CHAPTER 1: The Weight of Truth
Ethan couldn’t breathe.
The image of the frail woman in the bakery replayed in his mind like a broken record—the way her trembling fingers counted coins, the way she avoided eye contact, the quiet dignity in her exhaustion.
And the child.
That little boy… blonde curls, bright eyes, smiling despite everything.
Now the ultrasound photo lay flat under his shaking hands.
Twins.
His twins.
A cold realization crept up his spine.
“No… no, this can’t be…” he whispered, running a hand through his hair.
But the documents didn’t lie.
Medical records. Birth certificates. His name—Ethan Cole—printed clearly under “Father.”
His chest tightened painfully.
Memories he had buried clawed their way back.
A night of promises.
A woman he once loved.
A sudden business crisis that pulled him away.
And then… silence.
He had assumed she left.
Moved on.
But she hadn’t.
She had stayed.
And suffered.
Alone.
May you like
Ethan slammed the binder shut, guilt crashing over him like a tidal wave.
“I have to find her.”
