And then I froze, seeing a familiar name on the news.
Breaking News: John Lockhart Donates to Reopen The Sofia Home for Children.
My heart skipped.
John Lockhart. Joshua’s father.
I frowned and tapped the article. A few lines down, there it was…“The orphanage was founded by his late wife, Sofia Lockhart, and is now maintained by her younger sister, Claire Williams. Ownership of the facility was transferred to Sofia’s son in 2004, Joshua Lockhart, who will continue supporting its development.”
My stomach turned.
Sofia Lockhart. His mum.
The woman he told me about, the one he couldn’t save.
I scrolled through the photos, each caption stinging more than the last. Joshua’s father shaking hands with politicians, smiling at cameras. Smiling. A man who hadn’t even shown up to his wife’s funeral.
I remembered what Joshua had said that night.Dad didn’t come to the hospital. Or the funeral.
And now he was… donating?
Using her name for press?
I could practically feel how much this would destroy him if he saw it.
Before I could even process it further, my phone buzzed.
Joshua: Come upstairs when you can. Watch Honey for me. I have somewhere to be.
My heart dropped.
Oh no.
He must’ve seen it.
I sat up quickly, fingers trembling as I texted back:
Me: Where are you going?
No response.
I stood, grabbed a hoodie, and shoved my phone in my pocket, my pulse racing faster by the second.
If he saw that headline, if he was on his way to him, then this wouldn’t end well, especially with his temper… and his love for his mum.
When the elevator doors slid open, my stomach was already in knots. I knocked once, twice, and before I could knock again, the door swung open.
Joshua stood there.
Suit. Tie. Cufflinks. Hair slicked back as if he’d been ready for a war, not a meeting.
For a heartbeat, I just stared. I’d never seen him like this, so clean, so sharp, but his eyes…his eyes were anything but.
They were burning.
He didn’t even wait for me to speak. Just stepped aside, muttering low, clipped words. “Do whatever. Eat whatever. I’ll be back.”
I froze, still holding my phone. “W-where—”
