Chapter 9
Damien didn’t go to the office that day.
Instead, he parked outside the preschool bright and early.
He was waiting–waiting to see me drop Lucian off with a smile like always.
But from morning till evening, he waited all day.
And we never showed up.
When school let out, Dorian came sprinting out the gates,
his eyes immediately landing on Damien’s Rolls–Royce.
Just as he was about to hop in, enjoying the envy of his classmates like he used to,
Damien grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back.
“Where’s Lucian? Did you see him today?”
Dorian shot Damien a look of annoyance,
his tone dripping with contempt.
“Nope! Maybe he found out he’s just some mistress’s kid and got too scared to show his face.”
Isolde had just arrived and saw the standoff between the two of them.
A sinking feeling twisted in her gut.
The night before, she’d received two documents-
one was a termination notice,
the other was a formal letter from Damien’s attorney.
She’d thought she had Damien wrapped around her finger again.
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Chapter 6
But clearly, he’d already given his heart to me and Lucian.
He just didn’t want to admit it.
The school director, now aware of who Damien was,
had gone from surprised to outright disdainful.
Her words weren’t subtle:
“In all my years, I’ve never seen a man so desperate to play daddy to someone else’s kid.”
“Every parent–teacher night, the other kids teased Lucían about not having a dad.
I honestly thought his father had passed away.”
“His mom already filed the withdrawal paperwork.
Only thing left here are his award certificates.
He’s no longer in our system.”
Damien stood frozen by the school gates,
a thick stack of Lucian’s awards in his hands,
tears silently streaming down his face.
Only now did he realize-
he hadn’t just lost a brilliant wife.
He’d lost an extraordinary son too.
The next time I saw Damien was at Lucian’s art exhibition.
Over the past few years abroad,
I’d nurtured Lucian’s growing passion for painting.
Even though he was young,
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Chapter 6
he was already making a name for himself in art circles.
This time, he’d been invited to return to the States
for a charity auction featuring his own artwork.
He’d insisted that all proceeds go to children’s homes.
As soon as the bidding began,
every single one of Lucian’s pieces was bought up-
by the same anonymous bidder, at sky–high prices.
I had a feeling I knew who it was.
Sure enough, when the artist stepped forward to thank the buyer,
we saw Damien standing there.
He looked rougher than before-
his suit was wrinkled, his face unshaven,
but he was still painfully handsome.
He stared at us, stunned,
awkwardly accepting the bouquet Lucian handed him.
During the hug, I heard him whisper:
“I’m sorry, Lucian. I lost you.”
“Give me one more chance, okay?”
Lucian froze for a second,
then quickly stepped back and smiled politely.
“Thank you for your donation, sir.
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Chapter
I hope you’ll continue supporting causes like this-
helping more kids find their moms and dads.”
Damien’s eyes welled up again.
But no amount of tears could undo the past.
His absence had already left a scar in Lucian’s heart.
Even if Lucian eventually forgave him,
I wouldn’t–not that easily.
After the charity auction, Damien followed us back to our house overseas.
When the doorbell rang and I saw the guilty look in his eyes,
I wasn’t surprised.
He stood on the porch, looking straight at me.
“I never signed the divorce papers,” he said quietly.
“I know I messed up. I’ve thought about it a thousand times over.”
“I want my family back. Please… just give me a real chance to earn it.”
For once, I didn’t have anything to say.
But I still let him in.
I knew Lucian still cried for his dad sometimes-
he just hid it better now that he was older.
He never brought him up,
worried he’d hurt me if he did.
A month later, Damien rang the bell again.
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Chapter 9
“I’ve transferred all my business overseas,” he said.
“From now on, I’m going to be the kind of dad he deserves.”
Lucian and I looked at each other and smiled.
And I believed him.
I truly did.
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