Chapter 162
SAGE
I finished cooking and wiped my hands on a towel, ready to set the table. But as I stepped toward the dining area, my feet suddenly froze at the doorway.
The sight before me was something I never thought I’d witness, something that sent a strange ache straight to my chest.
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Titus sat between Harper and Cooper, his large frame dwarfing their small ones, yet he somehow fit so seamlessly between them. He held a small coin between his fingers, flicking it up before making it disappear, only to pull it from behind Harper’s ear.
Harper gasped in delight, her hands clapping together. “Again! Again!” she cheered.
Cooper, skeptical as ever, narrowed his eyes. “I saw you hide it,” he accused, but even then, there was a flicker of amusement in his usually serious gaze.
Titus smirked, leaning closer. “Are you sure about that?” And just like that, he made the coin vanish once more.
The twins gasped, completely enthralled, their laughter ringing through the room like the sweetest melody.
I stood there, gripping the doorframe as I watched them. The way they looked at him with wonder, it was so heartbreakingly natural. Like they’d done this before. Like they had always been a family.
A lump formed in my throat, my heart clenching painfully.
I had spent years convincing myself that keeping Titus away was the right thing to do. That my children didn’t need him, that I didn’t need him. But standing there, seeing them together, I felt that belief crack just a little.
If only I could freeze this moment, hold onto it for just a little longer.
I shook off the thought and started bringing in the food, then settled it on the table.
The kids cheered as I set their plates down, their eyes lighting up at the sight of the golden, fluffy stacks.
“Yay! Pancakes!” Harper clapped her hands together excitedly. Cooper didn’t say anything, but the way he immediately grabbed his fork and dug in spoke volumes.
I turned to Titus, handing him a plate without a word. He took it with a smirk, tilting his head slightly as he studied me. “No special treatment for the king?” he teased.
I scoffed, sliding into the chair across from him. “You’re lucky you even got a plate,” I muttered before taking a bite of my own food.
Titus chuckled but didn’t push further. Instead, he started eating, and for a while, everything was calm. You can hear nothing but the quiet sounds of forks scraping against plates and soft, happy hums from the kids as they enjoyed their breakfast.
For a brief moment, I allowed myself to enjoy it too. The warmth of the morning light streaming through the windows, the laughter of my children, the presence of a man who, despite everything, felt like he belonged here.
But just as quickly as that warmth settled in my chest, a cold dose of reality followed.
This wasn’t real.
This wasn’t our life.
And sooner rather than later, all of these will end, and we’ll go back to the way it was.
1/5
Chapter 162
As we sat around the table, the warmth of the moment lingered, filling the room with something that felt almost too normal. Harper and Cooper eagerly dug into their food, occasionally glancing at Tims with admiration. It was clear they had taken a liking to him.
Titus, on the other hand, was completely at ease, eating his meal as if this was just another morning, like we had been doing this for years. Then, in between bites, he casually said, “We should start looking for your mother today”
My hands stilled on my fork, my stomach twisting at his words.
Harper and Cooper looked at each other before they turned in my direction as if they were asking me if they were supposed to respond. “Really? You’ll help us?” Harper pretended like she’s excited.
Titus nodded, caressing Harper’s cheek with his thumb. ‘Of course. You two came all this way looking for her, didn’t you? It wouldn’t be right to leave without trying.”
Cooper, always the more observant one, tilted his head. “Is that why you were left behind, mister?”
Titus smirked, giving a small shrug. “Let’s just say I had my reasons.” Then, he turned to me, his gaze holding something unreadable. “What do you think, Sage? Should we start searching?”
1 forced myself to swallow the lump in my throat. I should have been relieved–this was part of the plan, after all. But him tagging along with us wasn’t part of the plan.
This was dangerous.
I need to find a way to ditch him. I can’t take the risk of walking around with him and the kids.
I forced a small smile, pushing a piece of food around my plate as I considered my next move. “That sounds like a good idea.” I said carefully, keeping my tone light. “But I think it’s best if I take Harper and Cooper on my own.”
Titus arched an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed with my suggestion. “And why’s that?”
I pretended to be unfazed. “We don’t need any unwanted attention. Even if most people around here don’t recognize you, it’s still risky for you to be out in public with two kids and no security.”
His smirk deepened as he leaned back in his chair. “And a woman walking around with two kids won’t?”
“I’m no king, Your Majesty.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but Cooper, ever so curious, cut in. “Why is it not safe?” he asked, tilting his head.
“Eat your food, Cooper,” I ordered.
He just shrugged his shoulder and took another bite of the pancake.
Harper, on the other hand, was more focused on her toast, blissfully unaware of the underlying tension between me and
Titus.
I inhaled sharply and met Titus’s gaze. He wasn’t going to let this go.
“Fine,” I sighed, leaning back in my chair, feigning nonchalance. “But I’ll take the lead.”
Titus chuckled. “I always follow you, Sage.”
I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “Sure you do.”
He reached for his coffee, his smirk never fading. “Then it’s settled. We start looking today.”
2/5
11:53 Tue, 4 Mar
Chapter 162
11
“We can start by reporting it to the police station,” he suggested, his deep voice breaking through my thoughts.
I tensed slightly, gripping the edge of my seat as I kept my eyes focused on the road. That would complicate things. A police report would bring unnecessary attention, and attention was the last thing I needed right now.
