Chapter 4
Victoria's POV
The night breeze in the park was cool, and Jackson had fallen asleep in Nathaniel's arms. We found a quiet bench and sat down, keeping a careful distance between us.
Three years. We were finally face to face again.
"What do you mean?" Nathaniel's voice was barely a whisper, careful not to wake the child.
"I need a husband to avoid an arranged marriage. You need money for a fresh start." My voice was steady. "It's a business deal."
Shock flickered in Nathaniel's eyes. "Victoria, what are you saying?"
"My father wants me to marry a 63-year-old man." I let out a bitter laugh.
He was quiet for a long time, looking down at Jackson. "You... you want me to marry you? But I have nothing now. Scarlett played me. My parents disowned me for betraying you."
I pressed on. "Jackson deserves better. If we get back together—the alliance our families always wanted—they might let you come home. You'd get back the business that should've been yours. You help me escape the matchmaking. We both get what we need."
"I'll do my duty as a stepmother," I continued, watching Jackson's sleeping face. "But that's all."
He stayed silent for a long time before finally meeting my eyes. "I'll prove that I've only ever loved you."
What did that mean? I didn't ask. This wasn't the time for feelings—we both had more pressing problems to solve.
That evening I went to Nathaniel's place to make dinner. He came into the kitchen.
"You don't have to force yourself to do this," he said hesitantly.
"I'm not forcing myself. Jackson wanted this." I kept stirring the pasta. "He's a good kid."
Nathaniel moved beside me to grab plates, and our hands accidentally touched. That familiar electric shock made my heart race.
We both froze, the air thick with complicated emotions.
After three years, the ice between us still melted so easily. But I couldn't admit it, couldn't trust it.
"Mommy, Daddy, what are you doing?" Jackson's innocent voice broke the tension.
"Nothing. Let's eat." I quickly avoided his gaze.
The next day, we went to city hall.
Two months later
"Mommy! Mommy! I want to see Daddy at work!"
Jackson tugged at my hand excitedly, his little face flushed. Every time he called me "Mommy," warmth flooded my chest.
This was a change I hadn't expected. What started as fulfilling a stepmother's duties had become genuine love for this little boy.
"Alright, let's go find Daddy." I knelt down to adjust his little tie.
Tesla Group's new offices were in the most prestigious building downtown. With my financial backing, Nathaniel had regained control of the company, and business was thriving.
"Mommy, did you and Daddy used to work here together?" Jackson sat at my desk drawing, curiosity in his voice.
"Yes, we were... colleagues before." I wasn't sure how to explain our complicated past.
"Why were you apart for so long?"
"Sometimes grown-ups misunderstand each other, but we're together now."
Jackson nodded seriously and went back to his drawing. "I'm making Mommy a beautiful castle! Princess Mommy lives there with Prince Daddy and little Prince Jackson!"
Watching him concentrate, I suddenly realized that while this marriage might have started as a transaction, this child had awakened a maternal love I'd never experienced.
Then I saw a familiar figure walk in.
My blood turned to ice.
Scarlett Blackwood.
She was even more stunning now—designer suit, high heels, radiating confidence with every step. But when she saw Jackson, her composure cracked completely.
"Jackson!" Her voice broke with emotion as she rushed forward, tears streaming down her face. "My baby, you've grown so much!"
She dropped to her knees, reaching out with trembling hands.
Jackson immediately shrank behind me, frightened by this stranger's intense reaction. "Mommy, who is this lady? Why is she crying?"
I instinctively moved in front of Jackson, my protective instincts flaring.
Scarlett's face crumpled at his words. "Baby, it's me... it's Mommy. Don't you remember—" She stopped, realizing he was too young when she left to have any memories of her.
"I don't know you!" Jackson clung tighter to my leg, his voice small and scared. "Victoria is my mommy!"
The pain that flashed across Scarlett's face was unmistakable. Her hands dropped to her sides as she stared at her son hiding from her.
"You don't deserve to be his mother," I said coldly, my arm wrapping protectively around Jackson. "A real mother doesn't abandon her child and then show up years later expecting him to remember her."
Scarlett flinched as if I'd slapped her. "You don't understand—"
"I understand perfectly. You left him. You chose to walk away." My voice was steady but fierce. "You have no right to traumatize him now."
Scarlett's eyes filled with fresh tears as she watched Jackson peek out from behind me, still frightened. The confident woman who'd walked in was gone, replaced by someone clearly struggling with guilt and regret.
"I... I made mistakes," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Mistakes?" I stepped closer, fury blazing through me. "Jackson isn't a mistake you can just fix when it's convenient for you."
But even as anger consumed me, something felt off. Why now? Why was Scarlett suddenly back after three years of silence?
"What do you really want, Scarlett?" I studied her carefully. "Why show up now, out of nowhere?"
She wiped her tears, trying to regain composure, but I could see the pain in her eyes as Jackson continued to hide from her.
"I want my son back," she said quietly, but there was something hollow in her voice, like she was reciting lines.
Jackson tugged at my hand. "Mommy, can we go home? I'm scared."
The word "Mommy" hit Scarlett like a physical blow. She closed her eyes, her whole body seeming to deflate.
As I carried Jackson toward the door, I glanced back at Scarlett. She stood alone in the middle of the office, watching us leave with an expression of such raw pain that for a moment, I almost felt sorry for her.
What was really going on?
