The Moment He Let the Truth In

Ethan stood by the glass wall of his penthouse office, the city sprawling beneath him in glittering silence. He should've been reviewing quarterly reports or preparing for the next board presentation—but all he could see were Liam's eyes.

His eyes.

The same thoughtful expression. The same stubborn tilt of the chin when he didn't want to talk. The way he hugged that plush tiger at night like he'd been carrying the weight of something unspoken—just like Ethan had been for years.

The realization had cracked something in him open. And now that the truth was in, it wouldn't stop echoing in his bones.

He had a son.

A living, breathing, brilliant little boy with superhero dreams and a crooked smile. A son who liked dinosaurs and bedtime stories. A son who should've known his father from the start—but hadn't.

Because of choices.

Because of secrets.

Because of pain.

Behind him, his office door opened without a knock.

Only one person entered without permission.

"Ethan," Claudia said, her heels clicking softly against the hardwood. "You canceled your breakfast with the investors. That's not like you."

He didn't turn around. "I wasn't in the mood for empty talk."

She stepped closer, her tone clipped. "You've been off lately. Ever since that woman reappeared."

His jaw tensed. "Her name is Ava."

"Don't play this game," Claudia snapped, her mask of composure slipping. "She's already cost you too much. And now, you're spiraling again."

He finally turned. "I'm not spiraling. I'm seeing clearly for the first time in years."

Her expression stiffened. "You can't afford distractions."

"That 'distraction' is the mother of my child."

The silence hit like a thunderclap.

Claudia's eyes narrowed, sharp as ice. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Ethan stepped closer, voice low and steady. "Liam is my son. My blood. You kept asking what happened to the man I used to be—well, now I know. He never left. He was just buried under all the lies."

Claudia's lips thinned. "And what do you expect to happen now? That you'll play house with the woman who left you behind? That the board will embrace this scandal?"

"It's not a scandal. It's my family."

Claudia's voice dropped into a warning. "You owe this company more than your emotions. You owe your future a wife who can strengthen your legacy, not unravel it."

Ethan's gaze darkened. "Don't you dare talk about legacy when you tried to erase mine."

Claudia flinched.

He stepped around her, grabbing his coat. "I'm done pretending that power means more than people. I missed six years of my son's life—I won't miss another day."

"And Ava?" she asked quietly. "What about her?"

Ethan paused at the door.

"I don't know what we are yet. But I know this—when she looks at me, I remember the man I wanted to be. And when Liam holds my hand, I feel like that man still has a chance."

He walked out, leaving Claudia in stunned silence.

Across Town

Ava sat at her desk in the marketing office, staring at her screen without seeing it. The words blurred. Her hands trembled slightly.

She hadn't expected last night to shake her so deeply. Watching Liam fall asleep in Ethan's arms had unlocked something inside her—something dangerous. Hope.

The thing she'd sworn to stop feeling for Ethan Cole.

Her phone buzzed. A text.

Ethan: I need to see you. Tonight. Just you.

Her heart skipped. She typed back before she could second-guess it.

Ava: Okay. My place?

Ethan: No. Somewhere in between. Neutral ground.

That Evening

They met at a quiet rooftop bar overlooking the city. The sky was streaked with pink and gold, the breeze gentle.

Ava arrived first, her hair caught up in a loose twist, her eyes shadowed but steady.

Ethan approached moments later, and for a long beat, neither of them spoke.

Then:

"Thank you," he said. "For trusting me. With him."

She nodded slowly. "You're his father. He deserves to know you."

Ethan swallowed. "And I want to know him. Every part of him. I want to be the man he needs."

Ava's voice softened. "You already are. He smiled in his sleep last night."

His lips lifted faintly, but the joy in his eyes dimmed with something deeper. "But this… us. I don't know where we stand."

Ava looked away. "Neither do I."

Silence stretched, filled with memories too tender to name.

Then Ethan said, "I don't expect forgiveness overnight. But I'm not walking away."

Ava's eyes met his. "And what about everything else? Claudia? Victoria?"

He stepped closer, voice like a vow. "I'll deal with them. You're not the woman I left behind, Ava—and I'm not the same man. But I know one thing: whatever comes next, I want to face it with you. If you'll let me."

Ava hesitated… then reached for his hand.

Not a promise.

Not yet.

But it was something.

A beginning.