"She is my only love, the mother of my child," Kairo said firmly.
Secretary Ben froze, utterly speechless, struggling to process the words. Kairo studied his reaction.
"I know this is shocking," he said, his tone calm but firm. "Don't overthink it. And make sure this doesn't leak until I confirm it myself. I won't have any gossip about Sara."
Ben hesitated. "But sir… if you suddenly start favoring Miss Sara, even if she deserves it, it will naturally spark rumors."
Kairo paused, thinking for a moment, his expression unreadable.
"Okay… give promotions to a few other deserving candidates as well. That would make sense. And make sure you don't tell Sara about this, got it?"
Ben smiled. "Yes, sir. Don't worry, I'll keep this confidential."
Kairo exhaled in relief. "Good. Now, make sure Sara stays busy for an hour, I want to see my child at the daycare."
Ben grinned teasingly. "Alright, sir…"
Kairo smiled back. As Ben went to keep Sara occupied with work for the next hour, Kairo quietly slipped out of his cabin, heading straight toward the daycare.
At Daycare
Kairo walked into the daycare and was greeted by the staff with polite smiles."Where is Zayn?" he asked, voice tight with need.
"He's in the same room, sir," the staff replied.
Kairo gave a small, relieved smile. Before he moved on, he added firmly, "Make sure he's well cared for and don't tell anyone I came, not even Sara. If this gets out, your job will be at risk."
The staff went quiet, nervous. "No, sir. I won't tell anyone."
Kairo nodded and walked toward Zayn. As he entered the room, his heart softened at the sight of the little boy, completely absorbed in playing with his toy and babbling gibberish in baby talk. Kairo couldn't help but smile in adoration.
"Hello, little champ," he said gently.
Zayn turned his head and saw the tall man at the door. His instincts kicked in; this was the same man his mother had told him not to talk to. He immediately scooted to the corner, clutching his toy and trying to hide.
Kairo's heart sank. He stepped closer to Zayn.
"Hey, little guy… why are you hiding? It's me. Remember, I came to see you yesterday?"
Zayn peeked at him with one eye, then quickly hid again. Kairo chuckled at his cuteness and sat down in front of him, speaking softly.
"I thought we could play today… but you're hiding from me. What happened, baby?"
A tiny, mumbled voice came from the corner.
"I promised Mumma I won't talk to you."
Kairo's smile faltered. "Why?"
"Don't talk to me… I can't break my promise to Mumma," Zayn said, looking serious yet adorable.
Kairo couldn't help but smile. Oh, Mumma's obedient boy… Soda glass has trained him well, he thought, amused.
"Oh… really? Okay, buddy… so can I play with you then?"
Zayn stared at him, frowning slightly.
"No…"
Kairo smiled, leaning closer."Why not? Your Mumma told you not to talk to me… but she didn't say you can't play with me."
The little one blinked, his tiny brain working hard to process this new logic.
"Am I right or not?" Kairo teased gently.
Zayn looked at him, thought for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"Well then… let's play together. You seem alone here. Let me keep you company," Kairo said sweetly.
Zayn finally gave in, but still held onto his promise. "Okay… only playing. Not talking," he said firmly.
Kairo burst out laughing. For a second, the little boy sounded exactly like his mother.
"Alright, alright… no talking, only play. Come here," Kairo chuckled, pulling him closer. "So, what should we play? Car racing?"
At once, Zayn's eyes lit up, excitement sparkling across his tiny face. He nodded eagerly.
"Okay… let's start the race from here," Kairo pointed to the carpet's edge, dragging his finger like a finish line. "We'll go all the way there… and finish right back here."
Zayn crouched down immediately, gripping his toy car with both hands as if it were a real race about to begin. His little body tensed in focus, lips pursed, eyes shining with determination.
Kairo picked up another car and lined it up beside his son's. "Ready, champ?"
The boy gave a serious nod.
"Boom… boom… vrooooom!" Kairo started making ridiculous car sounds, dramatically shaking the toy as he raced across the floor.
Zayn burst into giggles, his tiny shoulders bouncing as he copied him, dragging his car fast across the rug. "Booooom!" he squealed, joining in.
