Ezra glared at the long string of unanswered ssages he had sent to Evie, each one impassively marked as unread.
He had reached out multiple tis, genuinely wanting to know how she was doing, but it was clear she wanted nothing to do with him.
The fact that she seed to be done with him baffled him. They had a contract binding them, and she couldn’t just walk away without consequence; breaking that agreent would an paying a hefty fine.
He tried calling her, but every attempt went straight to voicemail. It felt like she had blocked him, and while annoyance crept in at her dismissive stance—cutting him off as if he were a re accessory she could toss away—he couldn’t deny a thread of amusent at her determination.
She was serious about this.
After a long stare at his phone screen, he typed out a new ssage: "Evie, can we et up?" His thumb hovered over the send button before he let it go, joining the rest of the unread ssages.
It was a strange, new feeling for him—desperation. He had never found himself in such a predicant before.
"Evie, I know you’re upset, and an apology doesn’t seem adequate. Just tell what I need to do because I don’t know too...I’m at a loss," he ssaged again, feeling foolish as it added to the growing list of unacknowledged texts.
He checked her profile, hoping to see any sign of her online. Nothing. She had removed that feature, making it impossible for him to know her status.
Then he saw it—an icy notice on the screen: "You’ve been blocked by this contact. You can no longer send any ssages." The bluntness of it struck him.
Ezra chuckled, the absurdity of the situation not lost on him. Here he was, unable to contact her when all he wanted was to talk and check in.
He lay back on his bed, phone pressed to his chest, taking a deep breath. Another sleepless night lood ahead. His peace had been stolen the mont Evie walked away, and now his life felt upended ever since Dawn had entered the picture.
The next morning, despite his lack of rest, Ezra prepared for work. A sharp knock at the door caught his attention.
"Co in," he called, curious but cautious. The knock was unlike Sam’s—it held a different tone.
As the door opened, his gaze locked onto blue eyes. He cursed ntally. What on earth was Dawn doing in his room this early?
She stepped in, carrying a tray of breakfast. The sll wafted through the air, yet instead of hunger, he felt a swell of nausea. He wanted the food gone.
Dawn placed the tray down and looked around. "This place looks almost exactly like I rember," she teased, her voice dripping with familiarity. Her eyes then t his in the mirror, and she approached him with an unsettling smile.
His jaw tightened. "Do you need to tie your tie, too?" she asked, flaunting a playful deanor.
"I’m perfectly capable," Ezra responded coldly, handling it himself.
"I know that. But I’m the best at knotting ties, rember?" she countered, her hand grazing his chest as she reached for the tie. He glared at her, intensity radiating from his gaze.
"I said no," he repeated, stepping back, maintaining his space.
"What’s your problem, Dawn?" he asked, his voice laced with contempt and irritation.
"Problem?" She blinked innocently, feigning confusion.
"Are you trying to assu the role of my wife now?" he muttered, the words tasting bitter on his tongue. It was a notion he couldn’t entertain.
Dawn chuckled, tilting her head with a taunting smile. "Would that be a bad idea?" she asked, scrutinizing him in a way that both provoked him and stirred emotions he thought were long dead.
No, he knew she had motives, and her intentions were suspect. She would not find an easy route back into his life—never again.
"Listen, woman," he said, his teeth clenched. "I would never marry you, even if you were the last woman on earth. Got it?" He advanced on her, his voice taut with intensity.
She simply stared back. "You’ve changed, Ezra," she murmured after a mont.
He glared at her, unyielding.
Dawn took a deep breath. "Anyway, I need to make sothing clear," she began, her tone steady.
Ezra inhaled sharply, his gaze locking onto her. "You’d better treat Noah right. He’s your son, after all," she asserted. "Even if you don’t treat well..."
"You think I’m irresponsible and wouldn’t take care of my own child?" He shot back, his voice cutting. "Do you think I’m the kind of man who neglects his son?"
"I don’t need you to tell how to be a father. I will fulfill my responsibilities," Ezra replied sharply.
Dawn smiled with satisfaction. "Good," she said, clapping her hands. "I’ll fulfill my role as his mother."
"That’s entirely your business," he responded, his tone laced with arrogance.
He turned on his heel and stord out of the room, with Dawn following closely behind. As they descended the stairs, Ezra’s attention shifted to Noah, who was waiting by the door, his backpack secured and wearing his uniform.
