They were standing at the airport a week later.
Valerie watched Little Roe sucking on a lollipop in her brother's arm. Despite being clumsy, she could tell Victor was making an effort.
The whole week he played Little Roe's punishment games and bought him all sorts of toys to earn his forgiveness.
Though her son was getting along with her brother, she was still pissed.
"Then I will see you in a week." Victor passed Little Roe to her.
An urgent matter had come up, and he had to stay for another day.
"Sure." She said, busy fiddling with Roe's hair.
He took a long look at her and sighed. She was still not talking to him.
"Remember, don't meet him till I'm back. Even if he calls you, make excuses. We need to be very cautious when dealing with him."
Valerie nodded.
He cupped Little Roe's face. "Little man, we are good now, right?"
Roe pouted in thought before nodding.
He popped the lollipop to point at him. "Yes! But you promised to take me to a big bounce house."
Victor couldn't help laughing. He couldn't deny that when Little Roe was like this, he resembled his sister's childhood.
"It's a promise. Take care of your mother for me, okay?" He ruffled his hair, feeling guilt as Valerie glared at him from the side.
Several hours later, when they got off the plane, Valerie was shocked by a crowd of reporters in front.
"What is this...?"
She was popular in the European art scene, but she hadn't seen such a crowd of reporters.
Shocked, she quickly took off her scarf to wrap around Little Roe's neck, but it barely covered half his face. Fretting, she buried his face in her neck.
But before she could go far, a sleek black car stopped before them.
The door was opened and Valerie stopped in her tracks.
Azrael Hawthorne!
He smoothly got out of the backseat.
Her grip around Little Roe tightened. For a moment, she couldn't process what she was seeing.
Didn't he want to meet her privately to keep quiet? What was he doing here now?
Her skin prickled as if tiny needles as he was walking toward them. Azrael's gaze briefly passed over Little Roe before settling on Valerie.
He smiled, leaning in to whisper. "Get in."
The flashes of cameras quickly followed as the reporters immediately swarmed them.
"Mr. Hawthorne, is it true you were involved with Ms. Sinclair despite being engaged?"
"Mr. Hawthorne, can you confirm if Roman Sinclair is your biological child?"
"Is it true that the merger with the Whites is now at risk of falling apart?"
Azrael gave a side smirk to the reporters. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her to the car.
Looking at the crowd, she didn't dare create a scene. Instead, she forced a smile till she got inside the car.
Little Roe's round jumped between them, trying to recognize him
Azrael's gaze was fixed on her while she avoided even looking at him, keeping her attention on the passing scenery instead.
"Cop Uncle!"
Roe wiggled out of Valerie's lap, which made her immediately tense.
"R-Roe…"
Little Roe tried to take off the scarf. "Huff... You're the Cop Uncle!" Valerie helped him out of the scarf, and he didn't take a moment to get in Azreal's face. "You saved Roe before!"
Azrael paused before glancing at Valerie who was trying to pull Little Roe back.
"R-Roe baby, you are being rude…"
But Azrael was faster. He picked him up, making him sit on his own lap. His expression softened.
"So you remember."
Little Roe nodded eagerly. "Roe remembers! Cop Uncle saved Roe!"
Azrael's jaw clenched, but he smiled softly. "I'm not a cop."
Little Roe tilted his round head to blink in confusion.
"My name is Azrael,"
"Oh… Uncle Azrael!"
Valerie swallowed hard. She couldn't tell what he was trying to do here.
"Wrong againe." Chuckling, Azrael knocked his head lightly. "I'm your father."
Valerie's head snapped up at that. For a moment, she stared at him in disbelief, her chest tightening.
He was engaged, yet he was saying this so easily in front of a child, as if it meant nothing!
Little Roe pouted before slowly shaking his head. "No… Roe's daddy is a soldier. He's on a secret mission in heaven!"
Azrael's expression darkened as he turned his glare on her. She quickly looked away.
"I'm a soldier. I served in the Army."
Little Roe hopefully looked at her. "Mama… is Cop Uncle really Daddy?"
Valerie hesitated, but he was sharply glaring at her. She broke out in cold sweat. "R-Roe, he..."
Little Roe looked between them again before wriggling a brow. "Mama… is he daddy or not?"
"He…" Valerie's voice faltered under Azrael's gaze. "Y-yes… but…"
Little Roe's eyes widened in surprise. "Then… is Daddy's mission in heaven done? But Mama said Daddy will stay there now…"
Azrael gently patted hi. "Yes, but I had to come back because Roe was lost."
"Daddy came back for me?" Little Roe's tears spilled even as he tried to hold back his sniffles. "Then… will you go back to heaven now?"
"No," Azrael answered. "The mission is over now."
Little Roe studied his face as if trying to decide whether to believe him. "R-Really?"
Azrael nodded. "I'm not leaving again."
Bursting into loud sobs, his son hugged him tightly.
"Daddy…"
Azrael went still for a brief second before slowly wrapping his arms around him, feeling a strange warmth spreading in his chest.
"We can play all you want and do everything we missed," Azreal romised quietly.
Little Roe nodded against his chest, holding onto him as if afraid he might disappear again.
Valerie's heart clenched.
This was exactly what she had been afraid of. Little Roe was a tender baby; just the thought of him hurting later made her chest feel heavier.
"Easy there, boy," Azrael patted his back, softly glancing at the little boy. "I'm here now."
Little Roe sobbed harder. When Azrael finally looked at Valerie, she was glaring at him like he was scum on Earth.
He smirked at the kitten finally baring her claws. "I'll take responsibility for my child."
Valerie's heart skipped at his words, and she immediately doubled down her glare but nobody was looking at her anymore.
Roe stood up on his lap and was whispering in Azrael's ear, who whispered back to him. From time to time, Little Roe would sneakily glance at her before quickly whispering something in Azreal's ear.
She felt irritated and angry but held herself back in front of Little Roe.
No matter how he smiled at their son or how different he seemed right now, she couldn't forgive him for what he did today.
Now her son would forever be labelled a bastard!
Her eyes pricked with tears. She should never have come back!
The car, to her surprise, stopped in front of her house. She quickly got out of her thoughts.
Before Azrael could say anything, Valerie quickly stepped out of the car grabbing Little Roe in her arms. Her aunt was already waiting by the entrance.
"Valerie, look how you have grown—"
"Auntie, take him inside," Valerie's voice was tight as she placed Little Roe into her aunt's arms.
"M-Mama?" But Little Roe grabbed her sleeve.
"I'll be right back," she said quickly, adding a forced smile.
Before anyone could stop her, Valerie turned around and walked straight back to the car slammed the door shut.
"You called the reporters, didn't you?"