Ivy sat at the edge of her bed, staring at the wall across from her, where Leo's crayon drawing hung crookedly. It showed a smiling stick-figure family: her, Leo, and a tall man with a crown.
That's my daddy, Leo had said proudly when he gave it to her.
Even if I never met him, I know he'd be like a king.
She hadn't known how to answer. So she'd said nothing and pinned the drawing up like a prayer she couldn't bring herself to say out loud.
But the note on her table had ripped open a wound that never truly healed. The fear. The lies. The truth buried beneath years of silence.
She got up and walked into Leo's room. He was asleep, sprawled sideways, hugging his stuffed giraffe. The moonlight pooled across his curls, making him look even more angelic.
She knelt beside his bed, brushing a strand of hair from his face.
"Mommy loves you," she whispered, voice tight. "So much. That's why I left. That's why I lied."
A lump formed in her throat.
"But maybe… maybe it's time to stop hiding."
The Next Morning – Park
The wind was crisp, brushing Ivy's cheeks as she walked beside Leo. They'd gone to the park early, before the regular crowd. Leo dashed toward the monkey bars, a blur of color and joy.
She took a seat on the worn bench, fingers tightening around her thermos of coffee.
Her eyes scanned the area out of habit. A woman with a stroller. A man jogging. A couple arguing near the fountain. No one suspicious.
And yet, her skin prickled.
That note hadn't just unsettled her—it had made her feel exposed.
Across the street, a car idled. Dark-tinted windows. Unmoving.
She forced herself to look away.
From the Car – Aiden's POV
He watched Ivy.
She hadn't run.
That alone said more than any report.
She was still here, still waking up in this city, still letting their son play in the open.
But she was scanning. Always scanning.
"She's scared," Aiden murmured to himself.
Leo's laughter rang out across the grass. Aiden couldn't tear his gaze away. There it was again—that stubborn, familiar grin. His son. His blood.
And Ivy—she looked thinner than he remembered. Stronger, but haunted. She had learned how to survive without him.
The knowledge stung more than he expected.
"I don't know if I hate her for it," he muttered. "Or if I respect her more than I should."
Later That Day – Ivy's Apartment
Ivy opened her laptop, hands trembling. She had avoided this for six years.
Her browser blinked to life.
She typed in: "Thorne Enterprises CEO contact email."
The official site loaded with clean fonts and minimalism. Corporate opulence. Cold. Unreachable.
She clicked through, heart pounding, until she found the press email.
Then she hesitated.
What would she even say?
Hi. Surprise. You're a father.
She closed the laptop.
Not yet.
But soon.
That Night – Leo's Nightmare
Ivy awoke to screaming.
She bolted from bed and sprinted down the hall.
"Leo!"
He thrashed in bed, drenched in sweat. "No! Don't take me! Mommy!"
She gathered him in her arms. "It's okay, baby. I'm here. I'm right here."
Tears soaked her shoulder.
"I dreamed someone came. He said I had to go with him. That you didn't want me anymore."
Ivy's heart broke.
"Never. Never believe that."
"But he had a black car."
Her breath caught.
She pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. "What kind of car?"
Leo wiped his nose. "I don't know. It was big. And the windows were dark."
Ivy's blood turned cold.
That was too specific.
Too real.
She rocked him until his breathing slowed, until the silence returned—but her mind wouldn't rest.
Was it just a child's nightmare?
Or had he seen something?
Elsewhere – The Watcher Moves Again
The man in the alley smoked a cigarette in the shadows. His phone buzzed once.
He checked the screen: "Proceed. She's getting too close."
A smirk curled on his lips.
> So the game begins again.