on her shoulder.
“I’m not angry that you’re leaving.”
I didn’t believe that.
Not fully.
But she continued anyway.
“I’m angry that I didn’t notice how unreliable you have always been.”
That one landed.
Quietly.
Deeply.
Neither of us spoke for a moment.
+20 Bonus
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C
+20 Bonus
Then she straightened again.
Professional mode returning like a shield snapping back into place.
“When are you telling therti?”
“Soon.”
She nodded.
“Do it properly.”
Then she walked toward the door.
I stood there, watching her reach it.
She paused without turning.
“They’re finally starting to trust you,” she said quietly.
Then she left.
The door closed.
And I was left alone with signed documents on a desk that suddenly felt too small for everything they represented.
Not endings.
Consequences.
And for the first time, I wondered whether doing the right thing could still make you the person someone didn’t want to lose.
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Soon
Lydia POV
I was in the middle of approving decorations for my room. My room was basically bland, in Anna’s words. She always said it lacked the excitement of a woman who had so much to live for.
So she sent me a bunch of inspiration pictures. There was a polka-dot-themed room-wait, polka dots? I would definitely have a panic attack. Then there was a Barbie-themed one-hold up, I’m not sixteen anymore. There was also a pastel-themed room, which honestly wasn’t bad. Then I saw one I absolutely loved. It was an onion pink-themed room, and I was obsessed with it.
I was just about to reply to Anna’s message when I saw a text from Dave.
Hold up.
What does he want from me now?
But the second I saw the word meeting in the message, I opened it immediately.
“I’ll call you back, Anna,” I texted before opening the chat properly.
Then I saw it.
He wanted me to meet him the next day.
I replied immediately.
The rest of the day flew by, and before I knew it, it was the next morning.
I got ready for work, and later that afternoon, Dave showed up at my office.
“What’s that?” was the first thing I asked when he slid a folder across my desk.
I opened it and laughed.
Divorce papers.
“I thought you didn’t want to divorce me.”
He gave a small shrug.
“I’m not about to disappoint you again.”
I let out a short laugh.
“Whatever. I’m done here.”
I stood and turned to leave, but then he spoke.
“Wait.”
I paused and looked back at him.
“What?”
“I need to tell you something.”
I sighed, already irritated.
1/5
*20 8gnus
Because there was always something with this man. Always another complication. Another surprise. Another
saster waiting around the corner.
I wasn’t about to let him ruin my mood today.
“Five minutes.”
I sat back down slowly, like I was granting access to something I didn’t fully approve of.
Because I didn’t.
Dave took a breath.
Then another.
The longer he delayed, the more annoyed I became.
Finally, he spoke.
“I have to go back.”
I frowned.
“What?”
“Go back.”
For a second, I didn’t understand.
Then something clicked.
My stomach tightened.
“What do you mean, go back?”
“My board reinstated me.”
And just like that, everything landed.
Wow.
So my intuition had been right.
He was leaving again.
“How soon?”
“As soon as possible.”
I laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
Just because I couldn’t believe it.
“Wow.”
He didn’t respond.
I leaned back in my chair, my eyes narrowing as I studied him.
2/5
“You’re serious.”
Part of me still didn’t want to believe it.
“Yes,”
Oh.
He was completely serious.
He was really doing this.
Again.
My voice sharpened.
“You allowed my children to get attached to you.”
What the hell was this?
Dave.
God.
+20 Bgnus
I hated this.
“I know.”
“You spent months building their trust.”
“I know.”
“You became part of their routine.”
“I know.”
My voice remained controlled, but the edges were sharper now.
“And now you’re leaving.”
Dave exhaled.
“I don’t have a choice.”
I stood immediately.
He didn’t have a choice?
Was that really what he was going with?
There was no one in this world who didn’t have a choice. The same way he supposedly hadn’t had a choice when he left me alone to raise our children.
“I knew this was going to happen.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is,” I said flatly. “I just didn’t want to admit it.”
I was furious, So angry. Why was it always us? Why my children?
3/5
+20 8gnus
“I have to save the company,” he said.
Modded once.
Of course, I was sure he’d defend himself, Typical Dave.
What else was he supposed to say?
“Good.”
The word caught him off guard.
“Good?”
“Yes.”
Honestly, what was he expecting? For me to beg him to stay? For me to tell him the company didn’t matter?
