Alexander hadn’t expected her to show up.
Cassandra leaned in, her voice low. “Is that your ex-wife?”
He nodded, distracted.
“And… the kids?” she asked, eyeing the twins.
He quickly replied, “Must be someone else’s,” though his stomach knotted.

As Lila approached, a hushed silence fell over the crowd. She stopped a few feet from him, the twins standing close by her side.
“Hello, Alexander,” she said, her voice even.
He forced a smile. “Lila. Glad you could make it.”
She glanced around the lavish surroundings. “It’s… quite the display.”
He chuckled lightly. “What can I say? Things have changed.”
Her eyebrow arched. “Yes, they have.”
Alexander’s eyes shifted to the children, who were now quietly staring up at him. His throat tightened.
“Friends of yours?” he asked, though deep down, he already suspected the truth.
“They’re yours,” Lila replied calmly. “These are your children.”
