Chapter Two Hundred

Chapter Two Hundred

Chapter Two Hundred

Tia spent most of the morning in the garden. The weather was warm, and the sky looked calm with slow-moving clouds.

She didn’t have much to do since Andy was at school, so she decided to walk around the flowers, touching the leaves, smelling them, and smiling to herself.

The garden in the Blacks’ estate was wide and beautiful. Roses, lilies, and tall trees stood in neat rows. The workers trimmed the grass that morning, so the scent of fresh cuttings filled the air.

From upstairs, Adam watched her through the open window of his study. He had his laptop in front of him, pretending to work, but his eyes stayed on her most of the time.

She looked peaceful out there. Sometimes she bent to pluck a dry leaf, sometimes she stood staring at the fountain. He liked seeing her like that calm, soft, without worry.

He told himself he was only watching to make sure she was safe, but that wasn’t true. He just missed her.

A few minutes later, Mr. Black came out to join her.

“Good morning, my dear,” the old man said with a smile.

“Good morning, sir,” she replied politely.

He walked beside her, and they began to talk. She laughed at something he said, and Adam could hear the sound faintly from his window. He smiled without realizing. It had been a long time since he heard her laugh like that.

Mr. Black bent slightly to pluck a rose and handed it to her. “This color suits you,” he said jokingly.

Tia smiled and thanked him.

Adam leaned back on his chair, shaking his head. “Dad still has his charm,” he muttered under his breath.

Then his phone began to ring. It was Alex.

He smiled and picked it up. “Hey, dawg.”

“Nigga,” Alex said loudly from the other side. “You’ve been a bad friend.”

Adam laughed. “I know, man. I’ve been occupied lately.”

“Occupied? I saw the news, bro. All that drama with Nita you had the whole media on fire.”

Adam groaned. “Yeah, yeah, I know you saw that mess.”

“You can’t even call your boy to explain?” Alex teased. “You’re too busy breaking hearts on TV.”

Adam laughed again. “Come on, man. That wasn’t what it looked like.”

Alex chuckled. “Anyway, Dad told me something else. Said Tia’s back and that you have a son?”

Adam paused for a second. “Yeah, man. I was going to text you about it.”

“Bro!” Alex shouted through the phone. “You serious? After all these years?”

“Yeah,” Adam said quietly. “His name’s Andy. He’s five now.”

“That’s crazy, bro. You really have a kid.”

Adam smiled. “Yeah. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“Man, I gotta meet the little man soon. And you gotta tell me how it feels to be a father. You? Mr. Cold Heart?”

Adam laughed again. “Shut up, bro.”

They talked for a few more minutes, joking and catching up before hanging up.

When the call ended, Adam leaned against the chair, his smile fading slowly. He looked out the window again. Tia was still there with his father, sitting by the small table near the fountain.

She looked happy. He liked seeing her that way. But something in him still ached because he wasn’t the reason behind her smile anymore.

\---

By evening, dark clouds began to gather. The wind blew harder than usual, and the trees in the garden started to sway.

Tia stood by the window in her room, watching the sky change.

It reminded her of that night in Barbados when a sudden storm had hit. She didn’t like darkness. She always hated when the lights went out.

The rain started not long after strong and loud. The wind howled against the windows, and thunder rolled above. The lights in the mansion began to blink and then went off completely.

Tia jumped.

She quickly reached for her phone but She couldn't find it. Her heart raced a little. The rain kept beating the windows hard, and thunder followed again.

Then she heard footsteps outside her door. Before she could move, the door opened.

Adam stood there shirtless, holding a flashlight. His hair was slightly wet from checking on the guards outside. His voice came calm and low.

“It’s okay. I’m here.”

He walked toward her. She didn’t say anything. For a moment, it felt like time stopped. He placed the flashlight on the nightstand and moved closer.

“I checked on Andy,” he said softly. “He’s asleep. You don’t have to worry.”

Tia nodded slowly, but she couldn’t hide the fear on her face when the thunder struck again.

Without thinking, Adam pulled her close. “It’s alright,” he said again. “I’m here.”

Her hands gripped his arm. She didn’t push him away.

The sound of rain filled the room. Neither spoke for a while. She could hear his heartbeat and his breathing, calm and steady. It was strange how safe she still felt in his arms even after everything.

“You shouldn’t make me feel safe again,” she whispered after some time.

Adam looked down at her. “I can’t help it,” he said with a small smile.

Her eyes softened, but she didn’t reply.

“I’m fine now,” she said quietly after a while. “You can go sleep.”

“No,” he said simply. “I’m not leaving.”

He held her tighter. “Sleep if you want. Rest on my arm if you have to.”

She didn’t move away. Instead, she let herself relax against him. The rain outside became softer, but they stayed still like that, close and quiet.

He brushed his hand gently through her hair. She didn’t stop him. She just closed her eyes.

The electricity came back a few minutes later. The lights flickered on, but neither of them moved.

Then, without planning it, Adam leaned closer and pressed his lips softly on hers.

It wasn’t rushed. Just a slow, quiet kiss.

Tia froze for a second, but she didn’t pull away. He lifted her chin gently and kissed her again, this time deeper, his hand cupping her face.

Her heart raced. She let him.

She knew she still loved him.

When the kiss finally broke, he looked into her eyes. “Please,” he whispered, “just let me hold you tonight.”

She couldn’t speak. She only nodded.

He smiled faintly, pulled th
e blanket over them, and drew her close again.

“Sleep,” he said softly, pressing small kisses on her neck.

" I know you still feel that way" He added kissing her neck.

Tia didn’t know when she fell asleep. All she knew was that for the first time in a long time, she felt peace real peace in his arms.