Lucio's POV:

The vase shattered into hundreds of pieces as I hurled it at the wall, watching as the fragments scattered across the room. My chest heaved with heavy breaths, the images of Kate in bed with another man burning in my mind like an eternal fire.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, running a hand through my hair as frustration bubbled over again. My knuckles throbbed from punching the wall earlier, but it was nothing compared to the ache in my chest. This was supposed to be the best day of my life—the anniversary of the day my son was born. Instead, it felt like torture.

Every second without them was another twist of the knife.

I clenched my fists, staring at the small framed photo on the bedside table. It was from a time when things were simpler—when I had everything. Kate was holding our baby, her face radiant with love. And me? I was smiling like a fool, my arm around her waist as if to say, "This is mine. They're mine."

The sound of the door creaking open snapped me out of my thoughts. I didn't have to look up to know who it was. Her perfume announced her presence before she even spoke.

Carlene.

"What the hell do you want?" I growled, my voice low and venomous.

She hesitated for a moment before stepping fully into the room, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor. "Honey, you've been in here all day," she said softly, trying to sound concerned. "I just want to help—"

"Don't," I cut her off, my tone sharp as a blade. "Don't call me that. Don't pretend like you care. And didn't I fucking tell you to stay out of this room?"

Carlene flinched but quickly recovered, a pout forming on her lips. "Lucio, you can't keep living like this. She's not coming back. You have to move on—"

"Move on?" I snapped, standing up so fast the chair I was sitting on toppled over. "Move on? With you?" I let out a humorless laugh, shaking my head. "You think you could ever replace her? You're nothing compared to Kate."

Her face twisted with anger, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "You're delusional, you know that? She cheated on you. She's not the saint you think she is. She's just like me, Lucio. You're chasing a fantasy."

"Get. Out." My voice dropped dangerously low, and she took an involuntary step back.

"What if I don't?" she taunted, her voice rising. "What are you going to do, huh? You've already lost her. She's gone, and she's never coming back. You're pathetic, clinging to a ghost—"

"I said GET OUT!" I roared, grabbing the nearest object—a heavy glass paperweight—and throwing it at the wall near her head. She shrieked and ducked, then stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

I stood there, breathing heavily, the sound of my blood pounding in my ears. The silence that followed her departure was deafening, broken only by my own ragged breaths.

I turned back to the photo on the table, picking it up carefully as if it were fragile. My thumb traced over Kate's face, the tears in my eyes making her features blur.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I'm so sorry."

An hour later, I was still sitting on the bed, staring at the same photo. My phone buzzed on the nightstand, and I reluctantly picked it up. The wallpaper stared back at me—a candid shot Emerald had taken of me, Kate, and the baby. I remembered the day vividly. We'd been lying on the couch, the baby between us, and Kate had been laughing at something stupid I'd said.

I unlocked the phone and opened my messages. A group chat with the guys popped up, filled with messages I'd ignored.

Jordan: Man, you need to come out of that cave. You're driving everyone insane.

Michen: We need to talk. It's important.

Steven: Stop punishing yourself and fix this, King. You're better than this.

I groaned, tossing the phone back on the nightstand. They didn't get it. They didn't understand what it felt like to be betrayed by the one person you thought would never hurt you.

But deep down, I knew the truth.

I'd pushed her away. I'd let my pride and insecurities get the better of me. And now, I was paying the price.

The door opened again, and this time, it was Steven. He didn't say anything at first, just leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed.

"Thought I told everyone to leave me the hell alone," I muttered, not looking at him.

"You did," he said, his tone calm but firm. "But you're not getting rid of me that easily."

I shot him a glare, but he didn't flinch.

"You need to pull your head out of your ass, Lucio," he said bluntly. "This pity party you've been throwing yourself? It's not helping anyone. Least of all you."

"What the fuck do you know about it?" I snapped, standing up. "You don't know what it's like to be betrayed by the person you love."

"You're right," he said, stepping into the room. "But you know what I do know? You're an idiot if you think those photos were real."

I froze, his words hitting me like a punch to the gut.

"Think about it, King," he continued, his voice rising. "When has Kate ever given you a reason to doubt her? When has she ever lied to you, cheated on you, or done anything to deserve the shit you put her through?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out.

"You didn't even give her a chance to explain," Steven said, shaking his head. "You let some blurry-ass photos ruin everything. And now you're sitting here, wallowing in your own misery, while she's out there raising your son alone."

The weight of his words sank in, and for the first time in weeks, I felt the walls I'd built around my anger start to crumble.

"I fucked up," I whispered, the realization hitting me like a freight train. "I really fucked up."

