Chapter 2 - The Realization
Claire heard his voice cut through the ambient noise of the gala. She slowly turned toward him without stepping away from the dark-haired man. Her expression was calm, guarded, and emotionally impenetrable. Instinctively, she pulled the baby slightly closer against her chest, her protective hand resting over the infant's back.
The dark-haired man also turned to look at Ethan, his expression unreadable as he kept both babies securely supported against his broad chest.
Ethan’s dark eyes moved frantically from Claire’s composed face to the sleeping baby in her arms. Then his gaze shifted to the two infants held by the stranger. Their delicate features, the identical pale pink ruffled dresses, the little white socks and baby shoes—they were exactly the same.
They were identical triplets.
Ethan’s breathing slowed as the devastating math hit his brain. Eighteen months ago, Claire had packed a single bag and vanished after their explosive fight regarding starting a family.
"Three?" Ethan whispered, his voice barely above a raspy breath, his arrogant confidence entirely stripped away.
Claire held his gaze. She didn't flinch or look away. A small, tight tension appeared in her jaw, the only sign of the pain he had caused her. The baby rested safely against her shoulder, completely undisturbed by the tension between her parents.
"Your daughters, Ethan," Claire answered. Her delivery was controlled, quiet, and lethal.
May you like
The words hit Ethan like a physical blow to the chest. He froze, his polished facade cracking wide open. He looked at all three babies again, the reality crashing down on him with suffocating weight. He took one slow, hesitant step forward, but his throat felt too tight to speak.
"Why didn't you call me?" Ethan finally choked out, his voice shaken and raw.