My voice softened slightly, which somehow made it even more dangerous.
“You should.”
His expression shifted.
I adjusted my bag on my shoulder.
“I’m not angry that you’re leaving.”
I didn’t even believe that completely.
Not fully.
But I continued anyway.
“I’m angry that I didn’t notice how unreliable you’ve always been.”
That one landed, The silence that followed was almost uncomfortable. Neither of us spoke, Then I straightened my shoulders.
Professional mode.
The shield snapping back into place.
“When are you telling them?”
“Soon.”
I nodded.
“Do it properly.”
Then I turned and walked toward the door.
Behind me, I could feel him watching.
I was almost at the exit when I paused.
I didn’t turn around.
“They’re finally starting to trust you,” I said quietly.
4/5
Then I left.
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20 8ghus
Strong
Lydia POV
Throughout that day at work, I was so destabilized and disappointed in myself, but I wasn’t doing much self sabotaging because I have learned to give myself grace for trying to do so much.
But then, in as much as all my years of therapy sessions, it looked like none of it was paying off because why was I still unable to give myself that same grace?
I started taking deep breaths.
Slow ones.
The kind my therapist taught me.
And then I realized that I was actually handling this better than I thought.
My anxiety wanted to deceive me into believing I didn’t know how to care for my kids.
It kept whispering the same questions over and over again.
Why did I allow him back into the kids’ lives?
Why did I accept him back at all?
Don’t I love myself enough?
20 Bonus
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- “I’m leaving for work, but nothing changes between us.”
- “I’ll be far away, but I’ll still be showing up for you.”
- “This isn’t goodbye. It’s just a different way of staying connected.”
- “Work needs me elsewhere, but you two are still my priority.”
- “Distance doesn’t change how much I care about you.”
- “I’ll be traveling, but you’ll still hear from me all the time.”
- “I’m going because I have to, not because I want to.”
- “You won’t lose me just because I’m in another country.”
- “The job is taking me away temporarily, but being your dad comes first.”
- говорить
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- 20 ватить
- 20 волиз
- 20 Barun
Now there was only a chessboard, two children, and the challenge of trying not to get embarrassed by a six-year- old.
Eli insisted on white pieces because, according to him, the most important players always moved first.
I didn’t bother arguing.
The game began.
Almost immediately, it became obvious he’d been practicing.
His opening moves were confident.
He leaned forward with intense concentration, occasionally squinting at the board as though calculating ten moves ahead.
Every now and then he looked up to see whether I appeared concerned.
Unfortunately for him, years of boardroom negotiations had taught me how to keep a straight face.
For the first several minutes, the game was surprisingly competitive.
Eli understood basic positioning and development now.
The problem was that he still possessed the reckless confidence unique to children.
Whenever he saw an attack, he launched it immediately.
Several times he made moves that looked brilliant at first glance only to realize a few turns later that another piece had been left completely exposed.
Every time it happened, he stared at the board in disbelief, convinced some injustice had occurred.
He searched desperately for loopholes.
When none appeared, he reluctantly accepted the loss.
2/5
+20 Bonus
Of course, rather than admitting mistakes, he created increasingly elaborate explanations for why every setback
as actually part of a larger strategy.
According to him, sacrificing a knight wasn’t losing a knight.
It was creatitig opportunities.
Losing a bishop was merely an investment in future success. 1
At one point he somehow convinced himself that nearly half his pieces were participating in a master plan only he could understand.
Ava watched the entire thing with detached amusement.
Every time Eli attempted to justify a bad move, she calmly pointed out the obvious flaw in his reasoning..
Her comments were rarely longer than a sentence, but they landed with remarkable precision.
Naturally, Eli found this deeply annoying. 1
Their arguments became almost as entertaining as the chess match itself.
As the game continued, I found myself enjoying the moment more than I expected.
The room felt lighter.
The weight that had been sitting on my chest ever since hearing about the company seemed far away.
I wasn’t thinking about Mr. Zed.
I wasn’t thinking about shareholders, board meetings, media campaigns, or flights.
I was simply focused on the game unfolding in front of me and the children sitting across from me.
Eventually, experience began taking over.
Little by little, the position shifted in my favor.
Eli didn’t notice immediately.
He was too focused on attacking.
But as more pieces disappeared and fewer options remained, reality became impossible to ignore.