Lucio's POV

The message from Emerald buzzed on my phone like an unwelcome guest:

"Don't forget about the family dinner tonight. 7 PM. Mom's orders. Don't be late."

I groaned, tossing the phone onto the couch. A family dinner? Tonight? I didn't even want to think about it. My mother had been on my case about reconnecting with the family after everything that had gone down, but I wasn't in the mood for another evening of side-eyes and sarcastic remarks from Emerald or Hasley.

Still, I knew better than to skip. Mom wouldn't let me hear the end of it, and frankly, I didn't need another argument.

I trudged upstairs, tossing a few essentials into a duffel bag. It wasn't like I didn't have clothes back at my house in Chicago, but I hated being unprepared. After throwing on some casual attire—enough to avoid being lectured by Mom—I headed out the door.

The drive to Chicago wasn't long, but it felt like forever. My thoughts were all over the place. Emerald had been distant with me ever since...well, everything. Hasley hadn't been much better. I knew I'd burned my bridges with them after what happened with Kate. My chest tightened at the thought of her, but I shoved it down. No use going there.

I pulled up to my place, quickly changing into a more presentable suit. Family dinners weren't exactly formal, but I didn't want to give Emerald or Hasley more reasons to dig into me. After making sure everything was in place, I drove to the restaurant.

As soon as I stepped through the door, the familiar air of intimidation swept across the room. Heads turned, and conversations hushed. People knew who I was—the name "Lucio King" carried weight, and I wasn't one to apologize for it.

I spotted my family at a table near the center of the room. Emerald and Hasley sat on one side, laughing about something, while Mom scrolled through her phone, clearly annoyed that I was late. Typical.

Walking up to the table, I forced a small smile. Emerald and Hasley didn't even try to hide their irritation.

"Well, well," Emerald sneered, folding her arms. "Look who decided to show up. The idiot himself."

Hasley snickered, holding up her hand for a high-five, which Emerald gladly delivered.

"Are you seriously going to start this in public?" I snapped, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

Mom's glare cut through me like a knife. "And you're going to keep your voice down, young man," she scolded, her tone sharp enough to silence the entire restaurant. "Honestly, I don't know how you can still act like a child."

Emerald smirked, leaning back in her chair as if she'd won some kind of prize. "Can we just order? I'm starving," Hasley said, clearly bored with the back-and-forth.

A waiter approached, but I ignored him, pulling out my phone to check on some shipments I'd been managing. My mind wasn't in this dinner—I had work to do, distractions to drown out. I wasn't about to let Emerald's snide comments get under my skin.

Mom started discussing plans for her anniversary celebration, something about finalizing details for the party. I half-listened, nodding occasionally to make it seem like I cared.

"We need to speak to the manager," Mom said, gesturing for the waiter to fetch them.

I rolled my eyes. Great, this was going to take forever.

The clicking of heels against the tiled floor pulled my attention back to the table. I didn't even glance up at first, assuming it was just another overly polite restaurant employee. But then I heard her voice.

"How may I help you?"

I froze. My head snapped up so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash.

Kate.

She stood there, poised and professional, her hair pulled back neatly and her smile serene. My heart pounded in my chest as my brain scrambled to process what I was seeing. She looked different—more confident, more radiant. But it was her. There was no mistaking it.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered, unable to tear my eyes away.

Kate glanced at me briefly, her expression unreadable, before turning her attention to my mother. "How can I assist you today?" she asked politely, as if I weren't sitting right there.

Mom's face lit up in recognition. "Kate!" she exclaimed, standing up and pulling her into a hug.

Kate stiffened for a moment but quickly recovered, returning the hug with a small smile. "It's been a long time," she said, her voice calm and measured.

Emerald and Hasley were staring at her like they'd seen a ghost. Emerald was the first to speak, her tone sharp. "What are you doing here?"

"I manage this restaurant," Kate replied simply, her gaze flickering to me briefly before landing back on Emerald.

Emerald scoffed. "Of course you do."

Mom ignored her, already bombarding Kate with questions. "How have you been? Are you still in New York? What brought you back here?"

Kate answered each question with practiced ease, her tone polite but distant. She didn't once look at me, even as I sat there, trying to piece together how this was even possible.

"Excuse me," Kate said after a moment, glancing at her watch. "I need to check on a few things, but it was nice seeing you all."

As she turned to leave, I couldn't hold back anymore. "Kate."

She paused, her back to me, but she didn't turn around.

