I smiled, ruffling his hair.
Aiden's eyes glistened with tears. "Why doesn't she live here with us? Does she not want to see me?"
My heart felt like it was being sliced when I braced myself to tell him the truth.
"No, it's not like that. She does want to see you, so badly. She loves you very much, Aiden. But she is sick. She will come back to us when she remembers us."
Aiden frowned. "What kind of sickness made her forget about us?"
I couldn't answer that. I could only pull him into a warm hug to wash away all his worries.
???
I turned off the TV after watching more devastating news about Cassie.Fuck. Those reporters couldn't just keep their mouths shut.
I'd never expected that my plan to make her leave her drug addict ex-boyfriend would backfire on her.
The news of her breaking up with Jude fueled the reporters' desire to say nasty things about her and blow up the world withdirty headlines.
After all my hard work, Klein Enterprise was now in its safe zone. I'd brought it up from ruins, and it was now one of the most influential companies in the country.
I could help Cassie by controlling the media. She needed me—I couldn't let her suffer any longer.
I'd also found a way to make her mine again. It was the quickest way despite the probability that she would hate me with this plan.
Still, I was more worried about Aiden. I couldn't just tell Cassie the truth. She would think that I was crazy—she had many lunatic fans already.
And what if she denied Aiden? What if she didn't want to believe that he was her son? What if she rebelled instead? I couldn't let that happen to Aiden.
That night, with a heavy heart, I stepped into Aiden's room. He was sitting on the floor, painting with watercolors.
When I looked at his work, my heart clenched. He was painting Cassie.
I knew that it was her because of the snowman in his painting. I'd told Aiden that she loved snow.
"Dad." Aiden beamed when he saw me walking in.
I bent down next to him, watching as he resumed his work again. "Do you really want to meet her?"
Aiden stopped and turned to me, clueless.
"Can I really see her? Are you planning to bring her back?" His tone was hopeful.
I plastered a sad smile. "If I do bring her back, will you promise me one thing?"
He stared at me with wonder.
"Your mom hasn't recovered from her sickness," I whispered, my voice hoarse because I was holding in my pain, and because this was too much to ask for. "Will you promise to not overwhelm her and let her remember us by herself?"
I didn't know whether she would ever remember, but pushingthe truth too soon wouldn't be good for either of them.
I wanted to take it slow. I wanted us to have the longest moment even if it might not be forever.
Aiden's eyes now glinted with excitement. He nodded enthusiastically.
"Will you promise me," I choked, tears blurring my vision. "Will you not call me 'Dad' when she's around?"
Aiden froze, but then he looked down and nodded. However, I didn't miss the tear that fell from his eye. I pulled him into a tight hug.