I saw the exact moment he realized he might actually lose.
His posture changed.
The confidence faded.
He stopped moving quickly and began studying the board much more carefully.
Every decision now required serious thought.
Several minutes later, I moved my queen into position.
“Check.”
The room fell silent.
3/5
20 Bonus
Eli leaned so far forward his face was only inches from the board.
searched desperately for a response.
One possibility after another appeared and disappeared.
Every solution created another problem.
Eventually, after exhausting every option available, he sat back and released a long sigh.
The game was over.
There was disappointment on his face..
Not because he had been beaten.
Because he had cared.
Because he had tried.
For a moment neither of us spoke.
Then he smiled and shook his head, accepting defeat with as much dignity as a six-year-old could manage.
He informed me that I may have won this particular game, but future encounters would not go nearly as well for
I laughed. 1
“I look forward to the rematch.”
What stayed with me wasn’t the game itself.
It was the certainty in his voice.
There was no doubt.
No hesitation.
When he talked about a rematch, he spoke as though my return was guaranteed.
As though seeing me again was simply a matter of scheduling.
For someone who had spent the entire night terrified of how this conversation would go, that simple assumption meant more than he could possibly know.
So we packed the pieces away together, arguing over who was responsible for putting the board back where it belonged.
For a few precious minutes, everything felt normal.
Not perfect.
Not resolved.
Just normal.
And as I watched the two of them bicker over something completely insignificant, I found myself wishing I could freeze that moment and take it with me.
4/5
Honestly, I had expected everything to go much worse.
Apparently, the Kids were just being kids.
They didn’t take it nearly as seriously as I had imagined.
I was the one creating worst-case scenarios in my lead.
And honestly?
That was a relief.
Eventually, it was time for their siesta, and I was finally allowed to leave.
As I headed out, I found myself crossing paths with Lydia.
Stop here.
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5/5
CCTV
Lidia POV
I knew Dave was the one I had seen on the CCTV.
When be walked into the house and greeted me, I simply told him the kids were upstairs before turning my attention back to the news playing on the television.
At least, that was what it looked like.
The truth was that I wasn’t paying attention to the news at all.
My mind was somewhere else entirely.
I hadn’t told the kids that Dave was coming around today, and honestly, the whole situation had me nervous. I was scared of how they would take all of this. I just didn’t know what to expect.
I knew they were attached to him.
Their teacher had recently mentioned that Eli had been talking about his dad with his friends, bragging about how cool and smart he was.
God
I couldn’t imagine Dave not coming back and my children having to deal with that.
I just couldn’t.
And Ava…
I was sure Ava would try to put on one of her strong fronts and pretend she didn’t care, but I knew better. I knew she liked Dave.
The way her eyes lit up whenever he was around wasn’t something I missed.
My baby had only ever looked at someone like that before.
Marcus. 1
And because of that, I couldn’t afford for either of them to go through any emotional trauma.
The thought alone made my chest tighten.
After a while, curiosity got the better of me.
I picked up my phone and opened the CCTV feed connected to the camera in the kids’ room.
Immediately, I saw Dave sitting with them.
At first, they seemed to be talking about cars.
Honestly, I couldn’t hear enough to understand the specifics of the conversation, but I could see Eli talking animatedly while Dave listened.
What surprised me was Ava.
She seemed cold.
1/5
Very cold.
hich was unusual where Dave was concerned.
Normally she gravitated toward him, so seeing her act distant immediately caught my attention.
I made a mental note to ask her about her mood läter.
As I continued watching, I saw her ask him a question.
Dave answered.
Then, after some more conversation, he finally told them the real reason he was there.
I braced myself.
I had been worried about this moment all day.
But honestly?
They took it far better than I imagined.
There were no tears.
No meltdowns.
No dramatic reactions.
Just questions.
Thoughtful questions, of course.
Because apparently my children couldn’t just be normal children.
Then I saw Dave pull something out and hand it to them.
A piece of jewelry.
Something that could apparently be worn as either a bracelet or a necklace.
I couldn’t help laughing.
That was actually kind of cute.
B for effort.
Hmm.
I liked that he had put thought into it.
The gesture was sweet.
After that, they played chess for a while.
I watched the three of them together, and for a brief moment, everything looked normal.
Comfortably normal.
Like a family.
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2/5
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Eventually, though, it was time for the kids’ siesta.
