~Katherine's POV
My hand was already on the door handle, but my fingers froze around it. I could feel anger rising inside me like heat spreading through my chest.
I wanted to turn around and yell at Aaron.
I wanted to ask him how he could stand there after five years and start asking such stupid, insulting questions. I wanted to remind him that he had no right to ask anything about my life anymore.
But then another thought crossed my mind.
He is not worth it.
Slowly, I let out a quiet breath and turned around to face him again.
Aaron was watching me closely, waiting for an answer.
I forced a small smile, though there was nothing warm in it.
"You can think whatever you want," I said calmly.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"That's not an answer," he replied.
"It is the only answer you are getting," I said.
I began walking toward the door again, but before I could open it, Aaron stepped forward.
"Katherine," he said.
His voice carried a tone that made me pause for a moment, and I could feel the weight behind it even before I turned around. It was not angry, and it was not harsh either, but there was something firm in it. It sounded determined, like he had made up his mind that he was not going to let the conversation end so easily.
I closed my eyes briefly because I was trying very hard to keep my patience. The last thing I wanted was to lose control in front of him. After everything that had happened between us in the past, I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me lose my composure.
"Aaron," I said slowly as I turned back toward him again. I forced my voice to remain calm even though my chest already felt tight. "I really need to go."
But he did not move from where he was standing. Instead, he took a small step forward, and his eyes stayed fixed on my face as though he was studying every reaction I made.
"You disappeared," he said quietly. His voice had become softer now, but the seriousness in it was still there. "Five years ago, you vanished without saying anything. And now suddenly you have twins who look like…"
That was the moment my patience snapped completely.
"I disappeared, or you did! You left me alone," I muttered.
I turned fully toward him before he could even finish the sentence, and the anger that I had been holding inside all day suddenly rushed out.
"I said I NEED TO GO!" I shouted.
The sound of my voice echoed slightly through the quiet office, and for a brief moment, even I was surprised by how loud it had come out.
Aaron looked startled when he heard me yell. He did not look scared, but he clearly had not expected that reaction from me. His brows lifted slightly as he watched me.
My chest was rising and falling quickly as I tried to calm myself again. I could feel the tension running through my whole body, and my hands tightened around the strap of my bag.
"I have children waiting for me," I said firmly after taking a breath. I tried to make my voice steadier this time, even though the anger was still there. "And I will not stand here answering questions that are none of your business."
Aaron did not respond right away. Instead, he simply looked at me, and the silence between us felt heavy. For a moment, it seemed like he wanted to say something else, but the words never came.
So we just stood there staring at each other.
Then I turned around again, opened the office door, and walked out without looking back at him.
My heels tapped quickly against the hallway floor as I walked toward Mathew's office.
Aaron's words kept replaying in my head.
They look like me.
I pushed the thought away because I knew thinking about Aaron at that moment would only make everything worse. My head was already full, and the only thing I wanted was to see my children. So I walked quickly down the hallway toward Mathew's office, and each step felt a little lighter the closer I got there.
Before I could even knock on the door, it suddenly opened.
"Mommy!"
Hanith ran straight toward me with his arms wide open and a big smile on his face. Right behind him came Jasmine, her little arms stretched out just like her brother's as she hurried toward me.
The moment I saw them, something inside my chest softened immediately. All the anger and tension I had been carrying since my conversation with Aaron slowly began to melt away.
"My babies," I whispered.
I dropped my bag on the floor and quickly knelt so I could hug them both at the same time. They wrapped their small arms around my neck and squeezed tightly. Their hair smelled like crayons and the sweet little snacks Mathew always kept in his office for them, and that simple, familiar smell made me feel calm again.
"We missed you!" Jasmine said happily while looking up at me with bright eyes.
"I missed you too," I replied as I kissed her cheek and brushed Hanith's hair gently with my hand.
Behind them, Mathew was sitting at his desk watching us, and he had a warm and gentle smile on his face.
"Well," he said as he leaned back comfortably in his chair, "I see the reunion has begun."
I let out a small laugh and stood up slowly while still holding Jasmine's hand. Hanith stayed close to my side as we walked toward the chairs in front of Mathew's desk.
"How did everything go?" Mathew asked as he folded his hands on the table.
I let out a deep sigh and sank into the chair across from him while the twins moved to the small corner of the office where Mathew kept toys for them. They immediately began playing with some little building blocks and a toy car while talking quietly to each other.
"It went exactly the way I expected," I said quietly as I rubbed my forehead.
Mathew raised one eyebrow slightly when he heard that.
"Aaron?" he asked.
I nodded slowly because there was no need to explain further.
"He thinks the kids are his," I said after a moment.
Mathew leaned back in his chair and let out a slow breath while staring at the ceiling for a second as if he was thinking carefully about what to say next.
"Well…" he began slowly and cautiously. "To be fair…"
I lifted my head and looked at him because I already had a feeling about what he was going to say.
"…even I can see the resemblance," he finished quietly.
I sighed again and rubbed my forehead because the whole situation was beginning to feel heavier than I wanted to admit. My head felt tight from thinking too much, and the memory of Aaron's face when he saw the twins was still fresh in my mind.
"Please do not start," I said tiredly as I looked at Mathew.