Ethan Cross wasn’t used to surprises. As the CEO of a billion-dollar tech empire, he controlled every aspect of his life—right down to his private jet. But when an unexpected malfunction forced him onto a commercial flight, fate had other plans.
He barely noticed the woman boarding with two little boys until she sat right beside him. Then, recognition struck like lightning. Isabelle. The woman he once loved—the one who had walked away without explanation.
And the boys? They had his eyes. His smile. His restless energy.
“Isabelle,” he said, his voice low. “Are they…?”
She met his gaze, her expression unreadable. “Yes. They’re yours.”
The revelation left him reeling. He had missed their first steps, their first words—everything.
“You should have told me,” he said, anger and regret warring in his chest.
“I tried,” she whispered. “You were gone.”
The words stung. Had he been so consumed by success that he’d lost sight of what mattered?
By the time the plane touched down, Ethan knew one thing for certain: he wouldn’t let history repeat itself.
Over the next few days, he proved himself—not with grand gestures, but with quiet presence. Bedtime stories. Endless games of hide-and-seek. Patient answers to their endless “why” questions.
And when the time came to say goodbye, he made a promise—one he intended to keep.
