Ivy didn't sleep.
She watched Leo breathe softly beside her, a small hand tucked under his cheek, a wrinkle between his brows as though even in sleep he carried questions he was too young to ask.
Aiden's words from the café haunted her.
"I need to meet him. Now."
He hadn't threatened. He hadn't shouted.
But it was the way he looked at her—like she had robbed him of a lifetime—that kept her chest tight.
She didn't regret protecting Leo.
But she regretted the silence.
And now, that silence was becoming a weapon someone else could wield.
Downtown – Thorne Enterprises, Private Office
Aiden paced his office with predatory focus. The skyline glittered behind him, but his thoughts were nowhere near the city.
He had a son.
And the woman he once loved had chosen to raise him alone.
He could understand her fear. Even respect it. But he couldn't forgive it—not yet.
He picked up the file Richard had compiled and opened it again. Photos. School records. Leo's name on crayon-covered report cards. Each line a new punch to the gut.
And then—his eyes caught something.
A man in the background of two photos. Same face. Same build. Once outside Ivy's building. Once near the school gate.
Aiden's blood ran cold.
"Richard," he barked into the intercom. "Get me surveillance. Cross-check this face. I want a name. And I want to know who he's working for."
Back in Ivy's Apartment
Maddie stirred milk into her coffee like she was trying to wear a hole in the mug.
"I still don't think it was a good idea to meet him alone."
"I needed to see his face," Ivy murmured. "I needed to know if there was any part of the man I used to love left in him."
"And?"
Ivy sighed. "He's changed. But not as much as I expected. He didn't shout. He didn't grab. He didn't even flinch when I told him."
Maddie leaned forward. "That's more dangerous, you know. He's not explosive—he's calculated."
"I know," Ivy said quietly. "But he's Leo's father. I won't keep them apart forever."
Maddie stared at her for a long moment. "You're scared."
"Yes."
"Of Aiden?"
Ivy shook her head. "Of losing control. Of everything I've built falling apart."
Nightfall – Aiden's Private Residence
Aiden returned home to a silence that felt heavier than usual. He stood at the window, staring out into the dark.
The city had never felt so big.
He wasn't sure what scared him more—the fact that Ivy had kept Leo from him… or the thought of someone else knowing about the boy before he even had a chance to meet him.
His phone buzzed.
Richard: Facial recognition match confirmed. Subject: Vincent Raye. Former Blackguard security. Now freelance.
Aiden: Who hired him?
Richard: Still digging. But sir… he's been following Ivy for weeks.
Aiden's jaw tightened.
They weren't just watching.
They were waiting for something.
Midnight – Ivy's Apartment
A knock at the door jolted Ivy from the couch.
She grabbed the nearest object—a lamp—and crept toward the door.
"Who is it?" she called, heart hammering.
A pause.
Then a voice.
"It's me."
Aiden.
Ivy exhaled sharply and opened the door.
He stood there, drenched from rain, something raw and restless in his eyes.
"I couldn't wait."
"You shouldn't be here," she whispered.
"I saw the man following you."
Her blood froze.
"I'm handling it," he added. "But you need to let me in."
She hesitated.
Then stepped aside.
Inside
Aiden stepped into the small apartment, scanning everything out of instinct. It was cozy, warm, lived-in. Too small for how big Ivy's burden had clearly been.
He turned to her.
"I need to see him."
"He's asleep."
"I won't wake him."
She nodded slowly, then led him to Leo's room.
Aiden stood in the doorway, staring.
Leo was curled up, hugging a stuffed animal. Hair tousled. Cheeks flushed from sleep.
Aiden's throat closed.
This was real.
This was his.
He took a shaky breath.
"He looks like you," Ivy said softly behind him.
"No," Aiden murmured. "He looks like everything I wish I'd had."
Back in the Living Room
"You have a lot to answer for," Aiden said, voice low but calm.
"I know."
"But that can wait. Right now, Ivy, I need to know: Are you in danger?"
"I think someone's watching us. But I don't know why. Or who."
"I'll find out."
Her eyes met his.
"You're not the same man I left."
"No," he agreed. "But I'm still the man who would burn this city to the ground for what's mine."
She didn't flinch.
For once, it didn't sound like a threat.
It sounded like a promise.