Chapter 3

Four years later—

Evelyn had spent four long years searching, but there was still no trace of her child. She'd tried so hard to recall the face of the man who got her pregnant, but her memory was blurry at best—just flashes that came and went in her dreams. All she could truly remember was a pair of chestnut-colored eyes glowing in the dark, oddly intense, like they could swallow everything.

Where was she even supposed to start looking for her kid? She honestly had no clue. She'd never even seen her child, let alone know where to find him. And after four years, even if she had seen him as a baby, he would look completely different now.

"Hey Evelyn, Michael... he's getting married," came Emily Reed's voice over the phone the moment Evelyn walked out of the airport, just back from a business trip.

When she heard that, it stung—there was no use pretending otherwise.

"Yeah? Good for him," she replied after a pause, her tone calm.

"Evelyn..." Emily could tell she was hurting but didn't really know what to say. The two had only kept in touch once in a while over the years.

"I'm okay. I've known for a while that there's no future between me and him," Evelyn said, trying her best to sound casual. "I've got something to take care of. Let's talk later, okay?"

She hung up without waiting for a reply.

So cold.

A gust of wind whipped by, and she shivered hard, pulling her coat tighter. This winter felt colder than usual. Looking up, she saw the sky was dreary and gray, heavy with unshed rain.

Where was her ride?

She glanced toward the curb, scanning the crowd.

That's when a little boy, maybe around four, caught her eye. He was seriously adorable, straight out of a doll commercial—like a real-life Barbie doll.

Her child would probably be about his age by now. The thought tightened something in her chest.

Just then, the boy seemed to get distracted by something on the other side of the street. He didn't notice the light had turned red and suddenly darted into traffic.

"Watch out!" Evelyn shouted and, without thinking, lunged after him.

Screech—!

Tires shrieked and a crash followed. Chaos erupted outside the airport.

Evelyn lay sprawled on the ground, blood everywhere. The little boy had only minor scratches—she'd pushed him out of the car's path just in time.

"Master Ethan!" A bunch of men in black rushed from the airport, scooping the boy up with panicked voices.

"What happened here?"

A deep, commanding voice came from behind the crowd.

Alexander Hayes stepped out.

The tailored dark suit gave him a composed, commanding presence. His sharp jawline, straight nose, and—most strikingly—those cold, almost otherworldly eyes made him seem untouchable, like some divine figure set apart from the crowd.

The moment he showed up at the airport exit, the whole area was instantly cleared.

"Sir, Master Ethan was almost hit by a car just now. Luckily, that lady stepped in and pulled him away in time," the bodyguard who'd witnessed everything reported quickly.

Alexander frowned slightly. "How are you even watching him?"

If something had really happened to his son, he wouldn't be this calm. A few harsh words would've been the least of their worries.

"Apologies, sir," the bodyguard muttered, lowering his head in guilt.

Alexander didn't push it further. Now wasn't the time to settle scores. His gaze shifted briefly toward Evelyn, then turned to the person beside him. "Get her to the hospital now."

He had other urgent matters, so after giving the instruction, he turned to get into the nearby car.

But just as he was about to sit down, his son wriggled free from the guard's grasp, ran up to him, and tugged on his pant leg, eyes still locked in Evelyn's direction.

"Daddy, help!"

"Sir, Master Ethan... he just spoke!" the bodyguard exclaimed, shocked, eyes wide as he looked at the impeccably dressed man who'd just arrived like a force of nature.

Did they think he didn't hear it?

Alexander hadn't expected that, after all this time, the boy's first words would be that. His tone turned serious: "Find the best doctor for her. Make sure she pulls through."

"Yes, sir!" the bodyguard responded, and immediately moved to lift Evelyn from the ground.

But the little boy darted over and threw himself in front of her protectively. "Don't touch Mommy!"

Mommy...?

It was obvious to the guards that he had mistaken her for someone else. The guard crouched down and patiently tried to explain, "Master Ethan, you've got it wrong. She's not your mommy—just a nice lady who helped you out."

"She is my mommy! She is!" The boy's voice rose, eyes filled with stubborn insistence.

"Sir..." the bodyguard glanced awkwardly at Alexander, unsure what to do next.

Alexander's brows drew in slightly. He took long strides toward Evelyn, curious now. He wanted to see for himself what kind of woman could get his son to talk again after all this time.

He closed the distance in just a few steps.

From where he stood, his tall frame blocked most of the sunlight. There was an unfamiliar yet oddly familiar force to him—as though the air had shifted with his presence, heavy and intense.

He leaned down, eyes locked onto Evelyn.