What If He’s Mine Too?

Ethan barely slept that night.

Every time he closed his eyes, Ava's voice echoed back to him—"He deserves more than that. And so do I."

She was right.

He hadn't just failed her.

He'd failed Liam too.

The realization hit harder than any boardroom blow, any press scandal, any shareholder betrayal. Because this was real. They were real.

And he might lose them. Again.

He stared at his phone in the dim light of his office, the city skyline behind him blurred by raindrops clinging to the glass.

Victoria had sent two more messages.

Victoria: Your silence is making me look stupid. Fix this, Ethan.

Victoria: Claudia wants us to be seen together. Tonight.

He didn't reply.

Instead, he scrolled to a different thread. One he hadn't touched in weeks.

Ava.

He hesitated.

Then typed.

Ethan: I need to see Liam. Please.

The three dots blinked. Then stopped.

No reply.

He dropped the phone on the desk, pressing his hands to his face. His mind was spinning with every missed moment, every choice that had brought them here.

Why hadn't she told him?

Why had he let his pride speak louder than his heart?

His thoughts were broken by a soft knock.

"Sir?" came Maddie's voice—his assistant. "Your grandmother is here."

Ethan blinked. "My—what?"

Before he could process, the door opened and in walked the one person who never played by Claudia's rules—his grandmother, Eleanor Cole.

Dressed in elegant navy, her cane tapping the marble floor like punctuation, she looked at him with eyes full of knowing.

"You look like hell, Ethan."

"Thanks," he muttered.

She sat without invitation. "Tell me what Claudia's done this time."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why do you assume it's her?"

"Because you only look this miserable when your mother's involved. Or when you've made a mess with a woman you care about."

Ethan exhaled. "Both, actually."

Her lips curved slightly. "Then it's serious."

He nodded once. "I have a son."

Eleanor didn't flinch.

"I suspected," she said softly. "He's Ava's, isn't he?"

He nodded again.

"And yours."

"Yes."

For a long moment, silence fell between them. Then Eleanor leaned forward, eyes sharp.

"Then what in God's name are you doing here, wallowing in regret, while the woman you love walks away with your child?"

Ethan's throat tightened. "She doesn't trust me. Not after what my mother said. Not after Victoria's games. I hurt her, Grandma. Even if I didn't mean to."

Eleanor's voice turned steel. "Then earn it back. Show her you're not your mother's puppet. And for heaven's sake, stop hiding behind strategy. You want your son? Go be his father. You want Ava? Go fight for her."

He stared at her.

Then stood.

And for the first time in weeks, his voice didn't shake when he said, "I will."

Later that afternoon, Ava opened her door and froze.

Ethan stood there, rain on his shoulders, determination in his eyes.

Before she could speak, he said, "I'm not here to argue. I'm not here to beg. I'm here because I should've been here years ago."

She folded her arms. "What do you want, Ethan?"

"To know my son."

A beat passed.

Then he added, "And to earn the right to be in your life again. Whatever it takes."

Ava's defenses were already cracking, but she didn't let them fall. "It's not that simple."

"I know. But I'm not leaving this time. I'm not running. And I'm done letting my mother or Victoria decide my future."

Ava stared at him.

Then slowly, she stepped aside.

Just a little.

"Liam's in his room," she said quietly. "He's drawing superheroes."

Ethan blinked, then stepped in, his heart hammering in his chest.

As Ava closed the door behind him, the silence between them wasn't cold.

It was something new.

Something maybe… beginning.