Tout my phone down and headed upstairs.
Halfway through the hallway, I ran into Dave as he was leaving.
I stopped him. 1
“Dave, I’m not stopping you from leaving,” I said. “What I’m saying is that I want you to know that you can le me know if you aren’t coming back.”
He looked at me quietly.
I continued.
“Also, don’t lie to my kids and give them those gibberish gifts only to end up breaking their hearts. Let me tell you something. I’ll ruin you.”
I wasn’t planning on saying anything more than that.
So I turned and started to walk away. 1
Then suddenly he grabbed my hand.
I froze.
Before I could even process what was happening, he leaned in.
My reaction was immediate.
I raised my hand and slapped him.
Pure reflex.
“What the heck?” I snapped.
He looked stunned.
“Are you normal at all, Dave?”
I stared at him.
“What was that?”
He opened his mouth to speak.
“Get out. Now.”
Almost immediately, he apologized.
Then he left.
And I just stood there staring after him.
What was that?
Seriously.
What was that?
3/5
་ཀ
20 Bonus
Gosh.
Dave couldn’t leave without creating some kind of drama.
Wanting to kiss me?
As what exactly?
The audacity.
Eventually, I shook my head and went back downstairs.
The moment I stepped into the living room, I was greeted by a surprise.
Anna.
And standing beside her was a man.
Her younger brother.
For a second, I genuinely forgot what was happening.
Then I remembered.
Anna had mentioned she wanted to introduce him to me because his company needed my help with something.
Right.
That.
The man stepped forward.
And honestly?
He was dangerously good-looking.
The kind of good-looking that immediately made you suspicious. 1
Anna smiled.
“Hi.”
Then she gestured toward him.
“This is my brother, Theo.”
I smiled politely.
“Hi, Theo.”
We shook hands.
The moment we did, he flashed a charming smile and said,
“It is my pleasure to meet your gorgeous self, madam.”
Then, before I could react, he lifted my hand and kissed it.
I blinked.
4/5
Hmm.
hat exactly was going on here?
Anna immediately groaned.
“Theo. She’s a mother. We are not here for your playboy antics.”
Theo laughed softly.
“Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”
I simply looked between the two of them before gesturing toward the sitting area.
“Let’s get to the business of the day.”
P
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Airport
Dave POV
“Dave, I’m not stopping you from leaving,” Lydia said.
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
For some reason, I had expected anger. Maybe disappointment. Maybe one of those sharp remarks she occasionally delivered with terrifying precision.
Instead, she sounded composed.
I found myself staring at her for a second longer than necessary.
Then again, unpredictability was part of what made Lydia Lydia. She never reacted the way people expected her to.
She folded her arms loosely across her chest.
“What I’m saying is that I want you to know that you can let me know if you aren’t coming back.”
The hallway suddenly felt smaller.
Quieter.
I looked at her but didn’t say anything.
She continued.
“Also, don’t lie to my kids and give them those gibberish gifts only to end up breaking their hearts.”
Her gaze hardened.
“Let me tell you something.”
A pause.
“I’ll ruin you.”
There wasn’t a hint of exaggeration in her voice.
No drama.
No theatrics.
Just a simple statement of fact.
Then, as though she’d said everything she needed to say, she turned and started walking away.
And that’s when I did something incredibly stupid.
The kind of stupid thing that only makes sense for half a second before reality catches up and punches you in the
face.
“Lydia-”
I reached for her hand.
1/8
She stopped.
Honestly, my plan had been simple.
Reassure her.
Tell her I understood.
Promise her I wasn’t going to disappear.
Leave without making things more complicated than they already were.
Unfortunately, my emotions apparently had other plans.
The moment she turned toward me, something shifted.
- 20 Bonus
༽
Maybe it was seeing how fiercely she protected the kids.
Maybe it was watching her trust me with them despite everything I’d done.
Maybe it was the realization that somewhere along the way I’d stopped seeing her as my past and started seeing her as the future I wanted.
Whatever it was, before my brain could catch up, I leaned in.
For a kiss.
The silence lasted less than a second.
Then-
Smack.
The slap echoed through the hallway.
My head turned slightly from the impact.
And just like that, reality returned.
Fast.
“What the heck?” she snapped.
I stared at her.
Not because I was angry.
Not because I thought she had overreacted.
