My Son Called The Billionaire Dad

ave a quiet tinkle. Ava Bennett didn't look up from the counter she was cleanin

of the small room. It was like a warm blanket thrown over her. It was jus

discussions started to blend into the clatter of cups and saucers. She had always found those silent times calming, enveloping the familiar area in a pleasant, predictable

he could say. The café had given her something she hadn't had in a very long time. Certainty. The firm was not expensive, but it was profitable enough to keep

er coffee as if the café was an extension of their own living rooms. Their presence suffused the place wit

d smaller when she gazed at him. He brought joy and chaos and a kind of love she didn't know existed to her world. Everything she had developed in the last five

ng with a colouring book open in front of him. He was so busy meticulously colo

Proudly s

t for inspection. The paper was covered edg

s aren't

e in my

curved in

ka

t, Noah always made it all worthwhile. He made the sacrifices, the long days, the loneliness worth it. Even on the nites when she lay

r but a moment before

for memories that felt hard to escape to lose their sharp edges. It was definitely lon

e that didn't depend on the past. Whenever she got thoughts of Liam, she threw herself into work or sought some other way to distract her min

ears was a long time, long enough to heal old scars, long enough to forget about Liam Stone

. The morning settled into its normal rhythm around her. The espresso machine hissed constantly behind the counter and customers chatted over wa

but known enough to feel comfortable. All seemed normal for a time. Comfortably normal. Expectedly normal. An

it all

g again and without looking

. Welcome. "W

nd shattered on the floor, the piercing crack echoing

y into her ribs, as incredulity washe

particular reason. No way that the guy standing there could possibly be

used to know better than anybody, and a man she tried for years not to think a

e, yet she knew him instantly. There were th

perfectly made, emphasising his broad shoulders and the serene assurance that seemed to accompany him where

. Time had changed him subtly, adding a maturity he hadn't possessed before, but not so much t

moment it was as though no time had passed at all. Those eyes had been her favourite thing about him. She had lost many hours in them, trusting every promi

t had happened, no matter how many years had passed, no matter how far away he'd gotten or how hard she'

sounds of the café seeming to fade into the background. Her pulse pounded in her ears and she stop

couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. He

va

them could erase. Five years had gone by, but he still uttered

m. H

ly late nite chats, whispered pledges, shared dreams, the engagement ring she had never worn came up. With them

e first to

oint y

d. "Three

, the warm lighting, the busy tab

oo

nk y

that only comes between two people who once knew everything about each other, but

ared his

n the v

ghbourhoods like this was not one of them. He was featured in business peri

aires in the country, a man known for his success, influence and persistent drive. E

ng?"" Ava asked, keeping

aw it in the quick flash that crossed Liam's face before h

e a black

rge

he replied and

spresso machine. What was he doing here? Why today, after all these years? Of a

ing through rehearsed motions offered her something to focus on except the man standing only a few f

hardly more than an accidental brush, yet it shot a shock through her anyway. They both pulled back immediately. The

swept the room, and then settled on the children's drawings pinned on one

rved into a

dreamed of a pl

hest cl

that. Of c

could feel comfortable and a place where you could feel the warmth of home in every corner. A place that felt comfortable, lived in and ple

ge," she mur

ced away for a moment. And those years felt s

is head a l

s

familiar voice echoed from

mmy

t almost

o

enthusiasm only a toddler could have. Right at them. Liam, right there. Ava's stomach tightened. Noah caught up

what I

ed down at the page

yes found Liam, and a flicker of curiosity crossed his fac

t across his face. First there was confusion. Then intrigue. Then something that she couldn't id

that made Ava more and more uncomfortable. There was silence for a few long seconds, then Noah grinned and Ava'

am too

st imperceptibly. The alteration was so small that most people would have missed it. Not Ava. She

h said wi

inging himself back to

me is

bending down a little to

et you, Noa

smi

ove. She froze, Liam's eyes still on Noah, because for the first time since coming into the cafe, Liam was actually looking at him. He was watching him. He looked and looked and looked, taking in every feature, every emotion, ever

, a quiet prayer running through her mind. "Don't

uttered the truth out, she could almost see the pieces falling into place. Noah then scowled. He regarded Liam with an uncommon i

stomac

he chatter around the café faded into the background. Noah glanced at Liam and th

ocent as the day. He frowned, looking at L