THE LOST HEIRESS RETURNS AFTER DIVORCE
Chapter 23: forever, Mommy

Chapter 23: forever, Mommy

Heather stepped out of her car and shut the door with a little more force than she meant to. The cold breeze rushed at her, sending a shiver down her spine.

She pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders. Today was unusually windy, and it felt like the chill in the air matched the tension sitting heavy in her chest.

She had left the set early, mumbling something vague about an "emergency." It wasn’t exactly a lie—she did have somewhere important to be—but it wasn’t the kind of emergency anyone expected.

Still, a small white lie wouldn’t hurt anyone, right?

Heather’s lips curled into a small, fleeting smile as she approached the daycare.

Outside, other parents moved in and out—some mothers in yoga pants and ponytails, a few tired-looking single dads juggling bags and lunchboxes.

It was a scene she’d quietly come to appreciate. Peaceful and normal. But she barely noticed it today.

Her eyes were focused on one person.

"You ready to go, Alex?"

There he was, standing behind the daycare gate with his backpack slung loosely over one shoulder and a bright green lunchbox clutched in one hand.

His sneakers were still clean, his shirt tucked neatly into his pants, and not a single curl on his head out of place.

He never came out looking like other kids—no muddy shoes, no sticky hands. He preferred reading over running, quiet over chaos. Heather loved that about him.

Alex nodded eagerly. His curls bounced with the motion.

"I’ve been waiting forever, Mommy."

Heather opened the gate and crouched down to his level. "Forever, huh? Well, I’m here now."

He handed her the lunchbox and immediately wrapped his arms around her neck in a tight hug.

"I missed you," he whispered.

"I missed you too, baby," she said softly, hugging him back.

After a moment, she stood and took his hand. "Let’s go."

Five years ago, Heather had been told she lost him. The fall during her pregnancy was bad—bad enough that the doctors at the first hospital told her he hadn’t made it.

But after she left Caius, weeks later, her body told her something different.

She still felt sick. Her belly began to swell again. When she finally went for a second opinion, another hospital confirmed what her heart had already suspected: her baby had survived.

The first report had been wrong. Against all odds, Alex had made it.

They reached the car, and Heather helped him into the backseat. She slid in beside him and pulled him closer.

"So, where do you want to go first, birthday boy?"

It was his birthday today, and Heather had promised herself long ago that no matter how hectic her life became, she would always make time for him. He deserved that.

Alex tilted his head thoughtfully. "I know!" he said, eyes lighting up. "I want to go to Daddy’s company!"

Heather’s heart skipped a beat. "What?"

"VestorCorp," he said cheerfully. "I want to go there and see it."

She stared at him, stunned. How did he know about Caius? She had never told him.

Whenever he asked about his father, she kept the answer simple—he was away, or gone, nothing more.

She had definitely never mentioned the company, and certainly not its name.

"How do you know about that?" Her voice came out sharper than she intended.

Alex hesitated. "I read about it on the internet," he said after a pause. "That’s how I know about Daddy."

"What did you just say?"

"I read about Daddy on the internet," he repeated. "It’s easy to find stuff about him."

Heather’s brain stalled. Her mouth opened, then closed again. How had he even gotten access to the internet? She didn’t let him use it, not freely. His iPad didn’t even connect to Wi-Fi.

"How? How did you get online? You don’t have a phone. Your iPad’s offline."

Alex gave an innocent shrug. "Well... I heard you and Aunt Penny talking about him one night when you thought I was asleep. I didn’t mean to hear it, I just did."

Heather exhaled, already knowing where this was going.

"So, when Aunt Penny gave me her phone to play a game, I searched his name," he continued. "Oh! But Mommy... she looks up weird stuff about sausages. Like, all kinds of sausages. There were a lot of searches like, ’men with big saus—’"

"Alex," Heather quickly raised a hand, cutting him off. "Stop right there."

He blinked, confused by her reaction.

"You shouldn’t be listening to private conversations," she said, her voice low but firm. "And you definitely shouldn’t be using someone else’s phone like that."

"But Aunt Penny let me."

"I don’t care who let you. From now on, no phones. No screens. Understood?"

Alex nodded, his eyes wide. "Yes, Mommy... I’m sorry."

Heather sighed and softened her tone. "It’s alright. Just... no more sneaking around, okay? Let’s talk about something else. What do you want to do for your birthday?"

Alex thought for a moment, tapping his chin with a little smile. "Hmm... how about the science exhibit?"

Heather raised a brow. "Science? Where?"

"At the Innovation Center," he said matter-of-factly.

Heather blinked. How did he even know that place existed? He was just turning five. Did he search for that too?

But she didn’t press it. "Alright. The Innovation Center it is."

They drove in silence for a bit. When they arrived, Marcus—her newly assigned bodyguard—was already trailing closely behind.

Manager Sheng had insisted she have security now that she was becoming more recognizable in public.

But as they approached the entrance, Alex kept glancing back at Marcus. His small face was pinched in a frown.

Heather noticed. "What’s wrong?" she asked.

"Mommy..." he said carefully, choosing his words. "Can we go in just us? I want it to be our day. Just you and me. Like it used to be. Before the bodyguard came."

Heather hesitated. It was a good point, and a convincing one. Logical, even.

Marcus following them around would make the experience less fun, less personal. And truthfully, it was crowded. He’d only draw more attention.

"Alright," she said gently, turning to Marcus. "Stay in the car. We won’t be long."

Marcus looked uncertain, but nodded. "Text me if anything—"

"I will."

Heather adjusted her sunglasses as they entered. "Stick close to me, alright?"

Alex nodded.

They spent the next hour exploring the exhibits. Alex moved excitedly from display to display, rattling off random facts that made Heather blink in surprise.

"Did you know robots can perform surgery now?" he asked, pointing at a robotic arm cutting fake tissue.

"Is that so?" she said, distracted. Her thoughts drifted—to her next shoot, the changes in the script, and especially what Alex mentioned earlier.

"Mommy," Alex tugged at her sleeve. "I want to see what’s over there."

Heather followed his gaze. At the far end of the hall was a restricted conference area with a large crowd gathered near the entrance.

"We’ll go in a minute," she said. "I need to use the restroom."

Inside the restroom, she closed the door and leaned against it with a sigh. She looked at herself in the mirror—sunglasses, mask, indoor lighting.

It was a ridiculous look, and yet somehow, still very ’Miss H.’ She didn’t know what she was thinking, sending Marcus away.

She quickly texted him, telling him to stay alert and wait just outside. Then she paused, thinking of Alex again.

He hadn’t wanted to go in with her. She didn’t blame him. She’d left him outside with a security woman, just in case.