Chapter 29 Chapter 29
Chapter 29 Chapter 29
Lena hurried out of her office the moment closing time arrived. She couldn’t wait to pick up Milo and spend the day with him.
She had made a promise, and she wasn’t going to break it for anything.
As she drove toward Milo’s school, her thoughts drifted back to everything that had been happening lately—Adrian showing up unexpectedly, the custody threats, and the constant fear of protecting Milo.
But today wasn’t about any of that.
Today was just about having fun with her son.
When she arrived at the school, Milo was already standing by the gate with his toy car backpack.
The moment he saw Lena’s car, his face lit up with excitement.
“Mommy!” Milo called out, running toward her.
Lena stepped out and opened her arms wide.
“Hey, my boo! How was school today?”
“It was good!” Milo beamed. “We learned a new play songs, and Miss Rose said I did the best!”
Lena kissed the top of his head.
“I’m so proud of you, baby. Now let’s get you changed so we can go have some fun!”
Milo climbed into the car eagerly, chatting nonstop about his day on their way home.
Once they got home, Lena helped him change into a cute outfit.
“Do I look good, Mommy?” Milo asked, turning around proudly.
“You look very handsome, my prince,” Lena said with a smile. “Now, let’s go!”
Their first stop was the shopping mall. As soon as they walked in, Milo’s eyes widened in excitement.
“Mommy, look! Look at those toys! And can I get new coloring books too?”
Lena laughed. “Slow down, sweetheart. We’ll get everything you want.”
As they walked through different stores, Milo pointed at toys, clothes, and books excitedly.
Lena placed everything he wanted into the cart without hesitation.
“Mommy, can I get that superhero backpack too? It’s so cool!”
Lena glanced at it and smiled. “Of course, baby. Anything for you.”
By the time they reached the checkout counter, their cart was overflowing.
The cashier smiled warmly. “Looks like someone had a fun shopping spree!”
Milo giggled. “Yes! Mommy got me everything!”
“Make sure you thank your mommy properly,” the cashier added.
“Thank you so much, Mommy!” Milo said, hugging her tightly.
Lena’s heart melted. “You’re always welcome, boo. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to see you happy.”
After paying, she loaded everything into the car.
“Next stop—the amusement park!” Lena announced.
Milo clapped excitedly. “Yay! I can’t wait!”
As they drove, Lena’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen—it was Samuel.
She hesitated for a second before answering.
“Hello, Samuel.”
“Hey, Lena,” his cheerful voice came through. “How’s your day going? Still at work?”
“It’s going well,” she replied. “I’m not at the office. I’m taking Milo to the amusement park.”
“Oh, that sounds fun,” Samuel said.
“Why don’t you send me the address? I’ll join you guys—it’ll be more fun.”
Lena paused, unsure. Then she thought, ‘why not?’
“Alright, I’ll text you the address.”
“Great, see you soon,” he said before ending the call.
Milo, who had been listening, leaned forward. “Who was that, Mommy?”
Lena smiled. “It was my friend Samuel. Remember? The one I went to the movies with?”
“Ohhh!” Milo’s face lit up. “The nice man? I want to see him again!”
Lena chuckled. “I think you’ll like him.”
Milo tilted his head. “Is he nicer than Daddy?”
Lena laughed softly, shaking her head.
“You ask too many questions.”
She focused back on the road.
⸻
Meanwhile, across the city, Adrian sat in his office, running his hands through his hair in frustration.
The day had been exhausting—meetings, paperwork, and endless tension. But his thoughts kept drifting back to Lena and Milo.
He was still angry that Lena had taken Milo away so easily.
Grabbing his phone, he dialed Mavin. “Hey, Mavin,” Adrian said, leaning back in his chair.
“Adrian? What’s up?” Mavin’s voice came through.
“Let’s go out tonight. I need to clear my head.”
Mavin chuckled. “You? Going out? That’s new. What happened?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Adrian muttered. “Just meet me at the club.”
“The club? Not ice hockey like usual? Alright, man. I’ll be there.”
After the call ended, Adrian leaned back and stared at the ceiling.
He needed an escape—from Lena, from Milo, from everything.
⸻
Across town, in Gina’s apartment…
Bella sat on the couch, slowly swirling a glass of wine in her hand.
She had been irritated ever since Adrian mentioned wanting custody of Milo.
“I can’t believe he’s actually thinking of bringing that child into our lives,” Bella snapped.
“I thought things were finally going well without him!”
Gina, seated across from her with her own glass, smirked.
“Well, if he gets custody, you’ll never have him fully. Milo will always be there, reminding him of Lena.”
Bella frowned deeply.
“Exactly. And I won’t let that happen. I need Adrian focused on me—not his past.”
Gina tapped her chin thoughtfully.
“Then we make sure that custody never happens.”
Bella leaned forward. “What do you mean?”
Gina’s lips curved into a sly grin.
“We create a little drama. Make it seem like Milo isn’t safe with Adrian. If something ‘happens,’ the court won’t even consider giving him custody.”
Bella’s eyes lit up.
“You’re brilliant! We can make him look irresponsible!”
Gina raised her glass. "Cheers to making sure Lena keeps the child… and Adrian stays yours forever and ever.”
Bella smirked and clinked her glass against Gina’s. “I knew I could count on you. You are just the best thing that happened to me."
“Always will be,” Gina replied. “I won’t let anything ruin what you have—especially not that annoying child of Lena Rivers.”
They both burst into laughter.
“You’re crazy, Gina,” Bella said, shaking her head. “But that child isn’t a problem… I would use him as my stepping stone to getting what I want.”
She smirked, lifting her glass again. “It won’t be long before everything falls into place the way I want it to.”