"Daddy!" the little boy bead, dashing toward him as Ezra reached the bottom of the stairs.
Noah nearly tripped on sothing on the floor, but Ezra was quick to catch him. The child blinked at his father as he was scooped up into the air. "Daddy’s my hero!" he exclaid.
A smile tugged at Ezra’s lips, his fierce deanor softening at the sound of his son’s words. "Don’t run around the house again, Noah. It’s dangerous," he admonished the boy, who nodded eagerly.
"Are you going to school?" Ezra asked, though he already knew the answer.
The boy nodded vigorously.
"Want to drop you off?" Ezra offered, and Noah nodded again, grinning.
"Okay, let’s go," Ezra said, and Noah’s face lit up at the thought of his dad driving him to school.
While they shared this mont, Dawn had already pulled out her phone, capturing their interactions, especially Ezra smiling at Noah. She thought about posting it later, wanting everyone to see that her family was now happy—and she knew Evie would notice.
Ezra noticed her taking pictures and gave her a questioning look. "It’s just for mories," Dawn replied with a smile, tucking her phone back into her pocket.
His gaze hardened, annoyance seeping into his deanor, as he carried Noah toward the door. "Do you want to pick up sothing for you when I get back from work?" he asked the little boy.
"Yes, Daddy! Noah loves ice cream!" the boy bead.
Ezra chuckled, "I’ll get you a big bowl. Are you going to finish it?"
"All of it!" Noah declared confidently.
After a beat of silence, he added, "Daddy, will you get ice cream for Mommy too?"
Ezra halted, his hand on the door handle, taking a mont to regain his composure. "No," he replied firmly.
"Huh? Why not? Mommy loves ice cream too," Noah said, a hint of disappointnt in his voice.
"Mommy’s too old for ice cream; it’s not good for her health. You don’t want anything to happen to her, do you?" Ezra asked, and the boy nodded solemnly.
"Good boy. So, it’s settled: I’ll only get you the biggest bowl of ice cream," he said as they reached the car. He gently set Noah down and strapped him in.
He walked to the driver’s seat, casting a glance back at Dawn, who was by the door, waving enthusiastically—her innocence was highly questionable in his eyes.
Ezra ignored her, sliding into his seat as the car pulled away.
He still didn’t trust Dawn. He had a feeling the truth was being distorted, and he was determined to conduct his own investigation. For now, he would step up as a father—because the situation demanded it.
***
"They look amazing!" Comnts flooded in on Dawn’s post. She had successfully taken over the internet with photos of herself, Ezra, and Noah.
"They’re such a perfect family!"
"Evie doesn’t stand a chance!"
Each picture was liked by thousands, and it was clear that people were firmly on her side.
This made her feel powerful. Every ti she read those comnts, a confident smirk crept onto her lips. Right now, as she sat on the couch, legs crossed and sipping her favorite orange juice, she embraced the role of the mistress of the house—especially now that Ezra wasn’t ho. She acted like she owned the place.
"I’m so glad that Dawn and Ezra are back together. Honestly, they shouldn’t have ever separated. Is fate telling us they’re ant to be?" one comnter wrote, and Dawn couldn’t help but beam.
Of course, it wasn’t fate; it was her determination that forced her into Ezra’s life. But why question it? She was making it happen, and that was all that mattered.
"Are you guys going to get married? You should absolutely make it official! I can’t wait!" soone exclaid, further igniting Dawn’s happiness.
"Who’s Evie, anyway? She can’t compare to our glorious queen Dawn."
"Evie must be the snake trying to co between Dawn and Ezra. Can’t you see how perfect they are as a couple? I bet she’s the one trying to drive a wedge between them."
"I never liked Evie; I always knew there was sothing off about her. Anyway, we’re thrilled you’re back, Dawn... we’re fully supporting you!"
Perfect. Dawn thought to herself, she was succeeding effortlessly. The internet was buzzing about her, Ezra, and their child Noah, while Evie languished in the shadows.
Oh, how she wished she could see Evie’s reaction to all of this...
She must be devastated, Dawn mused. This was a much-needed lesson for Evie—not to touch what belonged to Dawn. Because now that she was back in the picture, Ezra was hers and hers alone!
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