For a moment, Willow was overwhelmed with emotion. It took her a while to find her voice.

    When she finally spoke, it was hoarse. “I’ve been back for a few days. Julian and I are divorced now

    You don’t have to call me ‘Mrs. Ziegler‘ anymore

    Jesse looked a little sad but still smiled with warmth. “If you get a chance, bring Ms. Harper over for a meal. We’ll make something she loves.”

    Willow’s eyes welled up. She nodded with a quiet hum.

    The household staff here had all been with her since Grandview Manor. They had been through years together–there was no way she didn’t feel a bond with them.

    After exchanging a few words, she followed Jesse upstairs.

    The master bedroom was still and quiet. Julian carefully ced Landon on the bed and took off his jacket.

    Beneath it, he wore a white T–shirt with a yellow duck print, which made his pale cheeks look even softer and more delicate. He looked like the picture of innocence.

    He turned onto his side, nestled into the familiar scent around him, and drifted off to sleep. His body curled into itself, a posture that resembled that of a newborn.

    Willow sat beside him. She reached out to gently brush her fingers across his forehead.

    Her heart was filled with the joy of having him back. Yet in that joy, there was fear–fear that it was all just a dream. That she would wake up, tears soaking her pillow, and Landon wouldn’t be there.

    Tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes, eventually spilling down her cheeks. She didn’t care about looking disheveled or falling apart.

    This was her son–her Landon. The boy she had nearly gone blind from crying over.

    She tried so hard to keep her emotions in check. Slowly, she leaned forward, burying her face into his soft belly through the nket.

    His body still held that sweet, milky scent unique to young children. He was so tender, so delicate. He must have suffered so much growing up.

    Willow closed her eyes tightly. She didn’t want to imagine it, but her mind couldn’t help it.

    Julian reached out, almost putting an arm around her shoulders. But at thest second, he let his hand fall away.

    He quietly turned and left the room, heading for the study.

    Outside, the September sun zed bright, but inside him, everything felt barren and cold.

    Just moments ago, all he had wanted was to hold her. She had looked so broken, so in need offort.

    Julian nced at his right arm, and his dark eyes dimmed with a flicker of despair.

    He wasn’t the man he used to be. A man half–crippled, who, even in bed, would need the woman to take the lead.

    The sky grew darker.

    Golden light from the setting sun poured through the floor–to–ceiling windows, casting the room in warm orange light that burned like fire.

    Julian stood by the window in silence. He wore a crisp white dress shirt tucked into ck trousers, a lightweight ck coat draped over his shoulders. Bathed in the warm glow, his features looked sharper, colder, touched by the severe lines of solitude.

    There was a knock on the door outside the study.

    Julian knew it was Willow. His voice was raspy as he said, “Come in.”

    As the door creaked open, he stubbed out the cigarette between his fingers and cracked a window for air.

    “Landon’s still asleep, right?” he asked quietly.

    Willow gave him a small nod.

    She walked over to the couch and sat down. Even now, her legs still felt like jelly.

    Willow had just sat down when her eyesnded on a photo on the coffee table. The person in the picture looked familiar.

    It took her a moment to remember–she had seen her at the restaurant earlier that day, her name

    was Sacha.

    She looked at the photo for a little longer.

    Noticing her lingering gaze, Julian’s expression grew more intense, his voice low as he asked, ” Does it bother byou/b?”

    Willow lowered her gaze, her voice growing colder ‘You’re overthinking this.

    Julian slowly walked back to his desk and sat down clearly disturbed, he pulled a cigarette from his pocket, holding it between his fingers.

    He knew what Willow was about to ask, so he decided to exin without her needing to voice it. As he spoke, his brow furrowed, shadows darkening expression

    “When Landon was born, his entire body was bruised. He could hardly breathe. The doctors said there was only a one percent chance he would survive.

    “They urged me to let him go, to let him pass in peace. But I couldn’t, I couldn’t give up on him. I knew it was selfish, even cruel, but Landon is our flesh and blood.

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    “If there was even the slightest chance… I wasn’t going to give up.

    “But I was afraid I was going to break you. I gave you hope, made you suffer day and night, only to have it all end in heartbreak.”

    Julian’s voice caught in his throat, and for a moment, he couldn’t continue. He couldn’t keep the

    emotions inside.

    Finally, he put the cigarette to his lips, lit it, and took a deep drag. The smoke curled around him, clouding his sharp features and adding to the heaviness in the room.