I didn't believe it at first.
Even when they said it earlier—
That the boy reminded them of me—
I brushed it off.
Coincidence.
That's all it was supposed to be.
But now…
Sitting here—
Watching him—
It didn't feel like coincidence anymore.
Xayden.
The way he frowned.
The way he focused.
That small crease between his brows—
It felt…
Too familiar.
"Dad."
Xavier's voice pulled me back.
"Yes?"
He pointed at the boy.
"Don't you think he acts like you?"
I let out a small breath.
Almost a laugh.
But it didn't come out.
Because when I looked again—
I saw it.
Clearer this time.
That expression.
The same one I used to have…
Back then.
Before everything changed.
"You used to look like that when you were working," Xavier added casually.
I didn't respond.
Because something else started to surface.
A memory.
Her.
Anna.
Six years ago.
We didn't end because we stopped loving each other.
We ended because…
We weren't allowed to continue.
My mom never approved.
Never even tried to.
And Anna—
She didn't fight.
She just…
Left.
No explanation.
No goodbye.
One day she was there.
The next—
Gone.
I searched.
Called.
Waited.
Nothing.
It was like she erased herself from my life completely.
And now—
She's here.
Standing in her house.
Smiling like everything is fine.
With two kids.
Six years old.
My chest tightened slightly.
No.
It's just timing.
It has to be.
But then—
Why does it feel like something doesn't add up?
I shifted my gaze to her.
Anna.
She was calm.
Too calm.
Careful with her words.
Careful with her reactions.
Avoiding certain conversations.
Avoiding…
Me.
That wasn't her.
Not the Anna I knew.
Because the Anna I knew—
Would look straight into my eyes.
No matter what.
But just now—
When our eyes met—
She looked away first.
And that…
That stayed with me.
I leaned back slightly, watching the kids again.
The girl—
Xia.
More like her.
But the boy—
I clenched my jaw.
No.
I'm overthinking.
I have to be.
Because if I'm not—
Then it means…
There's something she never told me.
Something big enough—
To change everything I thought I knew.
"Yushen."
I blinked.
Nic was talking to me.
"You okay?"
"Yeah," I replied shortly.
But I wasn't.
Because my mind—
Was no longer in this room.
It was stuck somewhere between the past—
And whatever this is now.
And one thing became clear.
I didn't just want answers.
I needed them.
Because this time—
If Anna walks away again—
I won't let it happen without the truth.