Chapter 257

Chapter 257

"So what's the plan?" Griffin asked.

Gerald took another sip. "I'm not expecting her to forgive me overnight."

"Milo needs her." He set the glass down. "That kid never knew his mother from the day he was born. Now that he's finally found her, I can't let him lose her again."

The bar was perfectly still. Only the hum of the air conditioning filled the silence.

Griffin swirled the whiskey in his glass. "You weren't like this before."

Gerald reached for the bottle and poured himself another.

Griffin studied him with something genuine in his gaze.

"You've changed, Gerald. You almost seem human now. That's a good thing."

Gerald lifted his glass without responding.

Griffin shook his head. His own troubles surfaced unbidden. He said nothing more, just poured himself another drink.

They sat there, glass after glass, in silence.

Time slipped away.

---

Near the end of the workday, Sophia finished her last script annotation and was about to shut down her computer when her phone rang.

Milo's smart watch.

She answered. His soft, sweet voice came through. "Mommy, are you off work yet?"

Her lips curved without thinking. "Just about to leave, baby. What's up?"

"Tomorrow's the weekend. I wanna stay at Mommy's house..." His voice faltered, as if he were carefully choosing his words. "I told Daddy and he said okay. Can you come pick me up? Please?"

Sophia's fingers stilled.

She started to say something, but the sound of Milo's shallow breathing on the other end—holding his breath, terrified she'd say no—dissolved every hesitation instantly.

"Okay. Mommy's coming right now."

"Yay!" A jubilant cheer erupted, followed by what sounded like bragging to someone nearby. "Mommy said she's coming to get me!"

Sophia shook her head with a smile, hung up, and swept everything on her desk into her bag.

She grabbed her keys and headed out. In the elevator, pressing the button for the garage level, the smile still lingered at the corners of her mouth.

---

Outside the preschool, Milo stood by the security booth with his little backpack, spotted her car from a distance, and broke into a run.

Sophia parked and stepped out. Milo barreled straight into her arms. "Mommy! My teacher said my painting was really good today!"

"Yeah? What'd you paint?"

"Mommy and Daddy and me, all holding hands." He tugged her toward the car as he talked. "Mommy, let's go home, I'm starving!"

Sophia buckled him into his car seat. "I'll cook when we get back."

"Okay!" Milo sat perfectly still.

At home, Sophia rummaged through the fridge, threw together two dishes and a dessert.

Milo sat at the table, still clumsy with his fork and knife. He chased a piece of meat around his plate for a solid minute before giving up and grabbing it with his fingers.

Sophia pulled out a napkin and wiped the corner of his mouth. "Slow down. Nobody's going to steal it."

"'Cause Mommy's food is so yummy," Milo mumbled through a mouthful.

After dinner, Sophia sat on the floor with him, building a block castle together.

They were debating where to place the next piece when Milo's smart watch buzzed.

He glanced at the screen, eyes lighting up, and hit answer. "Daddy!"

Sophia's hands paused. Her gaze drifted instinctively to the tiny screen on his wrist—she couldn't see Gerald's face, only heard the voice from the speaker: "Milo, are you being good at Mommy's?"

"Super good! Mommy cooked for me and it was so yummy!" Milo tilted his face up. "Daddy, did you eat dinner?"

"I did." A pause. "Daddy's downstairs right now."

"Really?" Milo sprang off the carpet and ran to the window, pressing up on his tiptoes to peer down.

He whipped around and yelled to Sophia. "Mommy! Daddy's really here! I'm gonna open the door!"

Before Sophia could speak, Milo had already sprinted to the front door and twisted the lock open.

The man outside was tucking his phone into his pocket. He looked up at the sound and met a pair of bright, shining dark eyes.

"Daddy!" Milo threw his arms around Gerald's leg.

Gerald reached down and ruffled his hair, then stepped inside.

The smell of alcohol drifted in with him.

Sophia stood in the living room, watching the tall silhouette in the doorway. Her brow furrowed.

"You've been drinking?"

Gerald changed his shoes with practiced ease, as if he'd walked through this door a thousand times.

His voice was a shade lower than usual. "Business dinner tonight. Couldn't get out of it. Just had a little."

"A little?" Sophia's tone sharpened with displeasure. "You're standing in my home. Milo is here. And you show up reeking of whiskey?"

Milo was looking up at both of them, excitement still glowing on his small face, but he'd already sensed the shift in the air.

"Daddy..." He tugged at Gerald's pant leg. "You drank alcohol. You can't drive."

"I know." Gerald crouched down to Milo's eye level. "Daddy didn't drive. My driver's waiting downstairs."

Sophia drew a deep breath. "If your driver's downstairs, then go."

Gerald didn't respond right away.

He straightened up. His lips loosened slightly—something like a quiet sigh. "All right. I'll go."

He turned toward the entryway and took one step.

Before the second step landed, his foot caught on something and he stumbled, shoulder striking the edge of the shoe cabinet.

"Daddy!" Milo cried out and rushed over, grabbing his arm. "Are you okay?"

Gerald steadied himself against the cabinet and smiled at Milo. "I'm fine. Just tripped."

The smile was perfectly calibrated. Under the soft glow of the entryway light, his normally sharp profile showed unmistakable exhaustion.

Milo turned back to Sophia, brow furrowed tight, dark eyes fixed on her. "Mommy... Daddy can barely stand up. Can he please stay? Just for one night..."

His voice cracked at the end, trembling toward tears.

Sophia's brow creased.

Something felt off. That stumble had looked a little too convenient.

This was Gerald Churchill—a man who'd spent years navigating the razor's edge of high-stakes business. He could trip over a shoe cabinet?

Her gaze lingered on his weary face for two seconds.

Gerald, faking a fall on purpose?

That was insane.

Sophia pressed her lips together and swallowed the suspicion.

"Mommy..."

Milo's voice floated from the entryway. "Can Daddy stay? Please?"

He gazed up at her, eyes rimmed red, both small hands still clutching the fabric of Gerald's trousers.

His little face was etched with worry.

Something squeezed around Sophia's heart.

"Come inside." She heard herself say. "Don't just stand in the doorway."

The moment the words left her mouth, Milo's tear-threatening face brightened. He grabbed Gerald's hand and pulled him toward the living room. "Daddy, come on! Sit on the couch!"