I Walked Away With His Love Child

Chapter 5

I twisted his ear and said coldly, "Did you forget what the dentist said? You've got cavities, and you're still sneaking sweets?"

My son winced in pain, his eyes watering. Fiona immediately jumped in with a self-righteous tone. "So what if he wants a treat? Who are you to stop him?"

I shot her a cool glance. "I'm his mother. Why wouldn't I?"

Fiona froze. It was only then that she registered what my son had called me. Her eyes flicked between the two of us, her face paling slightly.

I let go, and my son instantly wrapped his arms around me, trying to charm his way out. "Mom, I only had a little. I won't get cavities again."

His cream-smeared face pressed against my clothes. I pushed him back with a sigh. "Just wait until your dad hears about this. Let's see what he has to say."

Our son's in the middle of losing his baby teeth, and his sweet tooth is relentless. Lachlan always caves, especially when our son puts on those puppy-dog eyes. But this time, Lachlan had to rush back to work mid-vacation, and I wasn't about to play the lenient parent.

I kept my expression stern, but my son clung to my leg like a koala, sniffling, "Mom, I won't do it again, I promise."

The lobby manager, who'd been standing stiffly to the side, finally found his voice. "You… you're Mr. Lowe's wife?"

I nodded without emotion. "Yes."

He wiped the sweat from his brow and forced a nervous smile. "We're terribly sorry. Would you and the young master like to head upstairs to freshen up?"

Glancing down at the mess of frosting on both of us, I was just about to follow when someone grabbed my wrist.

I turned, and saw Gideon.

His mouth opened, but the words seemed to catch in his throat. "You're married? And… you have a kid?"

I gently pulled my arm free. "Yes. Got married right after graduation."

Lachlan and I met through photography. He'd taken a nasty fall during a shoot abroad, in a remote area with no signal. I was the one who climbed down and pulled him out. While we waited for rescue, he found my old portfolio and started flipping through it. We ended up talking about everything, life, art, books. By the time we got back home, we were inseparable.

To my surprise, his family never cared about my background. I still remember the way Lachlan looked at me and said, "Adeline, your heart and your strength, those are what made me choose you."

Back then, I thought the pain from my past with Gideon had ruined me for love. But Lachlan taught me that love isn't just about giving, it's about being seen, being chosen back.

All that old heartbreak? It felt like a story that happened to someone else.

My son tugged at my hand, his voice sweet and hopeful. "Mom, can we go find Dad now? I wanna play with him."

But Gideon wouldn't budge. His grip tightened slightly, and his gaze locked onto me, intense and unrelenting. "Stop messing around. You told me you'd only ever love me in this lifetime."

My brows furrowed, but before I could speak, a familiar male voice cut through the tension.

"Did she now?"

All heads turned.

"Mr. Lowe! Director Lowe! Boss!" came the chorus of greetings.

I turned to see Lachlan walking toward us, tall and composed, taking my hand in his like he always did, steady, certain. He looked at Gideon, eyes cool.

"This your ex?"

Before Gideon could answer, I rushed to clarify, knowing Lachlan's jealousy had a hair-trigger. "We dated briefly. We were young. Just a month. I haven't spoken to him in over ten years."

Gideon stood there, unmoving, his eyes burning into me. "Don't lie to yourself, Adeline. You said you'd love me forever."

Lachlan didn't even blink. He pulled me slightly closer and said in a low, firm voice, "Funny. Because forever's right here."