Monday mornings at the office were always hectic.
Phones rang endlessly, employees hurried through hallways with coffee in hand, and the steady clacking of keyboards filled the air.
Alexandria Bolivar had barely settled at her desk when a familiar voice interrupted her concentration.
"Ms. Bolivar."
She looked up.
Yujiro stood before her, immaculate as ever in a charcoal suit. His expression was composed, but there was a subtle sharpness in his gaze she hadn't noticed before.
"Mr. Yujiro."
"My office. Ten minutes."
"Yes, sir."
As he walked away, Alex released a quiet breath.
Three months.
Three months of working under him.
Three months of carefully maintaining boundaries.
Yet after Friday evening, something had shifted.
She just didn't know what.
---
Alex knocked lightly on the office door.
"Come in."
Yujiro sat behind his desk, several files spread before him.
"Take a seat."
Alex obeyed.
"I reviewed the Henderson proposal," he began.
"There were no errors."
"Thank you."
He folded his hands together.
"You've consistently exceeded expectations."
Alex blinked.
Compliments from Yujiro were rare enough to be alarming.
"I appreciate that."
Silence.
Then—
"How was your weekend?"
Alex stared at him.
"...Excuse me?"
Yujiro seemed almost annoyed with himself.
"It was a simple question."
"It was... good."
"Did you spend it with family?"
Alex's fingers tightened around her notebook.
"...Yes."
His dark eyes observed her carefully.
"You seem close."
Alex hesitated.
"We are."
Another pause.
Then, almost casually
"You mentioned responsibilities outside work."
"I do."
"What kind?"
The question was deceptively calm.
Alex met his gaze.
"Personal ones."
Yujiro held her stare for a moment longer before leaning back in his chair.
"I see."
No, he didn't.
But for the first time since meeting her again, he wanted to.
---
That afternoon, Alex stepped outside during lunch to answer a call.
"Hi, sweetheart."
"Mama!"
Yuto's excited voice made her smile immediately.
"When are you coming home?"
"Later tonight."
"Can you bring ice cream?"
Alex laughed softly.
"We'll see."
"Please?"
"You know what?"
"What?"
"If you finish all your vegetables tonight..."
"...Even broccoli?"
"Especially broccoli."
Yuto groaned dramatically.
"Okay."
"I love you."
"I love you too, Mama!"
Alex ended the call with a warmth that eased the tension in her shoulders.
"You have a child."
Alex froze.
Her head snapped toward the voice.
Yujiro stood a few feet away.
He had apparently stepped outside without her noticing.
Her heart stopped.
"...What?"
"You said 'Mama.'"
His expression remained unreadable.
"But the way you spoke..."
He paused.
"...You have a child."
It wasn't a question.
It was an observation.
Alex swallowed.
Years of carefully protecting Yuto flashed through her mind.
Finally, she answered.
"...Yes."
Yujiro's gaze sharpened.
"You never mentioned that."
"You never asked."
Silence settled between them.
Then—
"How old?"
Alex's pulse quickened.
Too dangerous.
Too close.
"Old enough to hate broccoli."
To her surprise, Yujiro let out the faintest exhale through his nose.
Not quite a laugh.
But close.
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you're getting."
He studied her.
"You don't have to look terrified, Ms. Bolivar."
"I'm not terrified."
"You've been trying to end this conversation for the last thirty seconds."
Alex sighed.
"My son is private."
The words softened her voice immediately.
"He didn't choose to be part of my life circumstances."
Yujiro noticed it.
The fierce protectiveness.
The unconditional love.
It transformed her.
"You love him very much."
Alex didn't hesitate.
"More than anything."
Something unfamiliar tightened in Yujiro's chest.
Without warning, a memory surfaced.
Three years ago.
The woman beside him laughing under dim lights.
Eyes bright.
Alive.
He blinked.
Alexandria Bolivar.
The woman before him.
The devoted mother speaking about her child.
The pieces refused to fit neatly together.
And yet...
they felt connected.
"He's fortunate," Yujiro said quietly.
Alex looked genuinely surprised.
"What?"
"Your son."
His gaze softened almost imperceptibly.
"He's fortunate to have someone who would protect him so fiercely."
For a moment, the tension between them disappeared.
"Thank you."
Then Yujiro asked the question that made Alex's heart stumble.
"Are you married?"
Alex stared at him.
"No."
"Engaged?"
"No."
"His father?"
The warmth vanished instantly.
Alex's expression closed off.
"We're done discussing my personal life, Mr. Yujiro."
Her tone wasn't rude.
Just final.
Yujiro noticed.
He had pushed too far.
"Understood."
Alex stood from her seat.
"If that's all, I have reports to finish."
"...That's all."
She left without another word.
---
That evening, Yujiro found himself unable to focus.
His pen hovered above a document.
Unmoving.
She wasn't married.
No ring.
No fiancé.
A son she fiercely protected.
A father she refused to discuss.
Why?
He stared out the office window overlooking the city below.
He didn't understand why any of it mattered.
Why Alexandria Bolivar's guarded expression lingered in his thoughts.
Why the image of her smiling as she spoke to her child refused to leave him.
Or why one simple fact echoed repeatedly in his mind.
She had a son.
Meanwhile, miles away, Yuto sat cross-legged on the living room floor, proudly holding up a drawing.
"Mama, look!"
Alex smiled.
"What is it?"
"Our family!"
She examined the picture.
One stick figure with long hair.
One tiny figure beside her.
And an empty space drawn on the other side.
Alex's smile faltered.
"Sweetheart..."
Yuto tilted his head.
"I left room."
"For what?"
His bright eyes sparkled with innocent hope.
"For when Daddy comes."
Alex hugged him before he could notice the tears gathering in her eyes.
Somewhere across the city, Yujiro stared into the night sky, unaware that the little boy he'd spent the entire afternoon thinking about had unknowingly left a place for him in a crayon drawing.
A place in a family he didn't know was already his.
— End of Chapter 6 —