Kairo's heart skipped. That laugh. That joy. Just hearing it, watching his little boy lose himself in play, filled a part of him he hadn't even known was empty.
Zayn still didn't talk much to him; he was careful with his Mumma's promise, but it didn't matter. His laughter, the sparkle in his eyes, the way his tiny hands moved with such energy… it was more than enough.
Kairo slowed his car for a moment, just watching, completely mesmerized. The urge overwhelmed him; he wanted to scoop this little miracle into his arms, bury his face in his soft hair, and kiss him until he squealed again.
And he did. Kairo couldn't hold back any longer—he scooped Zayn up gently, pressing a soft kiss to his tiny head.
"I love you, my boy…" he whispered, voice thick with affection.
Zayn blinked up at him, confused. His small brows furrowed as if trying to understand, but he didn't resist. He just let the tall man hold him, his little fingers still gripping the toy car.
Kairo's smile deepened. He leaned down and brushed his nose against the boy's, making him scrunch up cutely. "Thank you for playing with me, champ."
Reaching into his pocket, Kairo pulled out a small candy wrapped in bright paper. "Here… this is for you."
But Zayn shook his head firmly and pressed the toy tighter to his chest.
Kairo frowned, tilting his head. "You don't like it?"
The boy shook his head again, eyes big and innocent.
Kairo sighed softly. "Your Mumma told you not to eat anything from here… right?"
Zayn hesitated, then nodded slowly.
Kairo's heart twisted, half proud of his son's loyalty to Sara, half aching that his love was being pushed away at every turn. Still, he tucked the candy back into his pocket with a small smile.
"Obedient just like your mother," he muttered under his breath, eyes full of admiration.
"Then what do you want?" Kairo asked softly.
Zayn didn't answer—his eyes just drifted toward the shelf stacked with colorful toy blocks and cars.
"Ohh… you like toys?" Kairo tilted his head with a warm smile.
The boy hesitated, pressing his lips together. His silence was almost an answer on its own.
Kairo's chest tightened. He leaned closer, lowering his voice to a tender murmur. "Ohh, my love… alright. I'll bring you lots of toys tomorrow." His eyes shone with hope, but then he added carefully, "But… you have to promise me one thing."
Zayn's tiny brows furrowed. "What?"
"Promise me…" Kairo's gaze softened, but there was an undercurrent of need in his tone. "…that you won't tell your Mumma I'm coming to meet you. That this will be our little secret. Just between you and me."
Zayn blinked at him, narrowing his eyes suspiciously the way only children could, half confused, half stubborn.
For a moment, he looked exactly like Sara when she doubted something.
Kairo swallowed hard, watching his son's reaction. This was dangerous; he wanted closeness, but he also knew Sara's anger would be unbearable if she found out.
Kairo smiled faintly. Not easy to convince… just like his mother.
"See… do you know why I'm telling you this?" he bent closer, his voice calm and coaxing. "Because if you tell Mumma, she might say you shouldn't play with me anymore. Then I won't be able to see you… And you'll have to play alone again. Do you want to be alone?"
The boy paused, tiny fingers tightening around his toy car. His little mind worked hard, processing the logic in silence.
Kairo's heart thumped. He hated himself for even putting his son in such a spot, but the fear of losing him again was unbearable.
"So," Kairo whispered gently, "will you promise me? That you won't tell Mumma about our secret playtime?"
For a moment, Zayn stared at him with wide, doubtful eyes. Then slowly, hesitantly, he stretched out his small pinky finger.
Kairo's throat tightened as he wrapped his pinky around the tiny one. His lips curved into a trembling smile. "That's my boy…"
He leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on Zayn's cheek. "I'll come tomorrow again… with lots of toys. We'll play together, deal?"
The boy grinned, lifting his thumb to show agreement.
Kairo chuckled, ruffling his silky hair before kissing his head once more. "I love you… My baby. See you tomorrow."
Zayn smiled, clutching his toy car close to his chest.
And before Sara could ever know he was there, Kairo quietly slipped out of the daycare, carrying with him the warmth of his son's first innocent promise.