Chapter 154

Angela POV

My hands still trembled slightly as I guided the twins through our apartment door, the shocking revelation weighing heavily on my mind.

"Can we have hot chocolate, Mama?" Aria asked, skipping ahead to the kitchen while I set my purse down on the entryway table and hung our coats in the closet.

"Sure, sweetheart," I replied, taking a deep breath to compose myself. I couldn't let the children see how shaken I was.

I followed them into the kitchen, where Aria was already climbing onto her favorite stool. Ethan stood quietly by the counter, his observant gaze studying my face with unusual intensity.

"Mama, are you okay?" Ethan asked, his gaze unwavering.

My smile faltered momentarily. "I'm fine, sweetheart. Just thinking about some work things."

"You've been quiet since we left the mall playground," he persisted, showing that perceptiveness that sometimes caught me off guard.

Aria jumped down from her stool and tugged at my hand. "Come see what I drew today! I put it in my backpack. It's a unicorn with rainbow wings!"

As I helped her retrieve her artwork, I noticed Ethan still watching me, clearly unconvinced by my casual dismissal.

"Mama, you look worried," Aria remarked suddenly, her small face turning serious. "You shouldn't think about work now. It's after-work time!"

I laughed softly, grateful for my daughter's simple wisdom. "You're right, darling." I stroked her dark curls, then glanced between both children. "Actually, I wanted to ask you both something. Did Mr. Night visit your school during lunch today?"

The twins exchanged glances before Ethan shook his head. "No, not today."

"He came yesterday and the day before," Aria added helpfully. "He probably had work today. But his assistant came and brought us special lunches!"

My suspicions solidified instantly. Was Sean's absence from the school because of our argument in the parking garage last night? The timing seemed to fit.

"Mr. Night's so nice," Aria continued, oblivious to my churning thoughts. "I asked him if he was married or had a girlfriend."

My attention snapped fully to my daughter. "You asked him what?"

Aria grinned, unperturbed by my sharp tone. "I asked if he was single, and he said yes! Isn't that good news, Mama?"

I struggled to maintain my composure. "Aria, why would you ask him something like that?"

"Because..." Aria's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, "I think he would make a good daddy for us."

Her innocent statement hit me like a physical blow. I sank into a kitchen chair, trying to process her words. My heart raced as a cold fear gripped me. Had Sean somehow managed to manipulate my daughter?

"Aria," I said carefully, "why would you think that about Mr. Night specifically? Christopher is nice to you too. So is Marcus from my office."

Aria wrinkled her nose. "They're different. Mr. Night feels right."

I leaned forward, my voice growing serious. "Aria, I need you to be honest with me. Did Mr. Night suggest that he could be your father? Did he tell you to think of him that way?"

"No!" Aria looked genuinely surprised by the question. "I asked him first. Right, Ethan?"

To my surprise, Ethan nodded firmly. "Mama, Ethan can confirm Aria is telling the truth. She asked him first."

I sighed, momentarily relieved yet still troubled. "Aria, you can't just ask strangers to be your father. That's not how it works."

"But he's not a stranger anymore," Aria protested. "And I like him. He feels like a daddy should feel."

"What do you mean?" I asked, my heart in my throat.

Aria shrugged, struggling to articulate her feelings. "I don't know. He's just... he feels right. Ethan likes him too."

I turned to my son, whose cheeks flushed instantly.

"N-no, I don't," Ethan stammered, avoiding my gaze. "Ethan doesn't like Mr. Night."

His denial was so transparently false that I almost smiled despite my concerns. After a moment, Ethan looked up, his expression worried.

"Mama, do you not want us to be around Mr. Night?"

The direct question caught me off guard. I hesitated, uncertain how to respond without revealing my complicated history with Sean.

"It's getting late," I said finally. "Why don't you both go get ready for bed? We can talk more tomorrow."

After tucking the twins in, I retreated to my bedroom, pulling out my phone. I opened WhatsApp and stared at Mr. Night's contact information.

I scrolled through our previous conversations, seeing them now in an entirely new light. Sean had been watching the twins' Instagram account, donating money, communicating with me through comments, all while keeping his true identity hidden.

The timeline suddenly made sense. Sean must have only recently discovered the twins' existence, likely through Olivia after my return to New York.

If he had known earlier that the Instagram twins he'd been following were his own children, he would have flown to Italy immediately.

I set my phone down, my decision made. Tomorrow at lunch, I would go to the school and confirm what I already knew in my heart to be true.

The next day, I pulled up to the school just as the lunch hour began. My suspicions were immediately confirmed when I spotted the familiar black Bentley parked near the entrance.

"That must be Sean's car," I murmured to myself, my knuckles whitening as I gripped the steering wheel. "I knew something was off about that vehicle. I even tried knocking on its window before. My instincts weren't wrong after all."

The security guard at the gate recognized me immediately. "Ms. Wilson, what brings you here at this hour?"

"I had some free time and thought I'd surprise the children," I replied smoothly. "May I go in?"

"Of course," the guard nodded. "There's another parent who came to have lunch with the children. Been coming regularly lately."

My pulse quickened. "Is that so?"

"Yes, very nice gentleman. I've seen your children playing with his relative quite often." The guard smiled kindly. "If you hurry, you might join them for lunch."

"I'll do that," I replied, my voice betraying none of the storm brewing inside me. As I walked toward the school building, a cold smile touched my lips.

Lunch together? That's never going to happen.