Honestly?
I was trying to figure out what had possessed me.
“Are you normal at all, Dave?”
Her eyes were wide with disbelief.
“What was that?”
I opened my mouth.
2/8
Nothing came out.
Athousand explanations rushed through my head at once.
I didn’t mean to disrespect you.
I wasn’t trying to pressure you.
I wasn’t trying to lead you on.
I wasn’t trying to pretend everything between us was magically fixed.
I’m in love with you.
That last thought hit me harder than the slap.
Because it was true.
Painfully true.
And standing in that hallway wasn’t the time or place to dump all of that on her.
Not after everything.
Not when I was leaving tomorrow.
Not when she was already worried about the children.
“Get out. Now.”
The disappointment in her voice hurt far more than the slap.
I immediately nodded.
“I’m sorry.”
The words came out quietly.
Genuinely.
Then I left.
Because staying would only make everything worse.
And the last thing I wanted was to turn an already awkward situation into a disaster.
Outside, the evening air felt cooler than before.
I walked toward my car and slid into the driver’s seat.
For several seconds, I just sat there staring through the windshield.
Then another car pulled into the driveway.
I glanced toward it briefly.
I wondered who it was.
But only for a moment.
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3/8
+20 Bonus
My thoughts quickly drifted back to Lydia.
Back to that hallway.
Back to the realization that had completely blindsided me.
I was in love with her.
Again.
Somehow.
Somewhere between bedtime stories, school pickups, chess matches, and watching her build a life without me I’d fallen.
Hard.
I rested my head against the seat and closed my eyes.
How had this happened?
I honestly didn’t know.
But I knew what I felt.
I admired her.
The way she’d rebuilt her life from the ground up after everything.
The way she’d raised two incredible children.
The way she’d continued moving forward when she had every reason to remain angry.
The way she put Ava and Eli first in every single decision she made.
Even allowing me back into their lives had required an amount of grace I wasn’t sure I deserved.
Most people would’ve slammed the door in my face.
Lydia had opened it.
Carefully.
Reluctantly.
But she’d opened it anyway.
And somehow that made me love her even more.
The city lights blurred past my windows as I drove home.
My mind kept returning to the same question.
Is it too late?
Not for the kids.
For her.
Was there still a version of the future where Lydia looked at me and saw more than a mistake she’d survived?
4/8
I didn’t know.
And for the first time in years, I wasn’t sure money, influence, or determination could solve the problem.
By the time I reached my apartment, the sky had darkened completely.
Inside, the penthouse was quiet.
Too quiet.
I spent the next hour finishing a few calls related to the company.
Shareholders.
Board members.
Logistics.
Schedules.
The kind of conversations that normally occupied my mind.
Tonight, they felt distant.
Automatic.
Eventually, I ended the final call and headed toward my bedroom to pack.
My flight was at five in the morning.
I needed to be back in my home country as quickly as possible.
Packing didn’t take long.
I’d never been the type to travel with half my wardrobe.
Being a billionaire had one very convenient advantage.
If I forgot something, I could buy another one.
I tossed several pairs of trousers into a suitcase.
A few shirts followed.
A jacket.
Some essentials.
Done.
Then my eyes landed on a storage box near the dresser.
A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.
Inside were several things the kids had made over the past few months.
Drawings.
Little crafts.
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20 Bg
5/8
Random creations that probably looked insignificant to everyone else.
arefully picked them up one by one.
Technically, I’d stolen them.
Which probably wasn’t my proudest parenting moment.
What kind of father stole his children’s artwork?
Apparently me.
But I couldn’t help it.
Every scribbled drawing felt like evidence.
Proof that Ava and Eli existed.
Proof that I hadn’t completely missed everything.
Proof that I still had a chance to be part of their lives.
I carefully packed them between my clothes.
Those items were worth more to me than anything else in the suitcase.
A little while later, my assistant called.
“Sir, it’s almost time.”
I glanced at the clock.
Right.
The airport.
The flight.
Reality.
“Thanks.”
I grabbed my luggage and headed downstairs.
My driver was already waiting.
The ride to the airport passed in relative silence.
Streetlights flashed across the windows.
The city slowly disappeared behind us.
Before long, I was checking in and making my way toward the boarding gate.
As I sat waiting, my phone appeared in my hand almost automatically.
My thumb hovered over Lydia’s contact.