Kate had always been unpredictable, but this moment—standing in a restaurant, facing her after years apart—was beyond anything I could've anticipated. And yet, it wasn't just her that had me spiraling; it was the small girl who came giggling behind her, clutching at her leg.

"Lucy, what did I tell you about running?" Kate scolded gently, crouching down to shield the girl's face from my line of sight.

"Mommy, it was Cian," the little girl said, her voice small but clear. I barely caught a glimpse of her face, but my heart thudded painfully. She had another kid. Another kid.

Before I could process, three more children came rushing toward her, each one a miniature whirlwind of energy.

"Lili, stop the running!" a young boy, slightly taller, called out.

"Guys, what did I tell you about running?" Kate said, flustered as they gathered around her. She looked momentarily shocked, as though she hadn't expected them to all approach at once. "Sorry, Mummy," they chorused in unison.

I froze, my blood running cold. Four kids. Four. My stomach churned violently. This couldn't be real. She had cheated on me. She'd not only left, but she'd also moved on with someone else and had three more kids.

The older boy kept looking at me, his expression almost challenging. Those eyes. I knew those eyes. My heart stopped—Lucian. My son. My only son.

I couldn't believe how big he'd gotten, how much he looked like me at his age. My chest twisted painfully as I stared at him, but before I could say anything, the little girl piped up again.

"Mom, look," Lucy said, pointing directly at me.

Kate immediately shut her down, smiling tensely. "Not now, baby. Let's go home." She turned her focus back to the children, clearly trying to avoid the chaos brewing behind her.

"But, Mom," one of the kids whined. "Remember, it's Lucian's birthday today, and you promised!"

"Okay, okay," she said with a chuckle, stooping down to hug them. "We'll enjoy it just like last year."

Emerald stood suddenly and pulled Lucian into a tight hug, peppering his face with kisses.

"Eww," groaned the boy with Kate's hair and my green-grey eyes.

"Luca, what did I say?" Kate warned, raising her eyebrows.

"Sorry, Mommy," he mumbled, blushing slightly.

I watched as Kate chuckled softly before locking eyes with my mother, who had been frozen in shock ever since the children arrived. The room felt stifling, and every muscle in my body was tense as I took in the scene.

The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them. "So you really did cheat on me."

All heads snapped toward me, and disgust painted every single face. Kate's jaw clenched as she stood up slowly, the children instinctively moving behind her. My mother shot me a glare sharp enough to cut steel.

"Are you seriously going to do this in front of these children and an entire restaurant?" my mother hissed, her voice low but dangerous.

Kate's eyes burned with fury as she stepped closer to me. "Don't you dare say that in front of my kids, Lucio, or I swear—"

"Or what?" I challenged, stepping toward her. I barely got the words out before the sharp sting of her hand connecting with my face sent my head snapping to the side. My jaw ached instantly, and I swore I tasted blood.

"You don't get to speak like that," she snapped, her voice shaking with rage. "Not after what you did. Not after what you said."

The entire restaurant went silent, save for the hushed murmurs of onlookers. Emerald and Hasley looked like they wanted to bury themselves under the table, while my mother simply shook her head, her disappointment palpable.

Kate's voice softened slightly as she turned toward my mom. "Rose, I'm sorry for interrupting your dinner. I didn't plan for this, but I think I should leave. However, I would love to see you when you're free. I'll bring the kids to visit." She turned back to me, her expression hardening once more. "And for the record, Lucio, these are your kids. Every single one of them."

She pointed to each child in turn, her voice firm. "This is Lucian. Alex. Lucia. Luca Lucy. King." The last name hit me like a freight train.

"Why do they have the King's last name?" Hasley blurted out, her confusion evident.

Kate turned to her, her voice dripping with controlled anger. "Because that's their last name, isn't it? If I were such a cruel mother, I would've changed their names and disappeared entirely. But I didn't."

My mind raced, but all I could focus on was the possibility that she'd been pregnant when she left. Was one of them from then? Could they really all be mine? Questions swirled in my head as my heart pounded.

"You look miserable," a small voice cut through my thoughts. I looked down to see Lucian staring up at me, his little fists clenched. "I hate you."

His words sliced through me like a knife, and for the first time, I was truly speechless.

Before I could say anything, my mom stood, rushing toward the kids and enveloping them in a hug. Tears streamed down her face as she kissed each one of them.

"My grandchildren," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I have four beautiful grandchildren."

Kate watched the scene, her face a mixture of sadness and relief, before she turned to me one last time. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it was cold and final.

"You'll regret everything, Lucio. Everything."

With that, she walked out of the restaurant, her children trailing behind her, leaving me standing there, my heart and mind in absolute chaos.