Nadine

Nadine
Nadine
Six months later Just like I planned, I finally bought a penthouse in my name. Yeah, you heard that right—my name.
I don’t want to go back to that old apartment, it's filled with memories of Logan.
Those memories? I’ve happily flushed them out of my system. It feels so good to make my own choices. And, yes, I bought a car, too.
I’m not going to live in a penthouse and still take cabs everywhere. Just kidding, but seriously, I needed a fresh start.
And you know what else? I revamp my wardrobe. My closet is now stocked with the latest fashion and top designers.
Heads turn whenever I walk by, and honestly? I don’t care. I worked hard for this, and I’m not going to apologize for enjoying it.
The best part? My boy, Shawn, is finally starting school. I couldn’t be more thrilled.
Watching him grow, knowing that he’s happy and starting a new chapter of his life—it’s everything to me.
The flower shop has been doing great, but I still have those nightmares, the ones that leave me gasping for breath and my heart sinking.
It’s hard. I scream out in my dreams, but there’s no one there to console me. That part, I can’t seem to shake. But I get through it, day by day.
As for our arrangement with Shawn’s living situation, it’s working out just as planned.
Whenever Logan comes to pick him up, he stays in the car, and one of his bodyguards comes to the front door to get him.
I make sure to come down to check that everything’s fine. He rolls down the window just enough so I can see his profile, and then he rolls it back up like we’re strangers passing by.
That’s how it is now, civil for Shawn’s sake.
And as for Cara? I made myself clear to her. I told her to stay the hell away from my son.
I don’t want any of Logan’s girlfriends touching or playing with him. No one, especially not her, is going to cross that line.
She’s the woman Logan moved on with, just one month after my absence. How could he move on so quickly? Is he trying to make Cara play “mommy” to my son in my absence? I don’t understand.
"Hurry up, or we’ll be late; it's your first day of school," I say, rushing around to get everything ready.
"Okay, Mum," Shawn mutters as he shovels another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.
"Okay, I’m done," he says as he picks up his used plate and takes it to the kitchen.
I quickly grab my bag, ready to head out once I drop him off at school.
After that, I’ll head to the flower shop.
"Come on, Shawn," I call, looking at my boy. He's dressed impeccably in his white, immaculate school uniform, paired with navy blue shorts and a red tie. He looks so cute and chubby, nothing like his arrogant father.
We don’t talk much. We just exchanged greetings, and that’s it. No need for anything more. We head to the elevator, and I press the button to take us to the ground floor.
Once in the car, I settled Shawn in the back seat, placing his bag and lunch kit next to him. The drive to the school isn’t far, and in no time, we’re there.
As I stop the car, I get out and help Shawn with his bag, strapping it on his back while I hold his lunch kit. I take his hand in mine, but then something catches me off guard. He suddenly pulls his hand away.
I open my mouth, ready to say something, “What the h…” but then I catch a glare from another parent, so I just smile warmly instead. I look over to where Shawn has run off to, and my heart stops for a second.
I never expected to see him running straight to... Logan.
Logan and Shawn walk hand in hand, making their way back to me.
"Hi, Logan," I say quickly, scooting down to Shawn's level so I'm at the same height as him.
"Hey, look here, young man, you don’t run off like that next time. What if you bumped into something dangerous?" I scold gently.
"Daddy will save me," Shawn says with a cute, innocent face. That’s the thing—whenever he comes back from the weekend, it’s always “Daddy this, Daddy that.”
"Yeah, Dad is my superhero, isn’t that right, Dad?"
"Yes, buddy, I am," Logan says, flexing his muscles for Shawn. It’s the first time I heard him speak around me in the past month.
"See? Right, Daddy will save me."
"Whatever, Shawn," I mutter, turning to Logan and taking a good look at him.
He has a clean shave, his signature grey suit, grey pants, a white shirt underneath, and a tie. He looks good, as always. But I’m not here to admire him.
"Why are you here?" I ask, gathering the strength to speak to him.
"It’s my boy’s first day of school, and I wouldn’t miss it for anything," he says, hands stuffed in his pockets, his usual arrogance seeping through every word.
I rolled my eyes but didn’t respond immediately. "Okay, perfect. Since you're here, let’s go together to his class," I say, turning to walk, Shawn’s lunch kit hanging on my shoulder.
"Wait," Logan says, his voice commanding as always. I slowly turn back to look at him again.
"What?" I ask, furrowing my brows, my mind races with thoughts of Logan and everything else.
"I’d love for us to take a picture with him together," Logan says, his voice softer but still firm. "Though it’s fine if you don’t want to."
I look at him for a brief second, considering his request. There’s no harm in taking a picture—it might even be a way to show some civility for Shawn’s sake. So, I agree without saying much.
Before I can process it fully, a man steps closer to us, holding a camera in his hand.
Logan introduces us, but I immediately forget the man’s name. All I want is to get this over with, take the picture, and move on.
The photographer gives us a few poses, and as Logan and I adjust, we brush against each other lightly.
The brief contact makes my heart skip, and for a moment, everything inside me tightens with the familiar rush of emotions.
I feel Logan freeze, his eyes locking with mine, but he quickly looks away, regaining his composure.I can't entertain any feelings.
The sparks between us are always there, but I know better than to give in. I try to reassure myself, to push any lingering thoughts aside.
Then, Shawn points his little hand toward a direction, and Logan and I both turn to look.
The next words out of Shawn’s mouth make my stomach drop as if the ground should just open up and swallow me whole.