Chapter 3 A New Reality

Mia Blake stepped out of the bustling New York City hospital, her heart racing. The weight of the world seemed to crush her chest with every step. She had spent hours beside Liam's bed in the sterile, cold room, holding his tiny hand, trying to keep her composure. But the moment Elias Blackthorne walked into her life again, everything had changed.

She hadn't expected to run into him-not like this, in this cold, antiseptic world of hospital gowns and beeping machines. But fate had a cruel way of toying with people, and now she was faced with a decision that would change the course of her life forever.

Elias had been silent for a moment after seeing Liam. His tall, imposing figure had been like a statue in the doorway, his icy eyes scanning the room with a look of disbelief.

"Mia?" Elias had finally spoken her name in a tone she hadn't heard in years-a mixture of shock, pain, and confusion. His gaze had flicked from her to Liam, and Mia had seen the flicker of recognition in his eyes. But it wasn't just recognition. It was a question. A who is this? and a why didn't you tell me?

The silence that followed had been suffocating. She didn't know what to say. What could she possibly say? "He's your son," felt too simple, too blunt, when so much had changed since then.

Now, as Mia stood on the crowded streets of the city, she couldn't shake the feeling of Elias' presence, even though he was no longer in the room with her. The air felt heavier, as though everything was suddenly more complicated than it had been before. She couldn't escape the past, not when Elias was back. And she certainly couldn't forget the look in his eyes when he had realized what she had kept from him all these years.

Her phone buzzed, cutting through her thoughts. It was a message from Elias, sent just moments before she'd left the hospital.

Elias: I need to see you. Can you meet me tomorrow?

Her fingers hovered over the screen. She knew she should ignore it. She should focus on Liam. She had spent years keeping this secret, dealing with it on her own. Why let Elias back into her life now?

But the words kept replaying in her mind: Can you meet me tomorrow? He wasn't just asking to see her. He was asking for something more. Something that Mia wasn't sure she was ready to give.

The next day arrived too soon.

Mia had hardly slept. Her mind had been a whirlwind of emotions, each one colliding with the next: anger, frustration, guilt. She had spent so many years alone with this secret, and now that Elias was back, she felt completely out of control. She wasn't sure what to expect when they met. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to see him again.

But when Elias walked into the suite where she and Liam were staying, Mia's breath caught in her throat. There was something about him-something that hadn't changed. His tall, broad frame, his piercing gaze that seemed to see through everything. Elias Blackthorne had always been an enigma, a man who was used to getting what he wanted. And now, it seemed like he wanted something from her.

"I didn't expect you to meet me here," he said, his voice deep and calm. "I thought you'd try to avoid me."

Mia shook her head. "I'm not avoiding you, Elias. I just... I didn't know how to handle all of this."

"I understand," he said softly. "I really do. But this isn't just about you and me anymore. It's about Liam. And I want to be involved. I want to make sure he has what he needs."

Mia swallowed, her throat tight. "What are you asking, Elias?"

He hesitated, his gaze flicking to the toy scattered across the floor, the pictures on the walls. His eyes softened, just for a moment. "I want to be his father. I want to be there for him, Mia. I need to know he's mine. For him. And for me."

Later that evening, in the quiet of her hotel room,

Mia couldn't sleep. She kept replaying Elias' words in her head, the way he had looked at her, the vulnerability in his voice. He wanted to be there for Liam. He wanted to be involved. But Mia couldn't shake the fear that Elias was still the man he had always been-cold, ruthless, driven by ambition. What if he wasn't really in this for Liam? What if he only wanted control?

She glanced over at Liam, who was peacefully asleep in his crib, his tiny chest rising and falling with each breath. She'd made so many sacrifices for him-sacrifices that Elias didn't know about. And now he was back, promising to help. But Mia had learned the hard way not to trust promises.

Her phone buzzed again, this time a message from Elias.

Elias: I've arranged for a private doctor to see Liam tomorrow. I want him to have the best care, Mia. You'll have a team ready to help you both.

Mia's fingers tightened around the phone. She hadn't asked for his help. She hadn't asked for any of this. But the truth was, she did need it. She couldn't afford to be stubborn. Not when it came to Liam.