THE SON BETWEEN US

MY SON IS THE LEVERAGE

Ava POV

Mornings had become my safest ritual.

I woke Leo, helped him brush his teeth and as usual we argued over socks. Then I braided my hair while he sat on the bed swinging his legs and telling me half-formed stories about dreams that never made sense but always made me smile.

By the time I was dressed for work and Leo was ready for his nanny, I felt put together again, like the cracks inside me had been sealed, at least for the day.

We stepped out of the apartment together,

the sunlight spilling into the hallway then someone familiar to my past blocked my path.

Jasmine.

For a second, I wondered if my past had finally decided to hunt me down in physical form.

“Well, well, well.” she said, her eyes dragging over me slowly. “Look who it is. Ava.”

I stopped and tightened my grip on Leo’s hand. He leaned closer to me instinctively, his small fingers curled into my palm.

“When did you return?” she continued without waiting for an answer. “Wow… you have really changed, I almost did not recognize you.”

I met her and stared calmly. “Excuse me.”

She gave her usual sharp and hollow laugh. “I’m just surprised and that’s all, I honestly didn’t think you would survive without Ethan, you had always looked like you needed him to breathe.”

I smiled faintly.

Funny how peace unsettled people who thrived on chaos.

Leo shifted beside me and Jasmine’s gaze dropped to him and slowly, her expression changed.

“Oh,” she murmured. “So this is why you came back.”

I felt it, the tension sliding into my spine but I kept my face neutral.

She crouched slightly, trying to see his face better. “He looks familiar,” she said. “Those eyes… that face.” Then she looked back up at me with sharp and dangerous interest.

“Is he yours?”

I said nothing.

Her smile widened. “Let me guess, he is Ethan’s, right?”

“This conversation is over,” I said firmly. “You don’t have the right to ask questions about my child.”

“Ava, be calm, I did not mean to get you upset.”

Leo looked up at me, confused. “Mummy?”

I squeezed his hand gently. “Baby just stay still.”

He obeyed without question.

Jasmine straightened and clearly enjoying herself now.

“So it’s true,” she said. “Wow, Ethan really has a son.” She tilted her head. “Does he know?”

I stepped forward immediately. “Jasmine, excuse me.”

She didn’t.

“You know, it’s funny, you always acted so small, so quiet but look at you now, working, surviving and even raising a child. I never knew you had all of this in you.”

I paused and turned back to her, my voice calm and steady. “People usually confuse silence with weakness and that is their mistake.”

Her lips twitched.

I reached for Leo and guided him past her, my heels clicked softly against the floor as I walked away.

I had almost reached the end of the hallway when her voice followed me and it sounded more serious.

“Ava.”

I didn’t stop.

“Sienna is after you and your son,” Jasmine said. “Watch your back.”

My steps slowed but only for a heartbeat, I didn’t turn around because some warnings come too late, others come exactly when you’re strong enough to face them.

I walked on, my back straight and my son was safe beside me.

Let them come.

I dropped Leo at his nanny's. “Be a good boy for mummy, okay?”

“Yes Mom,”I kissed his forehead. “Mommy, please do not be late today?”

“No baby, I won't.”

“Bye Mom”

“Bye honeybunch”

Immediately I left there, I got a call from my assistant.

“Good morning ma'am. I just got to the office and I found out that the document for the WSM group is nowhere to be found.”

“What do you mean it is nowhere to be found, Aria?”

“I actually thought you went with it, ma'am”

“No I didn't. Just hold on, I will be right there.”

I really hate hearing things like this because I know what it could do to me and the company which I work for. They trusted me, that was why I was brought here to handle this project.

I am very sure I left that document on my desk before leaving the office.

When I got to the office, Aria was already fidgeting and sweating profusely at the same time because she knows the implications of losing that particular document.

“You haven't found it yet?”

“Yes ma, I have checked everywhere here but to no avail.”

I looked at my desk, the exact place I left the document before I left but I found nothing.

I just stood there, not knowing where to start from in the search. My heart began to beat fast and my chest was pounding and I am so sure that Aria could hear the sound coming from me.

I searched everywhere for it but I didn't see it either.

“Ma'am, should I ask the cleaner if by any chance she took a document from here while cleaning up the office.”

“No, she can not pick any document by chance because this is an office and she knows that all of these things here are important.”

“Ma'am, uhm what if she found it on the floor,”

I didn't know what to respond to her at this point because she is also nervous.

“Ma'am I am sorry if my suggestions are bad ideas.”

“No there are not. I just have a bad feeling about telling the cleaner, what if she has no idea of where the document and then she begins

to tell other staff here that we can't find a document.”

I got a call from my company immediately, I was just so confused, I began sweating profusely on my palms which was really unlike me. I didn't pick up the call.

The phone rang again, I turned to Aria and she gave me a positive nod to take the call.