[New York City – Hart Enterprises Annual Gala]
The room was filled with glittering gowns, clinking glasses, and the scent of expensive perfume. Cameras flashed as socialites smiled under golden chandeliers. Ava Collins stood near the corner, her fingers nervously clutching her clutch bag.
She hadn't been here in five years.
Five years since she had walked out of Liam Hart's life, silently carrying his child in her womb.
"Mommy, can I have another cupcake?" a soft voice tugged at her dress.
Ava looked down into the big blue eyes of her four-year-old son, Ethan. Her heart squeezed. His face—his eyes—so much like his.
"One more. But just one," she whispered, brushing his chocolate-stained cheek.
She shouldn't have come here. But the invitation came from her new employer, not knowing her past. Fate, it seemed, had a cruel sense of humor.
Just as she turned to guide Ethan back to the dessert table, the air shifted.
A deep voice—familiar, commanding—froze her in place.
"Ava?"
Her breath caught.
No. It couldn't be.
She turned slowly.
And there he was.
Liam Hart.
Towering in a tailored black suit, eyes sharp like winter storms, jaw clenched in shock. The man who had broken her heart… and had no idea he had a son standing just ten feet away.
"Ava… is that really you?"
She forced a smile. "Hello, Mr. Hart."
His brows furrowed. "Mr. Hart? That's what I get after five years?"
She wanted to scream. To run. To cry. But instead, she said calmly:
"People change."
And then, before he could respond, Ethan ran up and hugged her leg.
"Mommy! I found a strawberry one!"
Liam's eyes dropped to the little boy.
And in that one moment—his world stopped.
Stormy blue eyes met his own.
Same eyes. Same dimples. Same—
He took a slow step forward. "Who… is he?"
Ava's heart pounded like a war drum. The moment she had feared for years… had finally come.