Chapter 10

The late afternoon sun poured through the towering windows of Magnus Ashford's office, casting golden rays across the sleek black desk where he leaned back in his chair. Across from him sat Mark Williams, his oldest friend, a man whose recent life choices were finally veering toward redemption.

"Nelly finally agreed to joint custody," Mark said, his tone laced with cautious relief. "Took me three years to get here, but I did it. No more drinking, no more messing up. I’m done with all that—for the kids’ sake."

Magnus gave a small nod, masking his own storm of emotions behind a calm exterior. "That’s good, Mark. Just don’t let them down again. They deserve better."

Mark’s eyes gleamed with determination. "You think I’d throw this chance away? No way. I’ve fought too hard to get here. I’m even planning on moving to a bigger place so they’ll have more space when they visit."

Magnus mustered a faint smile in response, though his mind was elsewhere. Three days had passed since he last saw Vivienne.

Her name alone sent a sharp pang through his chest. He could still see her face—those piercing brown eyes filled with loathing as they bore into him. The disdain in her glare was impossible to miss, and he knew he deserved every bit of it.

But Vivienne Marlowe had changed. Time had sculpted her into something even more extraordinary than he remembered. Her new shoulder-length hair framed her heart-shaped face perfectly, softening her sharp features in a way that made her seem otherworldly. Vivienne had always been stunning, but now she carried herself with an air of quiet strength that only made her more captivating.

"You’re zoning out, man," Mark said, snapping him back to reality.

Magnus sighed, dragging a hand through his dark hair. "It’s Vivienne," he admitted, his voice low. "She’s back. And she’s... she’s Grandma Selena’s doctor."

Mark’s eyebrows shot up. "Wait, Vivienne? The Vivienne? She became a doctor?"

"Yeah," Magnus said, allowing a fleeting smile to cross his lips. "She’s brilliant. But she hates me, Mark. I tried to talk to her, and she shut me down. Completely."

Mark leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "Magnus, what did you expect? You put her through hell. You think she was going to roll out the red carpet for you? You’re lucky she didn’t throw something at you."

"I know," Magnus muttered, the weight of his guilt settling heavily on his shoulders. "I just... I don’t know how to fix it. Or if I even can."

Mark shook his head, offering a rare moment of sincerity. "You can’t fix this overnight, man. You’re asking me for advice? The guy who took three years to convince Nelly I was worth a damn? Start with honesty. And patience. A lot of patience."

Patience wasn’t Magnus’s strong suit, but he knew Mark was right.

The rest of the day passed in a haze. Magnus replayed every moment of his brief encounter with Vivienne—the way she stood, shoulders squared, her confidence unshakable, as she told him to leave her office. She was no longer the woman he had once known.

Later that evening, Magnus made his way to the hospital to visit Selena. The seizure had left her unconscious, and she hadn’t woken up in three days. The sight of her frail form hooked up to countless machines was a harsh reminder of how much he stood to lose.

"Good evening, Grandma," Magnus murmured, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead.

The rhythmic beeping of the machines was the only response. He settled into the chair beside her bed, his hand gripping hers as he pulled out his phone.

"Daniel," he said when his secretary answered. "Any news?"

"Yes, sir," Daniel replied, his voice steady. "Vivienne has two children—a boy and a girl."

Magnus froze, his breath catching. Children?

"And the father?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

"Unknown," Daniel said. "But there’s something else. The twins... they look just like you, sir."

Magnus’s world tilted. His mind raced as he processed Daniel’s words. Could they really be his?

"Where did you see them?" he demanded.

"At their kindergarten. I followed them after Vivienne left the hospital earlier today," Daniel replied.

Magnus’s chest tightened. If the twins were his, that meant Vivienne had kept them from him for years.

"Send me the address," Magnus ordered, ending the call abruptly.

Moments later, Daniel’s message came through. Magnus stared at the address on his phone, a mixture of dread and determination filling him. Without a word, he kissed Selena’s forehead and left the hospital, his mind racing.

The drive to the kindergarten was a blur. Magnus’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his heart pounding with every passing second. When he arrived, the sight of the playground stopped him in his tracks.

Laughter and shouts filled the air as children ran across the grass. And then he saw them.

A boy and a girl, running hand in hand, their faces lit up with identical grins. Magnus felt the air leave his lungs as he took them in. They were the spitting image of him—down to the sharp jawline and piercing blue eyes. But there were traces of Vivienne too, in their button noses and soft, dimpled smiles.

"Excuse me, sir," a voice said, pulling Magnus from his thoughts. He turned to see a teacher watching him warily. "Can I help you?"

Magnus realized he had been staring too long. He cleared his throat, forcing himself to remain calm.

"No," he said quickly. "I was just passing by."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, his mind in chaos.

If the twins were his, Vivienne had hidden them from him. But why? Had she done it out of spite? Or had she truly believed he didn’t deserve to know?

As Magnus drove away, his jaw clenched with determination, which make one thing was clear: he needed answers. And he wasn’t leaving until he got them.