Chapter 4 Confessions And Contracts

The sun hadn't even risen, but Mia was already wide awake. She stood in the dim kitchen of the penthouse suite, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, a cup of untouched coffee in her hands. The events of the last 48 hours kept playing in her mind like a film reel she couldn't shut off.

She could still hear Elias's voice from yesterday:

"I want to be part of his life, Mia. You owe me that."

The audacity of those words had burned in her chest all night.

She didn't owe him anything-not after what he did, or rather what he didn't do. But for Liam's sake, she had listened. For Liam, she had signed the damn documents giving Elias shared medical authority. But now the reality was setting in: she had invited a man who once broke her heart-and abandoned her unborn child-back into their lives.

"Mommy?" a sleepy voice called from behind her.

She turned to see Liam rubbing his eyes, dragging his blanket behind him. He was still so small. Fragile. His immune system had taken a hit from the rare condition that doctors were still trying to fully understand. That was the only reason she had agreed to Elias's help-his resources could mean life or death for their child.

"Hey, baby," Mia whispered, crouching to wrap her arms around him.

He hugged her back tightly, his cheek pressing into her shoulder. "You didn't sleep again."

Mia forced a smile. "Mommies don't need much sleep. It's a superpower."

Liam giggled, but it faded quickly. "Will that man come again today?"

Mia's heart thudded in her chest. "Elias? Yes... probably."

Liam hesitated. "He looks like me."

Mia blinked, shocked by the simple observation. Liam wasn't wrong. His thick lashes, those stormy gray eyes-they were all Elias.

"Yeah, he does," Mia murmured, running her fingers through Liam's dark curls. "He's your dad."

Liam's lips puckered. "So... why didn't he come before?"

She froze. There it was. The question she had been dreading for six years.

"It's... complicated," she replied. "But he's here now. And I promise, no matter what happens, Mommy's not going anywhere. Ever."

Liam nodded, though the answer didn't satisfy his growing curiosity. He was starting to ask more questions lately. She didn't know how much longer she could protect him from the truth.

Later that day, Elias arrived-uninvited but expected.

He came dressed in a dark navy suit, his presence as commanding as ever. But when he saw Mia and Liam together on the couch, something softened in his expression. She watched his jaw unclench, his shoulders drop. He wasn't just a businessman today. He was a father.

"Hey," he greeted quietly.

"Hey," Mia replied, her tone clipped.

"Hi," Liam said, sitting up straighter. "Are you a superhero too?"

Elias blinked, then smiled. "I don't think so. But I guess I could be, if I tried."

Mia arched an eyebrow at the charm oozing off Elias like an expensive cologne. He could talk his way out of anything-and into anything. That had been part of the problem.

"I brought something," Elias said, stepping forward with a small wrapped box.

Liam's eyes lit up. "For me?"

Mia opened her mouth to object, but Liam was already ripping the paper off. Inside was a handheld gaming console, the latest one.

Liam gasped. "Whoa! Mommy, can I keep it?"

Mia hesitated. "It's a lot-"

"It's just a gift," Elias cut in. "He deserves a little joy right now."

She bit her tongue. This wasn't the time for a fight. But she wouldn't let Elias buy his way into Liam's heart. She would not allow that.

After Liam fell asleep for his afternoon nap, Elias asked if they could talk. Mia agreed, reluctantly.

They moved to the balcony, where the cold breeze bit at her exposed arms. Elias stood close, but not too close.

"You're mad," he said after a moment.

Mia scoffed. "Mad? Try furious."

"I didn't know," he said quietly. "You have to believe that."

Her laugh was bitter. "Do I? Because I wanted to tell you. I nearly did a hundred times. But you were gone, Elias. Gone without a word. I was pregnant and scared, and you disappeared."

"I got that contract in Singapore. I thought you understood."

"No," she snapped, "You left. That's what you did. You chose your career over everything else. You cut ties."

"I was young," Elias replied, voice low. "And selfish. But that's not who I am anymore."

"Isn't it?" she shot back. "Because from where I'm standing, the man who walked in yesterday is still trying to take control."

Elias stepped closer now, his gaze searching hers. "I'm trying to fix things, Mia. I want to be a father. That's all."

She turned away, blinking back tears. "And if Liam gets better? You'll stay? You won't just disappear again?"

"I swear, I'm here for the long haul."

"Swear it to him," Mia said, her voice trembling. "Not me."

The next few days passed in a blur of doctor visits, medical decisions, and emotional landmines.

Elias proved useful-frustratingly so. He secured top pediatric specialists, donated anonymously to the hospital's research fund, and even began spending real time with Liam. Reading stories. Playing games. Laughing.

Mia hated how easily he was slipping into their world. She hated how Liam was starting to smile more, laugh louder. She should be happy-but all she felt was dread. Because the last time she let Elias in, she was the one left broken.

On Friday morning, she found another legal document on the kitchen counter. Elias had left it there after stopping by early to check on Liam.

She picked it up and scanned the pages: a trust fund agreement in Liam's name. Millions. No conditions. Just his name and Elias's signature at the bottom.

"What the hell?" she muttered.

When Elias returned that afternoon, she was ready.

"This is too much," she said, holding out the paper.

"It's not about you," he replied calmly. "It's for him. If anything happens to me, I want him protected. No strings."

"You keep saying that," Mia said. "But there's always strings."

Elias sighed. "You think I'm trying to own you. I'm not. I'm trying to show you I've changed."

"You think money fixes everything. It doesn't."

"I know that now," he said. "But don't punish him for my mistakes."

She wanted to scream. Cry. Hit something. But instead, she sat down and did the one thing she never thought she'd do.

She reached for a pen and signed the trust.

For Liam.

Not for Elias.

Never for Elias.

That night, Mia sat on the couch alone while Liam slept in the next room. She stared at the TV, not really watching, her thoughts circling back to Elias's face. His smile when Liam had made a joke. The way he had knelt beside Liam's hospital bed and whispered, "I'll always be here, kiddo."

And that was the problem.

Part of her wanted to believe him.

That terrified her more than anything.