The Reunion" (Rylan's POV)
The airport was loud, full of chatter and rolling suitcases, but Rylan barely noticed. His attention was on one thing: moving forward.
He carried Lila in one arm, Leo holding tightly to his other hand, while Max trailed behind with their luggage, joking and teasing the twins to keep them entertained. The children were restless, but clingy, as always—Leo's curiosity already pulling him toward the glass walls and the endless stream of strangers, Lila's gentle fingers gripping his shirt as if letting go meant vanishing.
Rylan's mind, however, was a fortress. He had a goal. Stay calm. Don't let anyone—especially Kia—see what he was really feeling.
And then… he saw him.
Kia.
He had been waiting. Expecting. Maybe even imagining this reunion a thousand different ways. But Rylan didn't let it affect him. He adjusted the twins, straightened his back, and walked with the same calm, collected presence he had carried for the past five years.
No emotion showed on his face. Blank. Nonchalant. Controlled.
Kia's eyes widened as he saw the twins clinging to Rylan's arms. The way his gaze lingered, the subtle hesitation, told Rylan exactly what he was thinking. Shock. Confusion. A mix of hope and fear.
Good.
Rylan kept moving, letting the children giggle and chatter around him, showing no recognition, no softness, no trace of the boy who had once cried for Kia in his dorm room. Max walked close, effortlessly keeping the twins entertained, his presence natural and protective.
The twins tugged at Rylan, whispering little excited questions. "Papa, who's that?" Leo asked.
Rylan glanced down at him, smiling faintly. "Someone we know," he said vaguely, letting the words hang without explanation.
Lila leaned against his chest, hiding her face. "He looks… funny," she whispered.
Rylan chuckled softly, adjusting her in his arms. "Let's keep going. Don't worry too much about him."
And as they moved forward, Rylan let his eyes briefly meet Kia's.
Kia looked the same—sharp, handsome, still commanding in his presence. But Rylan felt nothing… at least, nothing that Kia could see. There was no spark, no longing, no sign that the past still mattered. Just… the man who had once hurt him deeply, standing there, waiting, and perhaps hoping.
Rylan's wolf stirred, sensing the tension, the unspoken history between them. But he kept it buried, folded neatly behind the calm mask he wore so well.
He would not give Kia the satisfaction of seeing him broken, not here, not now.
This was his life. His family. His children. His rules.
And Kia… well, Kia would have to learn that some things were no longer his to touch.
Then Kia called his name.
"Rylan…"
Just the sound of it, soft, hesitant, familiar. Rylan's chest tightened. Only God knew how much he wanted to turn around, to run into Kia's arms, to let the years of longing and heartbreak consume him. His body reacted instinctively—the heat, the ache, the memories—but he forced himself to stay calm, to stay in control. He would not falter here, not in front of the children, not in front of Max, not in front of Kia.
He took a slow, steadying breath, lifting Lila slightly higher and letting Leo cling to his side. The twins chattered and tugged at him, oblivious to the storm inside him, grounding him to the present.
Rylan turned slightly, just enough to face Kia, his expression carefully neutral, nonchalant. His voice was smooth, polite, but carried a firmness that left no room for doubt:
"Mr. Kia," he said. "I know we are collaborating, but that is still for tomorrow. So, if you would excuse me, I would have to take my children to rest."
He nodded lightly, deliberately avoiding any trace of the boy Kia once knew. Then, without another word, he walked away, carrying his little family forward through the busy airport. Leo gripped his hip, Lila clung to his other side, and Max adjusted the luggage behind them, keeping the flow of the group steady as they moved.
Kia froze, eyes following him. Shock and disbelief twisted his heart—twins, a friend, a life he hadn't known existed, all wrapped around the man he had loved for years. And Rylan's face… blank, calm, nonchalant. No spark of recognition, no sign of longing. Just… control.
It hurt Kia more than he could bear. Every step Rylan took away from him felt like a cruel reminder of what he had lost, what he had allowed to slip through his fingers. And yet, despite the calm mask, he couldn't deny it—his heart was still screaming for him, still craving what had been, still aching for the man who had walked away from him, carrying the life Kia had never imagined.
Rylan's steps didn't falter. The children's laughter, Max's playful teasing, the weight of responsibility on his shoulders—all kept him anchored. But inside, deep down, he was burning. Every syllable of Kia's voice, every heartbeat of longing, threatened to break through the wall he had built.
And yet… he didn't. Not now. Not here. Not ever.