Chapter 18: In Gentle Arms

After Kayden finished his breakfast, he returned upstairs without wasting time. Settling down at his desk, he flipped open his notes and textbooks. His heart wasn't entirely in it, but his determination outweighed his distractions. He didn't want to fail, not when Thaddeus had done so much for him.

I'll do anything to make him proud, he thought, resting his chin briefly on his hand before diving back into study mode.

Meanwhile, Thaddeus had arrived at the hotel Ryland mentioned. Rather than heading up to the suite, he remained in the elegant lounge downstairs. He texted Ryland to inform the lady to come down. He wasn't interested in dragging things out. This was a favour, after all.

A few minutes later, the elevator chimed, and the woman stepped out.

She was breathtaking. Tall, poised, and effortlessly stylish, with a warm yet confident air. For a fleeting second, Thaddeus found himself staring before quickly composing himself.

She approached with a gentle smile.

"Hi, Mr. Grey," she greeted politely.

Thaddeus stood and offered a handshake. "Nice to meet you."

Without further delay, he led her to one of the most upscale restaurants nearby. The ride was quiet, save for soft music in the background, and Thaddeus checking his phone once, Kayden had just sent a silly animated sticker that made him smirk.

This boy, he thought with amusement, pocketed his phone as they arrived at the restaurant.

Once seated, they were handed menus, and after browsing the fine selection, they both placed their orders.

The conversation started professionally, discussing business ventures, industry changes, and shared contacts. Thaddeus noticed quickly that she was intelligent, eloquent, and independent. She spoke with assurance, and he found himself listening, which wasn't common for him on dates like these.

When the food arrived, things turned lighter. Lena cracked a joke about blind meetings and how this one didn't feel awkward at all.

"This has been…" smooth," she said with a smile, swirling her wine. "It doesn't even feel like we just met."

Thaddeus gave a rare smile in return. "I agree."

He paused, realizing something. "I'm sorry, but I don't think you've told me your name."

She chuckled, "Oh. I'm Lena. Lena Wendy."

"Nice name," he replied genuinely.

After lunch, he drove her back to the hotel. They exchanged polite goodbyes, with Lena thanking him for the afternoon and expressing hope they'd meet again.

By the time he left, the day had slipped away quickly.

He stopped by his office briefly. Inside, he glanced over a few pending tasks, loosening his tie as Elisa approached his desk with a small envelope in her hand.

"Boss," she said gently, "the extra invitation card you asked for the other day, here it is."

Thaddeus looked up, nodded, and reached for it. "Thank you."

He tucked the envelope into his inner coat pocket without another word. His face remained calm and composed, but his mind was somewhere else entirely.

Despite the elegance of Lena and the charm of the afternoon, he couldn't shake the thought of someone else.

Someone with soft eyes, unpredictable energy… and a habit of flooding his phone with ridiculous stickers.

Kayden.

As Thaddeus sat at his desk, turning the invitation card between his fingers, his mind inevitably drifted back to Kayden—his smile, his energy, the little things that made the house feel less empty.

Just then, his phone buzzed.

> Daddy, I want to step out for a while. Darren invited me out. Trust me, I've been studying since you left the house.

Thaddeus sighed softly. As much as he didn't like the idea of Kayden spending too much time with friends, he knew he couldn't cage him. Kayden was still young, he deserved to enjoy his youth, to breathe outside strict routines.

He typed back:

> Okay. But be careful.

A second later, the reply came:

> Okay, Daddy.

Thaddeus stared at the message a moment longer than he should have, his expression softening unconsciously.

After wrapping up everything at the office, Thaddeus headed home. As his car pulled into the driveway, he noticed something immediately, the car was parked outside.

That was strange.

Kayden didn't drive himself, and Thaddeus hadn't assigned a driver to him either. That could only mean one thing: Darren had picked him up.

Inside the house, silence greeted him. No sign of Kayden.

Thaddeus checked the time 10:56 p.m.

Still no word from him. He'd been patient all evening, telling himself Kayden needed space, that he deserved to have fun with friends. But now... worry was beginning to creep in.

Just as he reached for his phone, it buzzed.

Kayden.

He picked up immediately. "Kayden? Where are you?"

"Daddyyyy..." Kayden's voice slurred through the line. "I'm fine. I swear I'm not drunk. Darren... Darren is drunk. I'm not, I promise."

Thaddeus clenched his jaw, his tone firm. "Kayden, where are you right now?"

