Nadine

Nadine
Nadine
Where was my son when Logan called me?
Because right now, just as I suspected, that call—the one we had just moments before—led to this damn accident.
"Mummy… that was you, right?" Shawn’s small voice breaks through my thoughts.
I freeze.
How do I tell my son that I was the last person his father spoke to before he stormed out in anger and got into that crash?
"Dad was hurt," Shawn continues, his voice barely above a whisper.
"The person on the phone… They said mean things to him. It made him upset."
My mouth parts to say something—anything—but the words won’t come.
A sudden cough startles me. My head snaps up just as Shawn turns and runs off. My eyes land on the intruder.
"Richie," I say, skipping any form of greeting. "Did you know Logan is in the hospital?"
His brows knit together, clearly caught off guard. "What? No. He should be here with Shawn. He never leaves the house on weekends because of his son."
Except yesterday.
"He went to the restaurant," Richie adds. "To meet a client."
A client.
The moment he says it, my breath catches, and my mind pieces it together.
He was at the restaurant yesterday. Watching me. Making me uncomfortable in a way I couldn’t quite place.
And then—he came to my penthouse.
And the call today…
Oh my God.
He thought we had made progress. He thought something had changed between us after what happened yesterday.
The kiss.
I gasp, my hand flying to my mouth. That wasn’t a dream. It was real.
"Are you okay?" Richie’s voice pulls me back to reality.
I’m about to respond when movement catches my eye.
Cara.
Richie follows my gaze, and the moment he sees her, the cold expression he wore just seconds ago melts away like ice under the sun.
Cara smiles too, her cheeks flushing pink. "Hello, Nadine," she says, though her eyes remain locked on Richie.
"Come here, babe," Richie says, stretching out his hand toward her.
Babe?
My mind stumbles. Wait— I thought…
You know what? Never mind.
Richie pulls Cara close, and in an instant, they’re lost in their world—laughing, whispering, kissing. Cara giggles like a schoolgirl.
Oh my God.
All this time, I thought Logan was having an affair. I accused him. I doubted him.
And yet, it was Richie who had been keeping secrets.
"Nadine?" Richie’s voice breaks through my daze, his eyes filled with concern.
I stare at him, my mind spinning from everything unfolding before me.
"This is my fiancée, Cara," Richie announces with a proud smile. "We're getting married next month. You should come."
I force a nod. "Okay… but as much as I'd love to continue with the chit-chat, Logan is in the hospital right now."
I pause, watching Richie’s expression shift. "So much for him never going out on weekends because of Shawn."
Richie’s brows furrow. "What? Logan’s in the hospital?"
"Yeah," I sigh. "I thought Shawn would be alone, which is why I came."
"Thanks for letting me know, Nadine." His voice is tight with worry. "I’ll call his family."
With that, he turns and walks away, but not before planting a kiss on Cara’s lips.
And now, it’s just me and her.
The moment stretches into an awkward silence.
I’m already exhausted, my legs aching from everything that’s happened today. Without a word, I make my way to the lounge and sink into a chair.
To my surprise, Cara follows, sitting just a few feet away.
"You know…" she starts, her voice hesitant. "He regrets it every day."
I glance at her, confused. "What?"
"He regrets ever going to that club that night." She pauses, watching me closely. "He was in a really bad place. He didn’t have a clue where you were. He was drinking… and I was just there."
My breath catches.
"I helped him up when he could barely stand. That’s when the paparazzi took that photo of us together."
I stare at her. Is she serious?
I search her face, trying to find any trace of a lie. But I found none.
All this time…
All this time, I was furious at Logan, thinking he had moved on without me. Thinking he was with her.
But he wasn’t.
My heart clenches, the weight of my assumptions pressing down on me.
I want to break.
But I refuse to show weakness in front of Cara.
"Thanks for your time," I mutter, abruptly standing up.
Without another word, I walk away, my only thought now on finding Shawn.
Tears gather in my eyes, but I refuse to let them spill. I have to be strong—for Logan, for Shawn. And now that Shawn seems to suspect I had something to do with his father storming out in anger, I can’t afford to break down.
"Pack your things," I say softly. "Daddy won’t be coming home anytime soon, okay?"
Shawn nods, his little face filled with unspoken questions. I can’t bring myself to answer them.
I make my way to his room, but as I pass by on my own, I hesitate. A part of me wants to step inside, to see if Logan has changed anything since I left. But my heart is too fragile to handle whatever I might find. So, I keep walking.
He’s still in the mafia.
The thought slams into me like a warning, a reminder of what I saw in the hall when chaos erupted. I squeeze my eyes shut, willing the memories away.
Then, my phone rings.
The sharp sound snaps me out of my thoughts.
I fish it out of my pocket and glance at the screen. Unknown number.
With a deep breath, I swipe to answer.
The moment I hear the voice on the other end, my heart stops completely.