99. The Movie Night

99. The Movie Night
Alina's Pov
As I opened the door to the penthouse, Thea stood there with a huge grin, her arms loaded with bags of snacks and a couple of DVDs. It had been way too long since we'd had one of our legendary sleepovers. "Thea! You made it!" I exclaimed, giving her a tight hug.
"Of course I did! Wouldn't miss it for the world," she replied, squeezing me back. "Where's my little man?"
"Asher! Aunt Thea's here!" I called out. Within seconds, a blur of curly hair and infectious energy came barreling towards us. Asher threw himself into Thea's arms, giggling wildly as she lifted him off the ground.
"I've missed you so much, buddy!" Thea said, spinning him around. Asher squealed with delight, his laughter filling the room.
"We've missed you too," I said softly, watching them with a smile. After settling in and catching up a bit, we gathered on the couch with a mountain of popcorn between us. Asher sat between Thea and me, his eyes wide with excitement as he looked at the stack of movies on the coffee table.
"Okay, little man," Thea said, ruffling his hair. "Which one do you want to watch first?" He pointed decisively at the animated superhero movie.
"This one!"
"Good choice," I said, popping the DVD into the player. As the movie started, Thea leaned back, her arm draped over the back of the couch.
"I can't tell you how much I've missed this," she said, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness.
"I know," I replied, reaching for her hand. "We miss you too. It's just been so crazy with everything."
"I get it," she sighed. "But I wish you guys could move back. It's just not the same without you two around." I squeezed her hand, understanding the depth of her feelings.
"Believe me, if we could, we would. But for now, we'll make the most of these moments." We settled into a comfortable silence, the familiar sounds of the movie playing in the background. Asher's attention was glued to the screen, his little face lighting up with every heroic moment. Thea turned to me, her eyes soft.
"He's growing up so fast. I feel like I'm missing everything."
"You're not," I assured her. "You're still a huge part of his life. And we're here now, right?"
"Yeah," she smiled. "And tonight, it's all about us." As the movie marathon continued, we laughed and talked, sharing stories and memories. Asher eventually fell asleep, curled up between us with a contented smile on his face. The movie finally came to and end and Thea shifted to face me.
“Elliot told me what happened.”
“Oh,” I felt a little guilty about discussing this. “What did he say?”
“It was clear you melted under Theodore Maxwell's charms.”
“I…” I calculated what to say. “I don't know what's been happening. It's a little too soon but… he’s changed.” My eyes fell on my sleeping baby, “and I'm just doing this for Asher,” I spoke combing his hair with my fingers. “He doesn't deserve to live in misery when his father is a billionaire. He's the heir of his company and I don't want to take that choice away from him when he grows up.”
“I know Alina. I'm not blaming you,” Thea sighed. “I just want you to be careful. You guys are the only close family I've had after my brother. And although he's hurting, I knew it was always one sided. Maybe he knew it somewhere too. And I'm sure he'll get over it. But I just want you to take care of yourself and Asher. Don't let Theodore hurt you again.”
“Don’t worry. Besides I have you to burn him if he does anything like that again,” I joked to lighten the mood.
“You bet I will,” Thea said proudly. “It's crazy how he is my boss and your….” Thea thought about her words. “Well your baby daddy for now.” The door to the penthouse opened and I knew it was Theodore. He walked to the living room spotting us and Thea quickly jumped to her feet.
“Evening, Mr. Maxwell.” Theodore nodded politely in her direction. “Relax. No need to be so formal when we aren't at the office. You can call me Theodore,” the man added.
“That wouldn't feel appropriate. You are still my boss. I'll just stick to Mr. Maxwell.” Thea added with an awkward chuckle. “I should get going now. It's getting late.”
“Anders will drop you home.” Theodore added.
“Thank you,” Thea came to hug and and kiss Asher's forehead once. “Take care of yourself and him.”
“I will.” She left and Theodore picked up Asher gently, making sure to not wake him up before taking him to his room. I followed behind, kissed my baby goodnight before leaving the room with Theodore. Theodore took my hand, his grip firm but not forceful, and pulls me towards the living room. His face is set in a serious expression, a look I rarely see on him. My heart starts to pound as I follow him, an uneasy feeling settling in my stomach.
"Theodore, are you okay?" I ask, my voice trembling slightly. He doesn't respond immediately, just keeps walking until we reach the living room. He lets go of my hand and turns to face me, his eyes searching mine.
"I need to tell you something," he says, his voice low and measured. My mind races, trying to figure out what could be so serious.
"Go on," I say, my fear mounting as I see the worry etched on his face. "What is it?" He takes a deep breath, his eyes never leaving mine.
"I got a call from the central prison," he says, his voice steady but solemn. From the Central Prison?
“Why?”
"Your father has passed away." For a moment, the world stops. The room seems to spin around me as his words sink in.
"What?" I whisper, barely able to comprehend what he's just said.