" I-uh, we were at the place with the... lights. Then we gamed. And pizza! Then we..." Kayden broke into a small giggle. "I think we're at Darren's cousin's place? Or maybe not…"

Thaddeus closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Kayden. Let me talk to someone who isn't drunk."

There was rustling on the other end, a few unintelligible words, and then a new voice came on.

"Hello, sir," Darren said, a little unsteady but much more coherent. "I'm sorry about all this. Kayden's fine, just a little tipsy. I'll text you the location now."

"Good. Do it fast."

Seconds later, a message arrived. Thaddeus forwarded the address to his driver, and within minutes, they were on their way.

His jaw was tight the entire ride.

Not just because Kayden had gotten drunk, but because he had called him Daddy in that state. And that stirred something deeper in Thaddeus than he was ready to admit.

When Thaddeus and the driver arrived, the place was dimly lit, scattered with empty soda bottles, leftover food, and the soft hum of a game console still running in the background.

They found Kayden curled up on a couch, his head resting on a throw pillow, deep in sleep. His chest rose and fell in a peaceful rhythm, one arm tucked beneath him, the other loosely hanging off the edge.

Thaddeus walked over quietly and knelt beside him. "Kayden," he called softly, brushing a hand over his shoulder.

Kayden stirred at the sound of his voice. His eyelids fluttered open, heavy with sleep. "Daddy…" he murmured in a soft, childlike tone, barely audible. "I want to sleep…"

"I know," Thaddeus replied gently. "But let's go home."

Slowly and carefully, he helped Kayden sit up, steadying him with an arm wrapped around his waist. Kayden leaned into him without resistance, eyes barely open, head resting against Thaddeus's chest.

Darren, who was still nearby on another couch, blinked through his own haze of exhaustion. His eyes, though glassy, caught the sight of Thaddeus cradling Kayden with surprising tenderness.

So that's the 'Daddy' thing, he thought sluggishly. Kayden did say Thaddeus was his dad's best friend. Grew up with him. It makes sense… maybe it's just their bond.

Thaddeus didn't say a word to Darren. He simply nodded once in acknowledgment, then helped Kayden out the door.

Outside, the driver opened the rear passenger door. Thaddeus settled Kayden carefully into the back seat, buckling him in with the same care a father would show a sleeping child.

Once Kayden was secure, Thaddeus slid in beside him.

The ride back was silent. Kayden's head soon found Thaddeus's shoulder, breathing slowly and deeply, completely at ease.

And Thaddeus… he stared out the window, trying not to think too hard about the warmth leaning into him, or the word that still echoed softly in his ears:

Daddy.

When they arrived home, Thaddeus didn't take Kayden to his own room.

Instead, without saying a word, he led the drowsy boy into his bedroom, large, dimly lit, with soft linen sheets and the faint scent of cedarwood hanging in the air.

Kayden barely opened his eyes as Thaddeus helped him to the bed.

"Come on," Thaddeus whispered gently, guiding him to sit on the edge.

With practiced hands, he began to undress him carefully, respectfully. He unbuttoned Kayden's shirt, slipping it off one arm at a time. Then his pants. Not once did Kayden resist. His body moved with lazy compliance, eyes fluttering closed again.

Thaddeus took a clean towel from the dresser and dampened it with warm water. He crouched in front of Kayden, dabbing at his neck, his arms, his face, removing the sweat and wear of the night. Every movement was quiet, controlled, almost reverent.

When he was done, he went to the closet and pulled out one of his own shirts, a soft, oversized grey one that reached nearly to Kayden's thighs. He slipped it over Kayden's head gently, then helped him lie down properly on the bed.

Within seconds, Kayden was sound asleep, breathing softly and slowly.

Thaddeus sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, watching him. His phone buzzed, breaking the silence.

It was a message from Lena.

> Sorry for texting this late. Been so busy to since. Hope everything's okay on your end?

Thaddeus leaned back and replied simply:

> It's fine. Just got home now. Let's catch up tomorrow.

> Sure, she responded quickly, goodnight, Thaddeus.

He locked the phone and set it aside.

The room was still. Peaceful. And warm.

Without overthinking, Thaddeus stood, moved around the bed, and slipped under the sheets. He scooted closer, wrapping an arm around Kayden's waist from behind.

His nose brushed lightly against the back of Kayden's neck. A soft kiss followed, a gentle press of lips, nothing more, before he rested his forehead there.

He closed his eyes, breathing in the faint scent of Kayden's shampoo, sweet, youthful, familiar.

Then, with his arm still wrapped around him, Thaddeus drifted off to sleep.