Heather scoffed. She didn’t even argue anymore. There was no point. She *knew* he wasn’t being serious. Not the way he claid to.
And as much as she wished she didn’t care either, a small, bitter part of her hated that he kept saying he did.
"Of course," she said coolly, her voice flat.
Caius didn’t flinch. His face didn’t change much—just the slightest shift of his jaw, like he was trying to hold back sothing.
Heather took that as her cue. "You just proved my point. I’m leaving."
"Heather, you can’t leave," he said, following as she moved toward the door. "You’ll go to jail. And I don’t want that. We could just—get married. No one has to lose anything. No one gets left behind."
She turned to him slowly, arms crossed. "It sounds a lot like you’re not listening to what I’m saying."
"I hear you perfectly." His voice remained even. "I’m just telling you that leaving? It’s not an option."
Heather let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "You think you can decide that for ?"
"I’m not stopping you," he replied. "We’ll just get married."
Her eyes went cold instantly. "I will not marry you, Caius."
"Why not?"
"Because I don’t want to." Her voice was hard, unwavering. "I don’t want to be in your life. I want nothing to do with you. And neither does Alex. You’ll stay away from us, or I will file a restraining order."
"You can’t keep my child away from ."
Her eyes narrowed. "You and I both know I can. And I will."
Then ca the words—quiet, deliberate.
"He’s not your child."
Caius’s face froze. "I did a DNA test," he said, voice tightening. "He’s mine. He’s my son too, Heather. Do you think I shouldn’t be furious that you kept him from ? That you lied to when I asked?"
Heather’s chest tightened. But she didn’t falter. "You have no right to be mad. You weren’t there. You weren’t around. You didn’t even want him."
His jaw clenched. His expression changed—anger thinning into guilt. He didn’t say anything.
She stepped closer, her voice lowering, steady and cold. "Now you want to pretend you forgot. How you told to terminate the pregnancy. How you told to get rid of him."
Caius stilled.
"You told to kill him," she said, words slicing through the silence.
"I don’t want to go over that again," he muttered.
"Well, I do," she snapped, and with that, she reached for the doorknob.
She limped out without waiting for his reply.
...
Heather pushed open the bedroom door. The room was quiet except for the soft hum of the iPad in Alex’s hands. He wasn’t asleep—just lying on the bed, earphones in, gaze distant.
When he noticed her, he sat up slowly. His smile was small, uncertain.
Heather’s heart cracked.
She bent down and touched his shoulder. "We need to leave. Now."
Alex blinked, brows knitting. "Why? I thought... Mr. Dad brought us here ’cause you two were back together."
She didn’t respond right away. Instead, she grabbed his coat and helped him into it, gently zipping it up.
Then she reached for his backpack, slinging it over her shoulder as she lifted him into her arms.
"We’re going ho."
"But..." Alex looked around, confused. "Aren’t we already ho?"
Heather kissed his forehead. "No. This isn’t ho."
She pushed the door open.
Caius stood right there, waiting in the hallway.
Heather didn’t slow her pace. She brushed past him like he didn’t exist.
"Heather," he called, following behind, "can we just talk? Like reasonable adults?"
She stopped, turned halfway. Her eyes flared.
"Oh. So now I’m unreasonable?"
"That’s not what I ant—"
She didn’t wait for an apology. She turned back and limped down the hall.
"Heather, please. Just stop. Let’s talk."
"I’ve been talking. You’re the one who hasn’t been listening."
"You can’t leave like this," he insisted. "It’s unethical."
She spun around, her patience burned down to its last thread.
"Caius, I don’t care. I’m leaving."
She turned to the door. Her hands were full—Alex in one arm, his bag in the other. She struggled for a mont, shifting her weight, trying to pull it open. The door gave way slowly, creaking open inch by inch.
She turned to him one last ti, expecting him to try again. To say more. Caius never let go that easily.
But he said nothing.
She opened the door fully now and paused.
Of course. He wasn’t letting her go.
"You’re serious?" she said, eyes wide with disgust. "You’re keeping hostage now?"
"I’m just trying to talk," he said, quietly.
Heather bent down and gently set Alex on his feet, handing him his backpack. Then she turned back to Caius, fire in her eyes.
"If you say the word talk one more ti, I swear to God, I will drive my broken heel down your throat. Try , Caius."
Caius didn’t say a word. But sothing in his face changed. He might have believed her.
And that was the thing about Heather—when she ant it, you knew.
"I’m not trying to fight you," he said after a beat. "I’m trying to fix this."
"You’ve been saying that, but we’re not fixing anything. We’re just going in circles. All you’ve said for the last three hours is marriage. I don’t want to marry you."
"Heather, it’s the only logical solution. If we don’t, you could lose custody. All of this—everything—can be solved with one signature."
"I don’t care about logic," she snapped. "You think I want to be chained to another one of your manipulative gas?"
Caius’s eyes flicked to Alex. "Look at him. Think about what’s best for him."
"Don’t you dare bring Alex into this."
"Because you know I’m right."
"No. What I know is I’ve been standing here for hours, and I still don’t understand what you want."
"I’ve been saying it," Caius said. "Marry . Be my wife."
She let out a breath of sheer disbelief. "I ant sothing sensible. Everything you’ve said so far has been deranged. Delusional, even."
She stepped toward the door again. "Tell your guards to let through."
"No."
Her head turned. "What did you say?"
"All you have to do is say yes. Sign the papers. And this ends."
She laughed, but it wasn’t amused. "You think I’m stupid, Caius? Do I look stupid?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You think I don’t know what this is? You’re trying to trap in another web of lies. But it’s not going to work."
"Why would I want to trap soone I love?"
"If you say the word love one more ti," she growled, "I’ll tear apart your precious office. Try ."
There was a light tug on her coat and Heather turned.
Alex was looking up at her, his small fingers clutching her tightly. His face had gone pale and his eyes were rolling back into his head.
"I don’t... feel so good," he whispered.
Then, before she could react—he staggered.
Heather caught him just in ti.
"Baby?" Her voice cracked as she crouched, hands on his face. "Alex, are you okay?"
His small hand lifted toward his head—and then he collapsed in her arms.
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