Sera's POV
I stand frozen, staring at the man I once loved - the man whose smile used to be my favorite thing in the world.
For a moment, I think I mishear him.
"File for custody?"
No. He can't be serious.
But Adrian's face is stone, unreadable, his green eyes calm in that infuriating way that makes me feel small.
My stomach knots. I know if he goes through with it, he'll win. He has money, status, power. And I'll lose Ezra. I can't let that happen.
So I swallow the lump in my throat and whisper the words that taste like surrender.
"Fine... we'll stay."
His eyes widen slightly - surprise flickers, quickly masked by a smirk. "Really?"
I nod, my gaze fixed somewhere around his shoes. "Yeah."
"Alright," he says, clearing his throat. "There's a guest room down the hall. You and my son can stay there."
My son.
The words echo in my chest like a cruel bell.
Ivy's heels click against the marble floor as she steps out from the kitchen. The glare she shoots me is sharp enough to cut through glass.
For years she's smiled in my face, called me her friend. But that look - it's hate, raw and unfiltered. Maybe it's always been there. Maybe I've just been too naïve to see it.
I can't bear to stand there another second. My chest feels tight, my throat burns.
I turn and walk quickly to the room Adrian mentions.
It's pale, empty, and cold - just like my heart feels at this moment.
I sink onto the edge of the bed, gripping the sheets until my knuckles turn white.
The tears I've been holding back all night - the engagement party, the whispers, the pain - all break free at once. Silent sobs shake my shoulders as the reality hits me: I'm trapped again.
Then I hear a small, trembling voice at the door.
"Mom?"
Ezra.
I wipe my tears quickly and force a smile. "Come here, my big boy."
He runs to me, wrapping his tiny arms around my waist. I hold him tight, breathing in the warm, familiar scent of his hair. He's my anchor - my reason to keep going.
"Aren't we going home, Mom?" he asks, tilting his head, his big green eyes shining with confusion.
I swallow hard. "This is home now, sweetheart. Just for a little while."
"No, Mom," he says, frowning. "I don't like it here. That scary man and Aunt Ivy... they scare me."
A sad smile tugs at my lips. He looks so adorable when he frowns, so much like-
like his father.
I almost tell him. Almost. But not now. He doesn't need that burden yet.
"Uncle Owen will come visit us, okay?" I say softly.
He nods slowly, but before I can say anything else, a deep voice comes from the doorway.
"Why do you want to go back? This is your home."
Adrian stands there in a gray tank top and sweatpants, arms folded, veins visible beneath his skin. The casualness makes him look too human - and that almost hurts more.
"Come here," he says, motioning to Ezra.
Ezra turns to me uncertainly.
"It's okay," I whisper, nodding.
He hesitates, then walks to Adrian, who lifts him into his arms with surprising gentleness.
"My boy," Adrian murmurs, his voice thick. "Daddy misses you so much. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."
The word Daddy hangs in the air like a secret I'm not ready to share.
Ezra frowns, confused. "Daddy?" He turns to look at me, eyes searching mine for confirmation.
I nod, my heart twisting.
"Arrange your things," Adrian says after a pause, his voice turning firm again. "Dinner will be ready soon."
He carries Ezra out, and for a moment, I just stand there - numb - watching the man who once shatters me now holding the only piece of my soul that matters.
Later, I go downstairs for dinner, though every step feels heavier than the last. Laughter floats from the dining room - Ivy's high-pitched giggles, Adrian's low chuckle. Ezra sits quietly between them, his little face blank.
They look... perfect. Like a family I no longer belong to.
When they notice me, silence falls instantly.
"Mummy!" Ezra says in relief.
I smile and take the seat beside him. He reaches for his spoon but struggles a little. I gesture for him to come sit on my lap, and he does, curling into me like he always does.
As I feed him gently, I can feel Adrian's stare burning through me.
"He still can't eat on his own?" Adrian asks sharply.
I ignore him.
"I'm talking to you, Sera," his voice rises, irritation cutting through the air. "He's four, for God's sake."
Ezra flinches at his tone. My hands tremble.
At home, Ezra eats just fine. But in strange places, he always clings to me. He just needs comfort - not judgment.
Before I can respond, Ivy speaks, her voice dripping with venom.
"Thank God you brought your son home, Adrian. She's clearly not fit to be a parent."
I freeze. My head snaps toward her.
"What did you say?" My voice comes out sharper than I expect.
"You heard me," she sneers. "Poor parenting skills, that's what you have."
A bitter laugh escapes my lips. "And you know that how?"
She blinks, startled that I answer back, then quickly turns to Adrian, forcing a few fake tears.
"Did you hear that? She's attacking me!"
Adrian's expression hardens. "Enough, Sera. Apologize to her."
"Apologize?" My voice cracks. "She calls me an unfit mother in front of our son - and you say nothing! And now you want me to apologize?"
My eyes burn. "To hell with your apology."
I stand abruptly, my chair scraping the floor. "Come, Ezra."
"No, Ezra, stay," Adrian orders.
Ezra freezes between us, trembling. His little hands ball into fists as tears roll down his cheeks.
"Mummy, I don't like Daddy!" he cries, his voice breaking.
The sound tears through me.
"Don't you dare leave with my son," Adrian says, stepping forward.
"Watch me," I snap, clutching Ezra tighter.
"First you run off without telling me you have a child, and now this?" His voice cracks - pain, anger, disbelief tangled together.
"Don't you dare act like the saint, Adrian," I say through clenched teeth. "You cheat. You lie. I'm done pretending."
I turn to leave, but his hand clamps around my arm, yanking me back.
"Let me go!" I scream, pain shooting up my shoulder.
Ezra wobbles in my grip, almost falling.
"What are you doing? You'll hurt him!" I cry. My palm flies before I can think - the sound of the slap echoes across the dining room.
Adrian freezes, hand to his cheek, eyes wide.
And then Ivy lunges at me.
"How dare you slap my husband, you worthless bitch!" she screams, her fingers twisting painfully in my hair.
Tears blur my vision. I struggle, gasping -
"Please... leave my mummy alone!"
Ezra's voice. High, terrified.
And then -
A thud.
I turn just in time to see him collapse to the floor.
For a second, everything stops - the air, the noise, my heartbeat.
"Ezra!" I scream, my knees hitting the ground as I gather his limp body into my arms. "Ezra! Baby, open your eyes!"
The world spins into chaos - Ivy's gasp, Adrian's voice shouting something - but all I can hear is my son's name leaving my lips over and over again.
"Ezraaa!"
