"Understand? Of course I don’t, Tristan Grayson. If it weren’t for you, why would any of this be happening?" ’If it weren’t for Tristan Grayson, why would her own son be afraid of her? Why wouldn’t he recognize her?’

Seeing how agitated Mika was, Tristan quickly tried to explain, "Mika, that’s not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean? Tristan Grayson, this is my son. The son *I* gave birth to. I have every right to take him now." As she spoke, Mika bent over and started to unbuckle Kiki’s seatbelt.

Tristan’s body ached, his heart ached, and his head ached.

’Seeing her like this, how could he possibly entrust Kiki to her?’ Tristan opened the car door and quickly got out.

Mika had already pulled Kiki, whose eyes were red and was trying not to cry, into a tight embrace. ’He’s my son,’ she thought. ’I have to take him with me.’

"Mika, you’re scaring Kiki," Tristan said in a low voice, walking toward her.

Mika pulled away from Tristan and said coldly, "Tristan Grayson, custody of Kiki should be mine. If you want to fight me over our son, then we’ll settle this in court."

"In court?" Tristan sneered.

"That’s right. In court."

Tristan said nothing more. Instead, he leaned back against the car and simply stared at her.

’He was even starting to wonder... was this really his Mika?’

’His Mika wasn’t supposed to be like this...’

They remained at a standoff for a long while before Tristan finally raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Just agree to one condition," he said in a low voice, "and he’s yours."

"What is it?" Mika asked coldly, her eyebrow raised.

"We live together as a family."

"Impossible!"

"Kiki doesn’t know you right now. You saw it yourself. If you take him away, he’ll be terrified."

Mika frowned slightly, a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. ’But living with Tristan Grayson... that’s completely impossible.’

Seeing her hesitate, Tristan pressed his advantage. "It won’t be for long. Just ten days, maybe a couple of weeks. As soon as Kiki knows you, feels comfortable with you, and grows to like you, I’ll leave."

"Tristan Grayson, you’d better not be trying to pull any tricks!"

...

Half an hour later, they arrived in the Newcroft District.

Back when Mika was pregnant, he had purchased this place, intending for it to be their new home.

But then, too many things happened, so they had never lived here.

Mika glanced around at the furnishings, a complex look in her eyes.

’What was wrong with her? How could she have agreed to Tristan Grayson’s demand, to live with him under the same roof?’

Kiki looked at Mika, then fearfully reached out and tugged on Tristan Grayson’s clothes. Tristan bent down and scooped him up. "Kiki, this is our new home now."

"Daddy, I don’t like it here. Can we leave?" ’He didn’t like this mommy, either...’

"I’m afraid not. From now on, Kiki is going to live with Mommy and Daddy together." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

*****

"The Baron, these are the photos we took while tailing Miss Tiana."

The man’s almond-shaped eyes narrowed. He took the photos with long, slender fingers, glanced at them casually, then sneered and tossed them onto the table.

"Take these photos to Joyce."

"Yes."

’Leo Joyce? Tiana Grayson? How interesting...’

The man adjusted his cuff with a wicked smile, rose from his chair, and strode out the door.

Just as he stepped out of the office, a woman barreled toward him.

He frowned and sidestepped her with an expression of pure disgust. The woman, clutching a huge stack of documents, went sprawling to the floor.