Chapter Thirty–Nine
Kyle’s POV
I wanted to stop her.
I wanted to grab her wrist, spin her around, and force her to look at me. To acknowledge the ache in my
chest. To see the war raging inside me, tearing me from the inside out.
The urge to do that nearly consumed me whole. But I didn’t.
Instead, I stood there, frozen, watching as she walked away with him.
With my son in another man’s arms.
The rage in my veins was almost unbearable, scorching hot.
I didn’t know what I hated more, the fact that she had another man beside her, with his hand on her waist or the fact that she had allowed him to care for my child.
My hands curled into fists.
How could she do this?
How could she let another man hold Zareon, raise him when I was right here? When I was alive? When I was
more than capable?
I wasn’t some deadbeat father. I wasn’t an absent parent. I had fought to see my son, and now… now I had to watch as another man took my place just because she didn’t want me in their life.
It was unbearable but I would never allow that, even if it cost me everything. I would never allow any man to take my place in my son’s life.
“Are we leaving or not?” Lillian’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I turned to look at her. She was still holding Neo, but her expression had shifted her usual air of control to something else. Something bitter laced with irritation.
Without saying a word, I walked past her, leading the way to the car.
I didn’t say a single thing the entire drive home, nor did she. My mind was rather on the scene that happened
a few moments ago.
I had prayed and wished that this wouldn’t happen.
Despite knowing Ava and Zareon frequently visited this park, I had hoped I could avoid running into them. I wanted to maintain my distance to preserve the little sanity I had left while keeping my son’s existence hidden from my family, especially Lillian, who was unpredictable because I still didn’t trust her. However, after one moment of carelessness and a heated argument with Lillian, suddenly, my worst fear was standing right in front of me. Ava and my son. Neo had managed to walk away from us when we weren’t looking – I’m not proud of that. But to my disbelief, as if fate wanted to punch me in the gut and show me I couldn’t facing its taunts, Ava was the one who had found the boy.
But what made my chest tighten and my blood boil wasn’t just seeing her; it was the man beside her.
id
Elson, who had my son in his arms.
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Zareon, my son, had his tiny hands curled into his shirt, his cheek pressed against his shoulder as if it were the safest place in the world as he slept.
Then, as if that wasn’t torture enough, Elson’s arms curled around Ava’s waist, bringing her body to him when Lillian said something. The sight of it made something ugly crawl up my throat, something suffocating, something hot and burning with fury. My fingers twitched with an overwhelming urge to rip them apart. To stake my claim. However, what made the urge more overwhelming was when Lillian asked.
“What are you doing here?”
I had turned to Ava fully, waiting for her response, needing to hear her speak, but to my infuriated astonishment. Elson spoke for her, and what he said raised the alarms in my head.
“She’s here for the same reason as everyone else,” he said smoothly, his voice carrying a calm confidence that only made my irritation spike. “To enjoy some time with her family.”
That word. Family. Had my stomach twisted violently.
I wanted to speak. To demand an explanation. To snatch my son from Elson’s arms and remind all of them exactly who I was. I want to hit that half smile off his face when he met my gaze. But I couldn’t, because what right did I have? What could I say or do that wouldn’t make me look like a jealous, desperate fool? What could I have done that wouldn’t have made the secret about my son out to the world?
The urge was so consuming, burning through my veins, but I forced myself to stay still, watching Elson secure his hold on her waist as they walked away, taking my sleeping son with them.
***
The moment we stepped into the penthouse, Lillian didn’t even wait for the maid to take Neo from her before she spun to face me, her eyes blazing with accusation.
“You knew.”
I stared at her blankly. “What?”
“You knew she was here!” She spat, stepping closer. “That’s why you kept coming to this country under the disguise of business. That was why you didn’t want to step out when I asked to visit the park. Did you know she might be there?”
I exhaled heavily, pinching the bridge of my nose before levelling her with a warning glare. “That’s ridiculous…
”
“Oh, is it?” she snapped, her lips curling into distaste. “You think I don’t see what’s happening? You chased after your ex despite being married and despite the fact that she was with another man herself. She’s moved on! Meanwhile, you….”
My fingers curled into fists at my sides, but I kept my expression calm and blank even though there was a sea of anger boiling violently inside me. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
Lillian’s hands balled into fists, a two–line vein appearing on her forehead. I do not think I’ve seen this angry before, but who cares? All I wanted was to get some sleep, even though I knew that was impossible after all that had happened today, from Ava finding out about my time spent with my son to the park event. I just needed space to think. But Lillian wasn’t about to give me that.
“I know exactly what I’m talking about!” she snapped, her voice rising. “You think I didn’t see the way you
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looked at them? At the man beside her? My God, Kyle, you were obviously trembling with jealousy! You looked like you wanted to rip that man’s head off his neck.” Her voice rose into a mocking tenor, and I had to ball my fist tightly by my side, trying as much as possible to rein in the anger simmering inside me so as not to give any reaction that might affirm whatever she was spitting. But it was hard because she was damn right. I wanted nothing more than to rip the guy’s arm (not his head) off his body.
“You couldn’t even take your damn eyes off her. And for what? For a woman who has clearly moved on? For a
woman who…”
“Enough,” I bit out. My voice was low and dangerous. She was teetering close past her boundaries, and I didn’t think I would be able to hold in my anger much longer.
But she didn’t stop.
“Do not silence me,” she growled, stepping closer, her head tilted up, and her voice turning icy with venom.” What is it that you’re looking for in her, Kyle? She’s your past. A past that wasn’t even useful. She’s nothing more than a broken woman who couldn’t even give you a child.”
A deadly silence filled the room.
My body went rigid for a second, then moved before I could think.
In a blink, I grabbed her arm and shoved her back against the wall, my face mere inches from hers.
She let out a small gasp, her eyes widening in shock.
I never put my hands on a woman. Never.
But this, this was a line she had no right to cross.
“Don’t,” I seethed, my voice dangerously low, my body trembling with barely contained anger. “Don’t you ever speak about Ava like that again!”
Lillian’s chest rose and fell rapidly, her lips parting as she stared at me. But she didn’t look afraid. No, she smirked as if enjoying riling me up. This was a side of her I had never witnessed, even though I had suspected it.
“Did I hit a nerve?” she whispered, her voice mocking.
I clenched my jaw so hard it ached, ignoring her mockery. “I mean it, Lillian,” I warned, my jaw ticking. “I don’t care what you say about me. I don’t care if you want to push and disrespect me. I don’t care if you insult me.” I said, my voice calm but cold. “But you will not speak about Ava like that. Not ever. Do you understand me?” Lillian swallowed hard, as if scared and rethinking her actions, then slowly, her lips quivered before bursting into a low, then slowly rising chuckle. “Oh, Kyle,” she murmured between sniffs. “You’re pathetic.”
My brow twisted in shock and anger. But before I could say a word, she continued, “She couldn’t even give you a child, and yet, you still….”
] under The sound of my fist slamming hard against the wall silenced her. She jumped slightly in fright but quickly masked it with another smirk. The only difference was that this time around, I could see her falt my burning gaze as I leaned forward, my face mere inches from hers again, and growled the word, “Don’t….” Then I abruptly stepped back away from her, inhaled sharply, and raked a hand through my hair. The room was suffocating.
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Everything was spinning, and my insides were burning.
I needed space. I needed air. I needed to get out.
Without another word, I turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind me.
I needed to get away before I did something I’d regret.
Because right now?
I was a man on edge.
The oddluna
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