Kairo quickly stood up when he saw Sara getting ready to leave. Oh no… he thought. He called his secretary.
"Yes, sir?"
"Keep Sara busy for another half an hour."
"But sir—"
"Just do as I say. Don't let her leave to see her child for at least 30 minutes," Kairo ordered before rushing out of his cabin.
The secretary blinked, confused at his boss's sudden, strange behavior. With a sigh, he grabbed a file and walked over to Sara.
"Um… Miss Sara?" the secretary spoke hesitantly.
Sara shot him a cold look.
"Actually..." the secretary spoke,
"Just tell me, it's another useless last-minute task, isn't it?" she said flatly.
He gave an awkward smile. "No, no… just 30 minutes. Actually, I just need a quick analysis of this report. Could you please? I promise I won't bother you after this," he said politely.
Sara held his gaze for a long moment, then sighed, took the file from him, and sat back down in her chair.
Meanwhile, Kairo stood at the entrance of the daycare, his heart pounding in his chest. For the first time in years, the great Kairo felt nervous, and all because he was about to face a two-year-old toddler.
As he stepped inside, a staff member quickly approached him, surprised to see him there.
"Sir… you here? How can I help you?" she asked politely.
Kairo's jaw tightened. He glanced at her, trying to mask his unease but failing.
"I'm here to see a child," he said quietly.
The staff blinked, almost in disbelief. She had never once seen her powerful, confident boss walk into the daycare looking so unsettled. And now, by the look on his face, he seemed almost… nervous.
"Which child, sir?" the staff asked carefully, still unsure.
"Miss Sara's baby," Kairo replied, his voice low but firm.
"Oh… Zayn?" she said softly.
Zayn. His name. The sound of it made Kairo's heart thump harder, almost painfully.
"This way, sir," the staff continued, leading him down the quiet hallway.
"He's been… different these days, sir. Isolated. He doesn't eat from anyone here, just waits for his mother to feed him and take care of him."
Each word landed heavily on Kairo's chest as they neared the room where the little boy was. His palms grew clammy. For the first time, he wasn't sure if he was ready for what he was about to see.
As Kairo reached the doorway, his heartbeat thundered in his chest, faster with every step. His palms were damp, his body tense, trembling with a nervousness he had never felt before. He didn't understand why the sight of a two-year-old child shook him more than any deal, any battle, any war of his life.
The door was slightly open, and there he was, Zayn. A small boy, curled in the corner of the mat, was absently playing with a toy car while sucking gently on his milk bottle. The soft sound of his breathing filled the quiet room.
Kairo took one hesitant step inside, his presence heavy.
At the sound of his footsteps, Zayn froze. His little head turned, and two wide, unmistakable green eyes locked onto his. For a second, time stopped.
My eyes.
Kairo's breath caught. The world tilted. The boy stiffened. His tiny fingers tightened around the toy, instantly scooting back toward the corner of the room, fear flashing across his face as if the tall stranger might harm him.
Kairo's chest cracked open. His heart bled.
His body shook as he lowered himself onto his knees, tears streaming freely. He couldn't fight them. Couldn't hold back the guilt that suffocated him.
This is my blood. My flesh. My son.
Kairo's breath caught in his throat. He didn't need confirmation. Zayn's green eyes, the delicate curve of his features, all screamed the truth. This little boy… he was his blood, his heartbeat, the living proof of a love he had once shattered.
tears streaming uncontrollably. Guilt clawed at his soul, an unrelenting shadow he couldn't escape. He had wronged Sara in every way imaginable, the woman who had loved him with every fiber of her being, the one who had made him dare to dream of a forever. But he had betrayed her. He had used her, broken her, left her to suffer in ways he could barely imagine.
His heart ached at the thought of her enduring hardship, carrying his child through pain and loneliness. How could he have been so heartless? The enormity of his mistakes pressed down on him, making his body shake as the weight of regret and love collided in a storm too fierce to contain.
And the cruelest part was that even now, when she was near him again, he had been the one to make her suffer. He remembered every late night, every pointless task he had forced upon Sara while she cradled their baby, working herself to exhaustion.
He had punished her, broken her, hated her… while she fought every battle alone, holding their baby in her arms.
How could he have been so merciless, to make the mother of his child endure pain? How could he have hated the very heartbeat of his own flesh, seeing Zayn as someone else's?
"How could I be so cruel?" His whisper cracked into the empty air. "How could I hate what was always mine?"
Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. The innocent pairs of eyes looked at him with confusion, silently questioning the storm raging inside him.
The little boy hesitated. Then, with tiny, unsteady steps, he approached. His small fingers brushed away the tears on Kairo's cheek.
"Don't cry," Zayn murmured.
Kairo's heart clenched at the pure, unknowing gesture. He wrapped the little boy in a trembling embrace, sobbing harder than ever.
Zayn, confused but unable to break free from the warmth of Kairo's hold, stayed still as Kairo pressed kisses to his soft head, clutching him tightly, as if trying to make up for all the lost time and all the pain he had caused.
Zayn's tiny hands pushed gently against Kairo, unsure of this strange, overwhelming moment. Kairo looked down at the little boy's face, teary-eyed yet smiling at the perfect mirror of his own childhood.
"Zayn…" he whispered softly.
Zayn tilted his head, puzzled. "How do you know my name?"
Kairo, still trembling with sobs, whispered back, "I should… I should have known everything about you by now…"
The little boy's green pupils scanned Kairo's face, curious and innocent, every movement so delicate, so pure.
Kairo's heart ached at the sight; he wanted to shield this tiny soul from the whole world. He took a deep breath, wiped his tears, and offered a gentle, tender smile, trying to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm him again.
"Who are you?" Zayn asked innocently, big eyes blinking up at him.
Kairo smiled through the tears, his chest aching. "Someone who should have been with you and your mother from the very beginning."
Zayn tilted his head. "But… I never saw you with Mumma."
Kairo's throat closed. "I knew her before you were born. Then I went far away from you two…, but now… I'm here. And I'll protect you both. Always."
Zayn's little brows furrowed, trying to process everything at once. The words were too much for his tiny head to understand. Seeing his confusion, Kairo pulled him into another warm, protective hug.
"I missed you, my boy. I missed you so much." Kairo whispered.
Zayn froze for a moment; he didn't yet trust this stranger fully. Kairo pressed gentle kisses to his cheeks, and Zayn wiped them off when it was too much, making Kairo laugh through his tears.
His heart swelled, seeing his own features mirrored in this tiny being. He kissed Zayn's forehead and whispered, voice choked with regret,
"I love you, my love. I love you so much… I'm sorry I wasn't there for you and your mother when you needed me the most. I'm truly sorry, baby."
Zayn's small voice piped up, "Where is Mumma?"
Kairo's eyes softened. "She's working right now, but she'll be back soon."
"Can you bring her?" Zayn asked earnestly.
Kairo smiled, holding him close. "Yes, my boy… she'll be back. I promise."
As he spoke, his arms tightened around Zayn, trying to hold onto this moment, this fragile connection, before anything else could take it away.
And then—
"What are you doing here?"