Waiting in the shadows

Back Where It Began

Maya was happy With Lucas and Sophie marriage, I had felt something close to relief. No chaos chasing me. No war hovering over my child.

Maya was still staring out of the aeroplane window when Damien's fingers brushed lightly against my wrist.

"We're here." London.The word alone tightened something in my chest.

When we stepped out of the airport, the wind wrapped around me cool, sharp, familiar. This city had built me. Broken me. Taught me how to survive. This was where my career began, Where I fell in love, Where I lost Nadia London would never be the same without her.

Layrus stirred in my arms, and I kissed his forehead gently. "We're home," I whispered, though I wasn't sure if it was a promise or a warning. The drive to Knightsbridge was quiet. Damein had arranged everything before our arrival. When the private elevator opened directly into the apartment, I couldn't stop myself from looking around. Floor-to-ceiling windows revealed the London skyline glowing beneath the evening haze. Security systems. Silence. Luxury without intrusion.

He had wanted the best for Layrus. We settled in quickly. Damein took one of the rooms down the corridor, insisting we needed comfort after the long trip. Layrus had been irritable the entire flight, overwhelmed by the movement and noise, but after Damein paced with him patiently for nearly an hour, he finally surrendered to sleep.

Now he lay peacefully in his crib, soft breaths rising and falling. I stood there longer than necessary, just watching him. Everything I had survived was for that little heartbeat, A glance at the clock pulled me back to reality.

My parents were coming for dinner. I moved around the kitchen, adjusting plates, tasting the sauce twice even though it didn't need adjustment. My hands were steady, but my thoughts were not.

Across the city, Sophie was not nearly as steady. She had learned of maya's return that morning. The honeymoon glow she had been basking in shattered instantly. A vase lay broken against her bedroom wall. A lamp overturned. The mirror cracked from the force of her hand.

"Well, well... Maya Bennett," she muttered to her reflection. "If you won't let me breathe, I won't let you have any single happiness"

Marriage had secured her position in the Thoreau family. But she understood something critical. A ring could be removed A child could not.

By noon, she was seated inside Dr Anna's office Dr Anna, I wanted to apologise for what happened on our last encounter I didn't mean to .... I was just being a manic she said sarcastically

Mrs Thoreau " What can I do for you" she replied

Sophie said with all joy .. you read the memo I love that if you have been acting like this I wouldn't try to end your sweet life. Moreover, I am here cause I want to be pregnant. She leaned forward, sliding an envelope across the desk.

"Ten thousand dollars. For a start. I want the symptoms. The nausea. The hormonal shifts. Everything. I want it to feel real. Then we proceed with IVF once I obtain my husband's sample."

That's medically dangerous," Dr Anna said carefully. "Injecting hormones without proper timing could compromise implantation. If you attempt IVF simultaneously, the pregnancy may not survive."

Sophie's expression did not shift. "I don't care about complications. I want a baby with Thoreau blood. I'll be back tomorrow for my sessions." She stood, smoothing her dress as if she had just scheduled a spa treatment instead of engineering a deception.

That evening, the doorbell rang. Maya opened the and she barely had time to breathe before her mother wrapped her arms around her.

"Oh, my dear child," she whispered, holding my face. "You look so good. You broke my heart by leaving London without notice. But you're back. With a baby. And a husband."

Her eyes shimmered with emotion.

Maya's father stepped forward more reserved, though he was relieved .Damein greeted him respectfully, with a firm handshake and steady eye contact. We gathered around the dining table, conversation cautious at first, then warmer.

Halfway through dinner, maya's father cleared his throat. "Are you two legally married?"

"Yes," Damein answered before maya would. "We married in Sweden. Things were... complicated. I'm sorry we couldn't inform you."

He studied Damien briefly. "And what do you do?"

"I'm a gynaecologist, sir."

A slow nod.

Maya's mother smiled brightly. "That's a perfect match."

Laughter softened the tension. Then Layrus began crying from the bedroom Maya excused herself quickly and lifted him into my arms.

"Who is disturbing my dinner, hmm?" She murmured. His tears stopped almost instantly when he saw her.

Maya's mother followed and gently took him from my arms. "Such a handsome boy," she cooed. "Look at his eyes. Who does he resemble? He doesn't look like either of you."

Damein chuckled lightly. "My grandparents. Layrus is Swedish."

The answer flowed naturally. Dinner ended warmly. As her parents prepared to leave, maya's mother squeezed her hands. "You should return to work when you're ready. Don't worry about Layrus. I'm here now."

After they left, the apartment felt quieter Across the city, Lucas entered his home exhausted.

Sophie sat on the couch, lights dimmed. As he passed her, she rose slowly.

"Have you heard?" she asked lightly. "Your ex or should I say your baby mama - is back."

Lucas stopped but did not turn fully. "I'm tired, Sophie."

She stepped closer, blocking his path. Her fingers curled around his tie. "Lucas, please love me. We just got married. You don't even look at me. I'm pregnant. What more do you want?"

He removed her hands calmly. "You are not Maya Bennett," he said quietly. "And whatever you're planning against her stop. I won't let you get away with it."

He walked past her and closed the bedroom door The silence that followed was heavy.

Sophie stood motionless for a moment. Then her tears disappeared. She poured herself a glass of wine and walked to the window overlooking the city lights.

"Maya Bennett," she whispered.

The name tasted like poison. "You brought your bastard son into my city."

She smiled. Then shattered the wine glass against the floor. "The game you're playing... I'll play it better."