His Knees, His Pleas, But Our Son's in Peace

I couldn't help but smile as I looked at my son. He had indeed grown, both physically and mentally. He ran up to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "Mom! You're back!" His excitement was infectious, and I hugged him tightly. "Of course, I'm back," I said, brushing a hand through his hair. "And I've missed you so much."

On the way home, Cyrus sat in the backseat, chattering excitedly about his time at Carlos's house. "Mom, you're doing so well with your work," he said proudly. "I promise, when I grow up, I'll help you and always be there for you."

His words warmed my heart. Cyrus was growing up too fast, but I was glad to see he was already thinking about how to support me in the future. "Thank you, sweetheart," I replied softly. "That means everything to me."

Just as life was starting to settle down, something unexpected happened. I was driving towards the office one afternoon when I saw her-Sienna, walking down the street with Asher. My heart stopped, and my entire body tensed. Anger surged through me, and I felt a tingling in my limbs, as if I couldn't move. Tina, my wolf, let out a howl of pain inside me, reflecting the deep hurt I was feeling.

Before I knew it, I had pulled over, thrown open the door, and started chasing after her. But Sienna, as if sensing my presence, disappeared into the crowd before I could reach her. My body was trembling, and Tina cursed Nathan with venomous anger. My thoughts quickly turned to Nathan. Why was Sienna walking around freely? He had promised me that she would face consequences.

Without thinking, I headed straight to Nathan's office. I stormed past his secretary, who tried to stop me. "Doris, wait! He's in an important meeting," she said, but I ignored her, too filled with rage to care. Eventually, she relented, and I burst into the meeting room, all eyes

on me.

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"Nathan," I said, my voice trembling with anger. "Why did you bail out Sienna?"

Nathan looked genuinely confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked, standing up from his seat. "I haven't bailed her out. I have no idea where she is."

I didn't believe him. "Don't lie to me!" I shouted, the pain in my chest almost unbearable. "I saw her today. She's walking around freely, as if nothing happened. How could you let her go?"

Nathan moved toward me, gently taking my arm. "Doris, calm down. I don't know what's going on, but I swear, I didn't help her.'

I stood there, struggling to regain control of my emotions, when a voice cut through the tense air. It was a voice I hadn't heard in years, but it was unmistakable. I turned, and there he was-my father, Stefan. For a moment, I froze. It felt like time had collapsed, and I was once again the little girl he barely acknowledged.

Stefan had always been a stranger to me, despite being my father. He was never the loving, supportive figure I needed growing up. Instead, he had always shown a blatant preference for my sister, Sienna.

No matter what I did, it was never enough for him. My accomplishments were invisible in comparison to hers, and the little attention I craved was always withheld, leaving me in her shadow.

I could still remember countless moments from my childhood, moments when I tried so hard to win his approval. There was that time I brought home a report card filled with good grades. I was so proud, hoping he'd finally notice me. I showed it to him at the dinner table, my heart racing with anticipation. But all he said was, "That's nice, Doris," barely glancing at it before turning his attention to Sienna. She was showing off a simple drawing she had made. He gushed over it, praising her talent as if it were the greatest work of art. The sting of that moment still burned inside me, a reminder of how little I mattered to him.

The worst memory, though, was when my parents initially decided to divorce. I

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was just a child, confused and scared, trying to make sense of why our family was breaking apart.

But what hurt the most wasn't the divorce itself-it was what followed. During the custody discussions, Stefan made it clear that he only wanted to take Sienna. I overheard the conversation between him and my mother. He insisted that Sienna was more fragile, more in need of him. "Doris will be fine with you," he had said dismissively, as if my needs were irrelevant. He didn't fight for me, didn't even seem to care. I remember standing in the hallway, heartbroken, wondering why I wasn't worth fighting for. Why didn't he want me? Now, seeing him again after all these years, all those old wounds reopened. The years of neglect, the favoritism, the emotional distance-it all came flooding back. Stefan still looked at me with the same cold indifference. Even after so long, I was still invisible to him. His attention was elsewhere, as if I was nothing more than a shadow in the room.