Still, I forced myself to nod, pretending to consider it. “That’s a good idea,” I murmured, buying myself time.
The ride was mostly silent, the air thick with tension. I kept my gaze focused outside the window, my mind racing with ways to throw him off track.
And then, just as we were passing through the town’s main street, Cooper gasped and pressed his face against the window.
“Look, look!” He shouted, his voice filled with excitement.
Harper perked up beside him, her tiny hands grabbing onto the edge of the window. “Oh! What’s that?!” she squealed.
My eyes flickered to where they were pointing.
Sure enough, there’s a small carnival set up in an open field, its colorful banners swaying in the wind. The sound of cheerful music mixed with the laughter of children filled the air. A bright Ferris wheel stood tall against the sky, and the sweet scent of cotton candy and fried treats wafted toward us.
“It’s called a carnival, sweetie,” I answered.
“A carnival?” Harper repeated innocently.
“You haven’t been to a carnival, Harper?” Titus asked as he took a glimpse of Harper through the side mirror.
Harper shook her head, her tiny hands gripping the edge of her seat. “No, we haven’t,” she admitted softly, her usual bright eyes dimming with sadness.
Beside her, Cooper remained quiet, but I caught the way he lowered his gaze, as if trying to hide the disappointment in his face.
My chest tightened.
Guilt clawed its way up my throat, making it hard to breathe.
I had kept them away from things like this. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to. Because keeping them safe meant keeping them hidden.
At least, that’s what I had told myself.
I thought I was making the right choice, protecting them from a world that could take them away from me. I had convinced myself that shielding them from the normal life other kids had was necessary.
But now, looking at them, seeing the longing in Harper’s eyes and the silence in Cooper’s. I wasn’t so sure anymore.
Had I been protecting them?
Or had I been depriving them?
Titus didn’t say anything for a moment. He simply looked at Harper, then at Cooper, then finally at me. His gaze held something unreadable, something that made my stomach twist in unease.
3/5
11:53 Tue, 4 Mar
Chapter 169
Then, he exhaled and leaned back against his seat. “Well, then, he said, a smirk slowly curling on his lips. Looks like we’re about to change that.”
Harper’s head snapped up. “Really?” she gasped, her sadness instantly replaced with excitement.
Titus chuckled. “Really”
Cooper finally looked up too, his expression more reserved but his eyes betraying his excitement.
And just like that, the guilt in my chest only grew heavier.
Harper squealed in excitement, bouncing in her seat, while Cooper tried to act indifferent, but I could see the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
1, on the other hand, felt my heart sink.
This wasn’t the plan.
“Okay, we’re here!” Titus announced.
“Yehey!” Harper and Cooper shouted in unison.
Before I could fully process what was happening, Titus was already stepping out of the car and rounding over to open the door for the twins. Harper practically jumped out, her little feet bouncing with excitement, while Cooper, though trying to act cool, was just as eager.
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest. This was a bad idea. A really bad idea.
But how could I be the one to ruin this for them?
Titus glanced back at me, his lips curving into a smirk. “Coming, sweetheart?” he asked after he opened the door for me.
I narrowed my eyes at him but stepped out of the car anyway.
The second my feet touched the pavement, Harper grabbed my hand, her tiny fingers squeezing mine. “Come on! Let’s go before all the fun runs out!”
I forced a smile, nodding. “Alright, alright, slow down.”
The carnival was alive with bright lights and the scent of sweet popcorn drifting in the air. Laughter and music filled my ears, blending into a chaotic yet strangely comforting hum.
Cooper and Harper ran ahead, pointing at different rides with excitement.
Titus walked beside me, his hands shoved into his pockets, watching them with a quiet amusement. “Motherhood looks good on you,” he commented.
I blinked, caught off guard. Of all the things I expected him to say, that wasn’t one of them.
“Was that a compliment?” I replied with a sarcastic laugh, trying to mask the sudden tightness in my chest. I didn’t know how to respond to something like that.
“It is,” he said, glancing at me briefly before looking back at the kids. There was a pause, a moment where I thought he was done speaking, but then he added, “As a matter of fact, I was already looking forward to our children.”
The words hit me like a slap, stealing the air from my lungs.
I stopped in my tracks, my heart hammering wildly in my chest. Before I could even form a response, he simply walked past me, as if what he had just said was the most casual thing in the world.
4/5
Tue, 4 Mar
Chapter 162
I stood there for a moment, unable to move, my heart twisting in a way I wasn’t prepared for.
95%
Titus walked ahead, his long strides easily matching the excited skips of Harper and Cooper. The moment he caught up to them, their tiny hands instinctively reached for him as if they had done this a hundred times before. Without hesitation, he took their hands in his, his large, calloused fingers wrapping protectively around their small ones.
They looked up at him with beaming smiles, their eyes sparkling with pure joy, and he actually smiled back. A real, genuine smile that was nothing like his usual smug smirks.
I swallowed hard, my throat tightening as I watched them.
If anyone saw us right now, they would think we were just a normal family.
A loving father, a doting mother, and two happy, carefree children.
A perfect picture of something I had convinced myself I could never have.
Somehow, along with the guilt that I am feeling right now, a thought comes into my mind.
What if I tell Titus the truth?
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