Chapter 26

Alexander POV

I was barely settled into my office when I heard the familiar, sharp click of heels storming down the hallway. My mother never walked softly when she was angry–she always wanted her presence known, like thunder announcing a storm. I braced myself, already knowing what this was about. The door swung open, and there she was, regal and observing, but with fury in her eyes.

“Have you lost your mind?” she snapped, not bothering with any pleasantries. “You broke up with Bianca? Are you seriously throwing away a perfectly good woman for her?”

I took a slow breath, leaning back in my chair. “Good morning to you too, Mother,” I said calmly. I wasn’t going to let her rattle me. Not this time

She didn’t care for my calm demeanor. She stormed closer, crossing her arms over her chest. “Don’t try to charm your way out of this, Alex! Bianca was good for you–poised, loyal, and didn’t come with all the baggage. But you threw it all away because Christiana waltzed back into town with those twins, didn’t you?”

Her voice dripped with venom when she said Christiana’s name, the disdain rolling off her in waves. She’d never hidden how much she despised my ex–wife, but it was worse now, more pointed.

“This has nothing to do with Bianca,” I said firmly, meeting her glare head–on. “And everything to do with what I should’ve done a long time ago. Christiana is the mother of my children. It’s time to fix what I broke.”

“Fix?” She practically spat the word out, disbelief etched on her face. “You divorced that woman for a reason! You finally freed. yourself from her and now you want to crawl back? You’re thinking with your emotions, Alex! You’re only doing this because you found out about the twins. For heaven’s sake, I expected more sense from you.”

I felt my patience thinning, but I kept my voice steady. “You always wanted grandkids, didn’t you? Now you’re complaining?”

“I wanted the kids, Alex, not her!” Her voice cracked with exasperation. “Christiana is toxic! She ruined you once, and she’ll do it again. You think bringing her back will be a happy family reunion? It’ll be a disaster!”

I stood up slowly, locking eyes with her. “You’re upset because you tried to bribe her to stay away and it didn’t work. She’s stronger than

you gave her credit for. And now, the one thing you can’t stand is that I’m making my own decisions, not the ones you’ve been pushing for years.”

Her eyes flashed, with anger and shock. “How dare you throw that in my face! I did what I had to do to protect you! Christiana was never good enough for you. She was always beneath us. And now, after five years, you want to go back to that mess?”

“Five years,” I said, my voice like steel, “where you filled my head with doubts and lies about her. I was stupid enough to believe you, to listen to every twisted thing you fed me. You manipulated me into that divorce. You knew exactly what you were doing because you never liked her. And now that I see it clearly, I’m not going to let you control this anymore.”

Her face turned red with fury, her lips tightening into a thin line. “I was protecting this family! Everything I did was to save you from her! She’s no good for you, and she’ll never fit into our world. Do you think I’m going to stand by while you destroy your life again?”

I stepped closer, lowering my voice but making sure every word hit home. “The only thing that destroyed my life was listening to you instead of following my heart. I’m done letting you make decisions for me. Christiana is coming back into my life, and if you can’t accept that, then stay out of it. I won’t sacrifice my happiness to satisfy your pride.”

She recoiled as if I’d slapped her, her eyes narrowing into slits. “You’re making a mistake, Alex. You’re blinded by guilt and nostalgia. Don’t come crying to me when it all blows up in your face again.”

“Maybe it’s time you stop worrying about being right and start worrying about being decent,” I shot back, my voice colder than I intended. “Christiana was never beneath us. You hated her because she wasn’t one of those perfect socialite puppets you wanted for me. But I loved her because she was real, because she was everything I needed, even if I was too blind to see it

back then.”

Her mouth tightened, and for a moment, I thought she might explode. But instead, she clenched her jaw, turning away with a dismissive wave. “You’re a fool, Alex. If you go through with this, don’t expect any support from me. You’ll be on your own.”

I watched her, feeling a strange sense of relief mixed with sadness. “That’s fine. I’d rather be on my own than let you or anyone else dictate who I’m supposed to love.”

Chapter 26

She left without another word, her heels clicking furiously as she made her exit. The silence that followed was heavy, but I felt a weight lift off my chest. For once, I’d stood up to her without holding back.

twins filled my mind. I knew this road wouldn’t be easy. There’d be resistance, complications, and maybe even more heartbreak. But for the first time in years, I was ready to fight for

i

kids…they were my family. And no one–not even my mother–was going

remnants of our argument echoed in my mind. My mother’s words still stung, but not in the way they once did. I was used to her controlling nature, but I realized that for years, I’d let her dictate my life out of some twisted sense of loyalty or duty. It took Christiana walking away, and then coming back into my life with those two incredible kids, for me to see how much

The weight of my decision was heavy, but it also felt right. For once. I wasn’t chasing power or trying to live up to anyone’s expectations. I was fighting for something real–for my family. And

buzzed on the desk. I glanced at the screen and saw Christiana’s name. It

everything, she was letting me back in, step by cautious step. I quickly replied: “I’d love that I’ll call in a

staring out at the city below. The skyline was alive with lights, but all I could think about was what really mattered. For years, I’d chased success, power, and control, thinking that would fill the void. But now, I understood that all of it

I’d secretly hoped for absent from her eyes. The twins were nearby, their excited chatter echoing in the

I said, keeping my tone

replied curtly, adjusting the camera so I could see the kids. Emma and Ethan leaned in, their wide eyes full of energy and innocence, an opposite

something deep inside me. No matter how strained things were

cheerfulness, trying to focus on them instead of

“We met a real hero today, Daddy! His name was Daniel, and

caught the flicker of annoyance in her eyes but said nothing about it. She

the name “Daniel” gnawed at me. “What

were bad guys,

and she let out a low scoff, barely audible but enough for me to catch. I ignored it, focusing

kids

you’re safe,” I said, trying to smile. “But you know, I’ll always be

a curious expression crossing his

feel Christiana’s eyes on

my throat as I met Ethan’s innocent gaze. Christiana’s eyes narrowed slightly, a challenge hiding beneath the surface. She was waiting for me to stumble, to falter in front of the kids. I wasn’t going

satisfaction.

smoothly, though the words tasted hollow. “I’d do anything to protect you and

Chapter 20

a small, almost imperceptible huff, like she found my response mildly amusing but mostly pitiful. I clenched my jaw, ignoring

of the

words, as if she regretted the moment she praised this Daniel in front of them. The look she gave me was sharp, filled with a silent, unspoken

edge to it that even the kids noticed. They might be young, but they were smart enough to pick up on the tension hanging in the

could’ve done it too,

your dad silly questions. He’s not here to be comparing himself to anyone, especially not to someone who was actually there when

she knew it would hurt the most. I bit back my retort, forcing myself

at Christiana like she’d just insulted her favorite superhero. “He would’ve been just as brave if he

Christiana’s

she looked at Emma, but her expression hardened again when she turned back to me. “Maybe. But he wasn’t there,

I cared to admit. But this wasn’t about me–it was about the kids, and I wasn’t going to let her turn them against

clawing at my chest.

head with a sarcastic smirk. “Do what, exactly, Alex?

baiting me, but I wouldn’t let her see how much she was getting under my

the shift in energy between us. Emma tugged on Christiana’s sleeve. “Mommy,

expression softened as she looked down at Emma, kneeling to meet her daughter’s wide eyes. “No, sweetie. Mommy’s just tired, that’s all. Daddy

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