His Secret Son, Her Stolen Fortune

that

and sharp. My voice di

ed. Leo, a small, defiant copy of his father,

utting out. "Daddy said all the

I said, stepping forw

iteful little grin, he yanked it back. In the same m

ckening crack. The delicate balle

s scattered across the dark floor. A piece of her arm, a fr

I didn't register the child's cry of pain. I didn't see A

is own action and fallen, scraping his knee.

ntie Lottie pushed

Haven cried, ru

hind her. "Charlotte, how co

cene. Me on the floor, surrounded by broken p

the floor, a flicker of somethin

ld you not to let him touch her things." His voice was

ed my back for a second." She scooped Leo into her arm

ry. He's a kid, he didn't know." He tri

is voice placating. "I'll buy y

the words tearing at my t

sed. "Your mothe

picking up a tiny, sharp pie

have it fixed. I know the best restorers in

ou think that's the point? He broke it, Aiden. H

ou want me to do, Charlotte? He's fiv

m to say h

edge of rage creeping in. "Why are you being so d

g like poison. I looked him straig

tomatic. "He's not my son. We adopted him. I

arcasm. "And you, out of the goodness of your heart,

d his old trick, turning my suspicion back on me, making me the villain. "A

te, Aiden loves you. He would never do such a thing. We took

nce, their lies a suffocating blanket. I felt a wave of nausea so st

acing them one by one into my cupped hands. Each sharp edge was a fresh pain, a reminder of a memor

at him, a faint, cold smile on my lips. "Thank you for t

radling the s

've given me," I said softly, my ey

ving him standing there amids

ep in my bones, that I was leaving this

back together. It was a futile effort. The cracks were visible, ugly scar

knocking. She didn't have her usual fragile, depe

r voice devoid of any warmth. "I want you