Chapter 170
Alexander’s car screeched to a stop in front of his mother’s estate, his heart hammering in his chest.
His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he spotted Emm’s car parked in the driveway. His breath hitched, his anxiety skyrocketing.
So she’d heard, too and she has come as soon as she was possible
His chest tightened as the familiar pangs of guilt and regret clawed at him.
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Was his mother really gone without knowing her grandkids? His aw clenched as he thought of his mother’s endless love for him, her sacrifices, and the one thing she had always wanted: grandchildren. He had robbed her of the joy of knowing Emily and Ethan, of watching them grow, all because of his blind anger and pride.
The weight of his mistake hit him like a tidal wave.
How was he to make it right now?
Alexander swallowed the lump in his throat, pushed the car door open and bolted toward the entrance.
His heart raced with every step, attempting to outrun the dread building inside him. His footsteps echoed like the ticking of a time bomb, each step pulling him closer to what he thought was an inevitable moment of grief and despair.
He burst through the front doors, his eyes scanning the entry for a crying Emma or anxiously pacing Vivian. But, nothing could have prepared him for the scene that greeted him inside.
In shock and disbelief, he froze in his track.
There, sitting on the living room floor, was his mom, ALIVE. She sat on a huge rug in the middle of the living room, her face glowing with real happiness while she played with two familiar little figures, Emily and Ethan.
The twins giggled and clapped their tiny hands while Brianna made funny faces at them. Her laughter bubbled through the room, a melody Alexander hadn’t heard in what felt like a lifetime. It was a sight so pure, so unexpected, that it knocked the breath right out of him.
For a moment, he did nothing but stood there, his chest growing tighter with emotions he couldn’t define. And there came a wave of relief.
This… This had been his dream every day since the moment he knew about his twins, his mother surrounded by her grandkids.
He did not know how long he stood there staring, but finally, five pairs of eyes turned towards him.
Emily’s soft brown eyes widened in surprise, while Ethan’s bright gaze lit up with excitement. Emma sat frozen, her face turning red. She hadn’t expected him to show at all.
It was, however, Vivian’s face that caught his attention.
His sister rose to her feet, smoothing out imaginary dust off her skirt, her signature mischievous smile plastered on her lips.
Alexander watched as Vivian walked away, a quiet storm of emotions swirling within him.
Before he could dwell on his thoughts, a vibrant voice pierced the air, filled with excitement and innocence.
Chapter 170
“Mr. Handsome!”
Alexander’s head jerked in that direction, his heart skipping a beat.
His little boy was already up, running towards him with opened rms.
Alexander’s icy exterior melted instantly, and he fell to his knees and swung Ethan up in a warm, heart–melting embrace. Everything else faded into the background as he looked into his son’s joyful eyes.
“Ethan,” he murmured, holding the boy tightly, his voice soft but thick with emotion. “Hey, buddy.”
Ethan pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes with bright eyes sparkling in delight.
Alexander chuckled, though his heart ached with a bittersweet joy. He touched Ethan’s small face, his thumb brushing the softness of the boy’s cheek. “It’s an honor to have you here today Ethan. Truly.”
Ethan giggled, embracing him tightly once more, saying, “Mom said we can be friends now.”
Alexander looked to Emma, who sat a few feet away, observing their interaction with an unreadable expression. Her arms were crossed loosely, but her posture wasn’t guarded. It was if she was silently allowing this moment to unfold, to give him the opportunity that he had so deserved.
Though she said nothing, Alexander knew what this meant.
This was her way of telling him she was ready, ready to give him a chance, to walk this path with him, regardless of their or the whispers of their haters.
past
He put Ethan back on the floor and his attention shifted to Emily who was laying on the floor beside Brianna. Her tiny arms were stretched forward as if reaching for him.
She looked so small, so delicate, and Alexander’s heart clenched painfully.
He knelt beside her, pulling her into his arms with a tenderness that belied his strength. She snuggled her head into his chest, her small fingers clutching his tee–shirt as though she had known him since birth.
“Emily,” he whispered, his voice trembling slightly as he buried his face in her soft curls. The sweet, innocent scent of her filled his senses, anchoring him in a way he hadn’t felt before.
Her weakness, her pale complexion, reminded him of the sickness she was battling, a fight she shouldn’t have to face so young and at all.
But he, too, had started fighting for her. Emma didn’t know yet, but he had silently gathered a team of the finest medical brains around the world on the case of Emily. Money was no problem to him. If he couldn’t spend his last dime on his own daughter, who would he spend it on.
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