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    “We need to talk,” Esther said the moment she stepped into Alex’s office, her voice tight and serious.

    Alex looked up from hisptop, brows drawn together.

    “Mom?”

    “Stop whatever you’re doing, Alexander. We need to talk.”

    He sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Mom, I’m sure this can wait. I have an important meeting in the next thirty minutes.”

    “Your meeting can wait, but this can’t.”

    The tone in her voice made him pause. She wasn’t dramatic by nature, Esther ckwell won’t just barge into her son’s office for no reason.

    Alex’s fingers stilled on theptop keys. He closed the lid slowly, his eyes narrowing at her.

    “Alright,” he said, leaning forward, elbows resting on his desk. “What is it, Mom?”

    Esther started pacing the room, her hands wringing together. She looked nervous, almost guilty, and that only made Alex nervous and worried.

    “Firstly, I’m sorry for not telling you sooner, son,” she said quietly.

    Alex frowned deepens, confusion written all over his face. “Mom, what’s going on?”

    Esther stopped pacing, turned to look at him, and took in a deep breath. Her heart was hammering in her chest. “You… you have a son.”

    He just stared at her, nk, his mind not catching up with her words. He waited for the part where she smiled, where she said she was joking, or maybe told him she was teasing him. But she didn’t.

    Her face was dead serious.

    He must have heard wrong

    “What do you mean I have a son?” Alex asked, his voice low and guarded “Mom, I have important things to –“He shook his head, trying to wave her off, unwilling to engage with the ridiculous things she’s saying.

    He didn’t have time for this.

    “I’m serious, Alex.”

    “You don’t make sense, Mom. Have a son from where? With who-”

    “Mia,” she cut in softly. “Mia Turner has a son for you.”

    The name hit him like a punch to the gut.

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    Alex’s chest tightened instantly. His throat dried out. He stared at his mother like she had just spoken in anothernguage.

    The sound of that name was always enough to shake him.

    He didn’t move. He didn’t blink. His face had gonepletely nk, but his heart was racing.

    “Alex,” Esther whispered when she saw him still frozen, his eyes locked on hers but not really seeing her.

    He blinked finally, shaking his head. “Mom, what kind of a jok—”

    “Do you really think I’ll leave my office at this time of the day just to tell a joke? Toe all the way up here to tell a joke? Do you?” Her voice broke slightly, but it was firm.

    He swallowed hard, staring at her like he didn’t recognize her. “What are you saying, Mom?” he asked, but Esther noticed it…that small shake in his voice. That slip of emotions he wasn’t able to control.

    For a second, she wanted to reach out, to hug him like she used to when he was a little boy.

    “Mia Turner has a son for you, Alex. His name is Aiden. He’s three.”

    Alex’s lips parted. His body stiffened even more. “Three?” he repeated hoarsely. “Mom-”

    “Will be four in a few months,” Esther added softly.

    He opened his mouth to argue, to tell her the math was wrong, the timeline didn’t add up, that this was impossible. But the words never came. His throat shut down. His mind scrambled, searching for a way out of the truth crashing over him.

    He shot up from his chair abruptly, the sound of it scraping against the floor. He let out a dry, shakyugh, a sound that didn’t sound like him.

    Alex was always in control of emotions, always…

    “Mom.”

    “I know it’s a lot to take in. I’m sorry, baby-”

    “Mom, stop, just stop.” He chuckled again, but it wasn’t amused. It was broken. He stared at her like she was betraying him somehow. His hands went into his hair, tugging slightly.

    “What’s going on, Mom?” he asked again, quieter this time. His voice was almost unrecognizable, like he didn’t even know how to use it anymore.

    Esther stepped closer, she walked to him slowly, took his hand firmly in hers.

    He didn’t pull away, even though his whole body was trembling. She tugged gently, leading him away from

    the desk.

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    She sat him down on the sofa in the officeb, /bthen sat beside him.

    “About two weeks ago,” she started, “Mia Turner came for an interview in my department.”

    Alex’s head snapped towards her. His eyes were sharp, disbelief etched on his face.

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    “I wanted to tell you immediately,” Esther said quickly. “But I was… I was curious. I wanted to know why she was here. And I realized…” she shook her head, almostughing bitterly at herself, “she didn’t even know you owned thepany. She had no idea.”

    Alex sat there, stiff, staring at her

    “Then she mentioned her son,” Esther went on. “And I… I got more curious, even suspicious. The way she talked about Willowcrest… The timing of her son’s age….So I kept her around. I had to know more.”

    Alex stood again, unable to sit still. He rubbed his face hard with both hands, then dragged them down. His chest was heaving.

    “Mia was here,” he said, his voice sharp. “Mia was here in mypany? And you….Mom yo- what the fuck?”

    “The Mia you have have been mentioning-” he couldn’tplete his sentence, it was ridiculous, everything was ridiculous.

    “Yes”

    Alex shook his head

    “Look,” Esther said firmly, standing too. “I didn’t tell you because I feared you’d fire her before I could find out the truth.”

    “I had to know,” she pressed. “I had to find out if the boy was yours. So I kept her close. I did my digging. And Alex-” her voice broke as tears welled in her eyes, “he is yours.”

    Alex’s hands fell limp at his sides. He turned away from her, his chest rising and falling like he couldn’t get enough air.

    “He is yours, baby,” Esther whispered, smiling through her tears now. “He has your eyes, your smile, your nose, even your lips…he’s yours baby.”

    Alex’sugh was sharp, bitter, strangled. He couldn’t believe this. Couldn’t process it. He turned his back to her, running a hand through his hair again.

    And then-

    A sudden knock at the door cut through the thick air around them

    Both of them turned.

    It was Alex’s secretary, standing nervously at the door.

    “There’s ady downstairs demanding for you, sir.”

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    “Whatdy? Shut my door Andi”

    “Sir,” the secretary said quickly, “Sir Jullian called the ground floor earlier. He asked them to notify you if ady came in here with a young boy and asked to see you.”

    Alex’s eyes narrowed. “Does she have an appoint-”

    “I think it’s them,” Esther cut in suddenly, her eyes wide.

    Alex turned to her sharply. “Who?”

    “Mia,” Esther whispered, her voice trembling. “Mia and your son.”