Chapter 4 - The Reunion
The drive to the dilapidated industrial district felt like the longest journey of my life.
Leo was safely buckled into a temporary car seat in the back, sleeping peacefully.
I parked the car near the alleyway where I had seen Elena just hours earlier.
The rain had stopped, leaving the streets smelling of wet asphalt and decay.
I carried Leo against my chest, my heart pounding with a mixture of terror and hope.
I found her small, run-down apartment building by asking a local shop owner.
I climbed three flights of rotting stairs, pausing in front of door 3B.
I raised a trembling hand and knocked softly, praying she wouldn't turn me away.
Footsteps approached, and the door creaked open just a few inches.
Elena stood there, her eyes red from crying, a protective hand resting on the doorframe.
When she saw it was me, her expression hardened into a mask of pure ice.
“Leave, Julian, or I swear to God I will call the police,” she hissed.
“Elena, please, just look at what I brought you,” I pleaded, my voice cracking.
I shifted my coat, revealing the tiny, sleeping face of the baby strapped to my chest.
Elena froze, the breath catching in her throat as she stared at the child.
“No,” she whispered, her hands flying to her mouth in absolute shock.
“They told me he died... they showed me his ashes.”
“They lied to us, Elena, Vivienne orchestrated the whole thing to steal him.”
Tears streamed down her face as she reached out, her trembling fingers brushing Leo’s cheek.
May you like
She collapsed against my chest, sobbing uncontrollably as she held the son she thought was gone forever.
For the first time in eighteen months, I wrapped my arms around the only woman I had ever truly loved.
