Affectionate.

After collecting their marriage certificate, Andrea expected Gael to take her home. Instead, he drove to a cemetery.

"Is he here?" she asked softly, cradling her sleeping baby against her chest.

Gael turned to look at her in the backseat. "I've already said my goodbye to him. Now, it's your turn. We're leaving the city tomorrow."

Without another word, Andrea stepped out of the car, her grip on baby Kai tightening. Gael followed, retrieving the stroller from the trunk. She carefully placed her baby inside, adjusting the blanket to keep him warm.

Gael stayed back, watching silently as Andrea made her way towards Hendrick's grave.

Andrea stood before Hendrick's grave, her fingers gently plucking a single flower from the bouquet that rested there. She placed it carefully on the cold stone, her eyes lingering on his name.

"I never told you this," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "But the night I met you... I had already decided to end my life."

A tear slipped down her cheek as she continued, "I felt so alone, so unwanted, that every day was torture. That night, I walked into a bar, ready to find the courage in a glass of alcohol. Everything was going according to plan—until you showed up."

She let out a shaky breath, a faint smile touching her lips. "I was shocked that someone like you, handsome and kind, would even approach me. But you sat beside me, asked for my name, and smiled at me like I was someone worth knowing."

Her voice trembled as she spoke. "Even though I wanted to leave, I couldn't. There was something about your smile—it made me felt safe, like I belonged somewhere. Before I knew it, I was telling you everything about myself. Maybe that's why I didn't hesitate to give you my first".

She wiped her tears, but they kept falling. "I never thanked you for that night. For saving my life. For loving me when I couldn't even love myself. I just hope that in your last moments, you never doubted my love for you."

A soft whimper pulled her from her thoughts. She turned to see Kai awake, his tiny eyes blinking up at her from the stroller.

Andrea smiled through her tears and gently lifted him into her arms. "You wanted to see Daddy?" she murmured, holding him close.

Kai simply stared at her, his tiny fingers curling slightly.

Turning back to the grave, Andrea whispered, "His name is Kai Ashford. He has your eyes. He's so small, so fragile, that sometimes I'm scared I might hurt him. Even now, I still can't believe that someone like me could create something so perfect."

She took a deep breath. "That's why I have to do what's best for him. Tomorrow, Gael and I are leaving for Zarion City. Kai will be introduced to his family, and I'll make sure he gets everything he deserves. But I won't stop there."

Her expression hardened. "I will find the person who did this to you. I swear, I won't rest until they're behind bars."

Placing Kai back into the stroller, she brought two fingers to her lips, kissed them, and pressed them gently against the grave. "I will never forget you, Henrick. And the next time I come here, it will be to tell you that I've kept my promise."

She wiped her tears, straightened her shoulders, and turned away.

As she approached Gael, she hesitated. His eyes—so empty, so hollow—were nothing like Henrick's. How could these two be brothers?

"Should we go?" Gael asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

Andrea nodded. Cradling her baby, she watched as he opened the backseat door for her. Without another word, she stepped inside and waited for Gael to enter before they drove away.

....

ZARION CITY.

As Andrea settled into Gael's private jet, she decided to do a little research on the Ashford family. She had always known they were wealthy, but discovering that an entire city was named after their ancestors was just the beginning. The deeper she dug, the more she realized just how powerful they truly were.

When they landed, a sleek black Mercedes Jeep was already waiting on the tarmac. A young man standing beside it immediately stepped forward, rushing to take her luggage.

"It's an honor to meet you, Mrs. Ashford" he said politely.

Mrs. Ashford? The title felt strange.

Before she could dwell on it, Gael, just as he had done before, stepped ahead to open the car door for her. Without a word, she slid into the back seat, adjusting her sleeping baby in her arms.

"Is the apartment ready?" Gael, asked as soon as he settled into the passenger seat.

"It is," Cedric, his assistant, confirmed, starting the engine. But before pulling out, he glanced back at the baby and smirked. "I still can't believe you're a father."

Gael's voice was cold and sharp. "Drive."

Cedric cleared his throat, immediately turning his attention to the road. The car sped forward, leaving the airstrip.

.....

The car stopped at a small villa, and Andrea was amazed by how beautiful the house in front of her looked.

Cedric removed the baby stroller from the trunk and moved it to Andrea, who thanked him and placed Kai in it.

Cedric heart melted as he saw a sleeping Kai; the sudden urge to play with the baby was about to overwhelm him when he heard Gael's voice.

"If you wake him up, you are going to be the one to put him back to sleep."

If Andrea wasn't so exhausted, she would laugh at Cedric's reaction.

The assistant decided to respect himself and said, "I will take my leave now."

Gael ignored him and entered the house.

Andrea arranged the blanket on her son's body before following him.

"Wow." She muttered, stunned by the interior design of the house.

"This will be our new home." Gael said, and from the look in Andrea's eyes, he could tell that she liked the place.

"The apartment has three rooms, one for you, one for me, and one for Kai." Gael said and then collected a tablet from the center table, saying

"Take Kai to his room; we still have some unfinished business." He added, taking off his suit jacket.

Andrea frowned. "You have never once held him."

"What?"

"If you want people to believe that Kai is your son, then you need to learn how to be affectionate with him."

Gael furrowed his brow as he asked, "Do I also need to learn how to be affectionate with you?"

"Excuse me?"