Silas's POV
The apartment felt intimate yet serene. My attention was drawn to an adorable baby photograph hanging on the wall, and recognition struck me instantly. Those plump cheeks, that tiny nose, the soft auburn hair peeking through. My chest constricted with unexpected emotion. Then my eyes wandered to a larger frame resting against the wall, showing Bella cradling the same infant, pure happiness illuminating her features.
Something twisted painfully inside me. Why did you appear so content in that photograph? The birth family walked away from their agreement, leaving you with their child. Shouldn't fury have consumed you? Shouldn't you have demanded they take him back immediately?
Yet there you were, beaming in that captured moment, as though you had chosen him the instant he was placed in your arms.
"How may I assist you, Mr. VALERIUS'Empire?"
The gentle voice pulled me from my thoughts.
