Chapter 125

Christiana’s POV.

As I walked Ethan up the steps to our hotel suite, his little hand in mine, a wave of relief washed over me. He looked up at the door with a small, proud smile, as if the weight of this moment meant something even to him. After days in the hospital, being back, albeit not yet home, felt like a blessing. Ethan’s surgery was behind us, and a hint of color was starting to return to his cheeks.

Emma bounded beside us, her energy bright and unrestrained. She had been Ethan’s little shadow since we left the hospital, always reaching out as if to make sure he was really there. I could see that Ethan was trying to be strong, but I knew his limits, and I wanted him comfortable, letting him recover without pressure.

“Ethan, you feelin‘ okay?” Emma asked, her eyes wide with concern, though a spark of curiosity flickered beneath.

He nodded, giving her a soft smile. “Yeah, Em. I’m fine. Just… tired.” He looked up at me, a little wrinkle forming between his brows. “Can we go inside?”

“Of course, sweetheart.” I leaned down, brushing a stray curl from his forehead. “Let’s get you settled.”

Alex was right behind us, holding the bags we’d brought from the hospital. He had barely left Ethan’s side since the surgery, and I couldn’t have been more grateful. His presence had been a steadying force through every tear and every shaky sigh. Having him here was a reminder that I didn’t have to shoulder everything alone.

“Hey, champ,” Alex said to Ethan, a faint smile softening his usually firm gaze. “You want me to carry you to the bed?”

Ethan looked torn, pride and fatigue battling in his expression. “I can walk,” he insisted, but his voice was soft, betraying how exhausted he was.

I gave Alex a knowing glance, and he nodded. “Of course you can. But it’s okay to take a little break,” I said, running my hand gently down his arm.

He seemed to consider it, and finally, with a small nod, he reached out for Alex, who lifted him effortlessly. Alex’s face softened, his usual boldness melting as he cradled Ethan with such care. Emma followed us inside, her small hand wrapped around mine as we made our way to the suite’s bedroom.

Once there, Alex laid him gently on the bed, arranging the pillows so he could sit up comfortably. Ethan gave a soft sigh as he settled in, his eyes already drooping a bit.

“Better?” Alex asked, brushing a hand over Ethan’s hair.

Ethan nodded, his small voice almost a whisper. “Thanks, Dad.”

on the edge of the bed, placing my hand on his. “You don’t

over him as if he were made of glass. She looked at him with such care that it made my heart swell. “You want me to read to you, Ethan?” she asked, her voice soft, almost hesitant, as if afraid he might

“Okay. But not

it open to a well–worn page. She began reading, her little voice filling the room with

watched the twins together. There was a comforting silence between us, a sense of unity that hadn’t

Alex murmured, his voice low and filled with pride

of everything lift, if only for a moment. “He gets

chuckled softly, a rare, genuine sound. “I think he gets more from you than you

his, and for a second, the world outside this room fell away. There was something unspoken in his eyes, a

Chapter 125

of this.

his fatigue, closed the

his breathing evening out. I watched them, my heart swelling as

were back in the suite’s living area, Alex took my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine in a

without you,” I whispered, my voice trembling slightly.

his gaze warm and steady. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m here because I want to be.

felt tears prick at the corners of my

my chest, gratitude blooming for Alex’s presence. I hadn’t expected him to be there through it all. After so much

shadowed with a hesitance I hadn’t seen in years. He took a step closer, reaching for my hand, his fingers barely brushing mine. His eyes were filled with something

his voice low, almost pleading. “There’s something I need to say. I know you haven’t brought it up, but

I already knew where this

you, it was the biggest mistake of my life. Bianca…everything I did with her, every choice I made that tore us apart…it was wrong. I didn’t see what I was

the wounds I’d kept carefully hidden. I could feel a familiar ache rising, an urge to shove away the

he knew I wanted to pull away. “I called you barren,” he said, his voice thick with regret. “I didn’t know… I didn’t know about Ethan and Emma, Christiana. I wasn’t there, and you had to raise them alone, I…” “Please,” I whispered, my voice cracking as I

I can never undo what I did. I was selfish. I was blind. I let Bianca, that…” He swallowed, his voice faltering. “I let her destroy what

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