I opened a message.
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Then I typed:
Lydia. Thank you for everything so far. I really appreciate it. I’m sorry for earlier. I’ll be keeping in touch with you daily.
I stared at the message.
Then deleted it.
Too much.
It sounded desperate.
I tried again.
Lydia, thank you for trusting me with the kids today. Safe to say Eli still thinks dinosaurs can solve most problems. I’ll call once I land.
Delete.
Another attempt.
I’m sorry about what happened before I left. It shouldn’t have happened. Thank you for hearing me out regarding
the kids.
Delete.
Another.
Boarding now. Take care of yourself and the kids. I’ll keep my promise.
Delete.
One more.
I know I don’t deserve much grace from you, but thank you anyway. I’ll stay in touch.
Delete.
I looked at the blank screen.
Maybe there were moments when words helped.
This wasn’t one of them.
Eventually, I locked the phone and slipped it back into my pocket.
A few minutes later, boarding began.
I took my seat beside the window and watched as the aircraft slowly moved across the runway.
The engines roared to life.
The city lights stretched into glowing lines beyond the glass.
Then came the familiar rush of acceleration.
The ground fell away beneath us.
Buildings shrank.
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Roads became threads of light.
ouds swallowed the city whole.
As the plane climbed higher into the dark sky, I rested my head against the seat and stared out the window.
Below me was the life I was leaving behind for now.
Ahead of me was the company waiting to be fixed.
And somewhere between those two worlds sat the only question I couldn’t stop asking myself.
Was it already too late to win Lydia back?
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Vanished
Lydia POV
I settled into the armchair opposite Anna and Theo and crossed one leg over the other.
The living room felt strangely quiet after everything that had happened with Dave.
One minute I was slapping the father of my children for attempting to kiss me out of nowhere.
The next minute I was apparently having a business meeting.
Life was weird.
I picked up my glass of water and looked between the siblings.
“Okay,” I said. “What’s happening? What happened, and why exactly do you need my help?”
The moment the question left my mouth, something interesting happened.
The charming smile disappeared.
The playful energy vanished.
Even the slight flirtatiousness Theo had been carrying around like a designer jacket seemed to fall away.
For the first time since meeting him, he looked completely serious.
Business serious.
He leaned forward slightly and clasped his hands together.
“So this is what happened.”
I nodded for him to continue.
“My company is based in Country Z. We focus on Gen Z fashion. Everything is app-based. We currently have over three thousand clothing designs available through our platform, and we’re the bestselling clothing company in the entire country.”
His voice was steady.
Confident.
The kind of confidence that came from knowing exactly how successful your company was.
Then his expression darkened.
“A little over a year ago, we started experiencing supply issues. Demand was growing faster than our manufacturing capacity, and our existing suppliers couldn’t keep up anymore.”
He paused.
“So we expanded.”
I already knew where this was going.
Whenever someone said we expanded during a crisis explanation, disaster usually followed.
“We found another supplier in a neighboring country. Everything looked legitimate. They had certifications.
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References. Documentation. We did our background checks and entered into a partnership.”
He exhaled slowly.
“About four months into the partnership, my co-CEO received a video.”
The room became noticeably quieter.
“A video from one of the factories.”
His jaw tightened.
“The footage showed children working.”
Anna’s expression immediately softened.
Theo continued.
“They looked young. Extremely young. Some of them looked malnourished.”
I felt my stomach tighten.
Because as a mother, certain things hit differently.
Anything involving children always did.
“My co-CEO showed me the footage,” Theo said. “At first, we weren’t entirely sure it was actually from the factory producing our products.”
I remained silent.
Listening.
“We immediately contacted the supplier. Their CEO denied everything.’
Of course he did.
Theo laughed humorlessly.
“He claimed it was fabricated. Said competitors were trying to damage their reputation.”
“What did you do?” I asked.
“We told him to investigate and make sure nothing like that was happening.”
I slowly lowered my glass onto the coffee table.
“And?”
“He promised it wasn’t happening.”
The silence that followed was answer enough.
Theo rubbed the back of his neck.
“We continued the relationship.”
I nodded once.
Not because I agreed.
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Because I was mentally taking notes.
We continued business for another four months,” he said. “Nothing happened. No bad press. No complaints. No scandals.”
Then he gave a bitter smile.
“Until one morning.”
