Sophia had only stepped out for a five-minute call.
Ethan was supposed to be coloring in the hospital lounge while Adrian finished a surgery.
Instead, he stood in the hallway now—clutching a crayon in one hand and his stuffed lion in the other, facing a nurse who was looking at him kindly.
"Where's your mom, sweetheart?" the nurse asked.
Ethan hesitated, then looked toward the double doors where Adrian was walking out, mask pulled down, tired but smiling.
"There!" Ethan pointed excitedly. "That's my dad!"
The hallway froze.
Adrian stopped mid-step. His breath caught.
Nurse Karen blinked. "Dr.Adrian is your… dad?"
Ethan nodded proudly. "Yeah! My daddy. He's the best heart doctor ever!"
Adrian felt the world slow. His heartbeat thundered in his chest.
Daddy.
It wasn't part of the contract.
It wasn't rehearsed.
It was real.
The moment Sophia returned, she saw the way everyone looked at Adrian with new eyes—and the way Adrian looked at Ethan like he was the only person on Earth.
Later that night, in the parking lot, Sophia broke the silence.
"You heard him."
Adrian's voice trembled. "I did."
"He's confused," she said, almost defensively.
But Adrian shook his head. "No. He's finally sure."
He took a deep breath, his eyes glistening. "Sophia, I don't care about the contract anymore. I want to be his father… with or without your permission."
She stared at him.
And for the first time in years, the woman who had everything—power, money, success—felt utterly powerless against the sound of her son calling another man "Dad."