I already knew.
“I woke up and saw our company trending.”
He shook his head.
“For all the wrong reasons.”
The footage had resurfaced.
Only this time it wasn’t contained.
It was everywhere.
News outlets.
Social media.
Influencers.
Activists.
Consumers.
Everyone.
Suddenly people weren’t just discussing child labor.
They were accusing Theo’s company of supporting child labor.
Funding child labor.
Profiting from child labor.
Some even escalated it further and began using words like trafficking.
I watched him carefully as he spoke.
Not because I was judging him.
Because I was trying to understand exactly where everything went wrong.
“Our stock dropped immediately,” he continued. “We lost millions within days.”
Anna winced.
Theo stared at the floor briefly.
“I eventually released a statement.”
I raised an eyebrow.
3/8
“And?”
As expression twisted.
“I apologized and explained that we were unaware of the situation.”
I closed my eyes.
Just for a second.
“Oh no.”
Theo sighed.
“Exactly.”
I leaned back into my chair.
“The media response was brutal.”
“They said we didn’t care about the children.”
“They said we were protecting ourselves.”
“They said our statement focused more on the company than the victims.”
He laughed bitterly.
“And honestly, after that, everything got worse.”
The room fell quiet.
For several moments nobody spoke.
Then I finally broke the silence.
“Hmm.”
I folded my arms.
“That was a lot.”
Theo nodded.
“Yeah.”
I studied him carefully.
Then I asked the most important question.
“When you first received the video, why did you believe the supplier?”
He blinked.
“What?”
“Why did you believe them?”
“We had no proof.”
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4/8
.20 Agnus
“You had enough concern to call them.”
mouth opened.
Then closed.
I continued.
“That’s mistake number one.”
Theo sat up straighter.
I could already see his brain shifting into learning mode.
“You treated a potentially catastrophic ethical issue like a supplier dispute.”
The room became silent again.
“If somebody sends me footage of children being exploited inside a factory connected to my supply chain, I don’t call the supplier and accept their explanation.”
I shook my head.
“I investigate independently.”
Theo nodded slowly.
I continued.
“You should have sent auditors.
“Unannounced auditors.”
“Third-party auditors.”
“Investigators who had no financial incentive to protect anyone.”
His expression tightened.
Because he knew I was right.
“You relied on the word of the person with the most to lose.”
I let that sink in.
“That was your first mistake.”
Nobody interrupted.
“The second mistake was continuing business without verification.”
I leaned forward.
“You told them to fix the problem.”
“How did you verify they fixed it?”
Theo was silent.
Exactly.
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“You assumed silence meant compliance.”
ointed toward him.
“Silence means nothing.’
The room was completely still now.
Even Anna looked fascinated.
“The third mistake happened when the story exploded.”
Theo groaned softly.
“The statement.”
“The statement.”
I nodded.
“The moment that story became public, the company stopped being the victim.”
His brows furrowed.
“You thought the crisis was about your reputation.”
I tapped the coffee table lightly.
“It wasn’t.”
“The crisis was about children.”
The words landed heavily.
“Your first public statement should never have focused on your lack of awareness.”
I watched realization slowly spread across his face. 1
“Because the public hears that as an excuse.”
I nodded.
“They don’t care whether you knew.”
“They care that children were harmed.”
I could practically see the pieces connecting inside his head.
“If I were handling that crisis, my first statement would’ve focused entirely on the children.”
Theo was staring now.
No flirting.
No jokes.
No arrogance.
Just attention.
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20 8gnus
“I would’ve immediately announced an independent investigation.”
eld up one finger.
“I would’ve suspended operations with the supplier.”
A second finger.
“I would’ve partnered with child welfare organizations.”
A third.
“I would’ve created emergency relief funding for any children affected.”
A fourth.
“And most importantly, I would’ve spent more time talking about the victims than talking about the company.’
The room remained silent.
I continued.
“People forgive mistakes.”
I shrugged.
“They rarely forgive indifference.”
Theo slowly nodded.
I could tell he was replaying every decision he’d made.
Every meeting.
Every press conference.
Every statement.
Every missed opportunity.
“The public wasn’t looking for perfection,” I said quietly.
“They were looking for humanity.”
Nobody spoke for several seconds.
Finally Theo leaned back.
Then he laughed.
Not mockingly.
Not sarcastically.
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