The Unwanted Wife and Her Secret Twins (Mia and Kyle) novel Chapter 346

Chapter 346 Those Small Hearts

Mia’s POV

I settled onto the floor beside Ethan, the cool hardwood pressing through my pajama pants. The city sprawled beyond our window, a constellation of yellow squares marking lives in progress.

People eating late dinners, children being tucked into bed, adults staying up too late scrolling through their phones. Each person had their own life story.

Ethan’s profile was sharp against the ambient light from the street below.

“You said he is ill today,” Ethan repeated.

I reached out to smooth his dark hair. “Yes, sweetheart. Kyle is sick.”

“What kind of sick?”

“It’s a kind of sick that makes people very tired and thin,” I said carefully.

Ethan absorbed this, his small fingers tracing patterns on his pajama pants. “Is that why he looks different from the pictures?The ones in the box under your bed. I found them when we were playing

hide–and–seek.

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“Those pictures are old,” I said. “From before you and Alexander were born.”

“He’s stupid. If you love someone, you don’t leave them.“Ethan said.

Tears spilled over my cheeks. “You’re right, sweetheart. It is stupid.”

“Is he leaving again?”

The question pierced through me. “I don’t know.”

Ethan turned to look at me directly for the first time since I’d joined him on the floor. His eyes were bright with unshed tears, his small face set with an anger that was heartbreaking in its maturity.

“I don’t want him to leave again,” he whispered. “But I don’t want him to stay either.”

“Can you tell me more about how you’re feeling?” I hugged him and asked.

Ethan’s face crumpled. “I’m mad,” he said, his voice breaking. “I’m mad at him for not being here. I’m mad at him for not being here when I had bad dreams. I’m mad at him for making you cry all those times when you thought Alexander and I were sleeping.”

“Ethan-”

“And I’m mad at myself for liking him tonight,” Ethan continued. “ I wanted him to stay but then I

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Chapter 346 Those Small Hearts

+25 BONUS

remembered that he left us and I got mad again.”

He wiped his nose with the sleeve of his pajama top, leaving a small wet streak on the fabric. “And now I’m scared because you said he’s sick and what if he dies like Madison’s daddy died? Then I’ll never get to decide if I want him to be my daddy or not.”

I held him tight, feeling his small body against me as the tears finally came. He cried quietly.

“It’s okay,” I whispered into his hair, breathing in the familiar scent of children’s shampoo and the indefinable sweetness that clung to him like a blessing. “It’s okay. Sometimes grown–ups feel that way too.”

“Do you feel that way about him?” Ethan asked, his voice muffled against my shoulder.

“Yes,” I admitted. “I do.”

“What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know yet, sweetheart. We’ll figure it out together. You and me and Alexander.”

Ethan pulled back to look at me, his eyes red–rimmed but calmer.

“Mama,” Ethan said, settling back against me. “Will you stay here until I fall asleep?”

“Of course.”

We sat together by the window, my back against the wall, Ethan curled in my lap like he used to when he was smaller. His breathing gradually slowed and deepened, the exhaustion of a long day and heavy emotions finally claiming him. I held him long after he’d fallen asleep, watching the city lights blur through my tears.

The sound of my phone buzzing against the kitchen counter pulled me from this quiet reverie. I lifted Ethan carefully, his small body limp with sleep, and carried him to his bed. He stirred slightly as I tucked the blankets around him but didn’t wake, his face peaceful in the dim light from the hallway.

The phone had stopped ringing by the time I reached the kitchen, but a voicemail notification glowed on the screen. Thomas’s name appeared in the caller ID, along with a timestamp showing he’d called at nearly eleven PM.

I pressed play, holding the phone to my ear as Thomas’s familiar voice filled the quiet kitchen.

“Mia, it’s me. I know it’s late, but I need to talk to you about Madison. Something’s come up with Theo’s family–they want to meet with her tomorrow about the investigation. I tried to push back, told them she’s been through enough, but their lawyers are insisting. I’m sorry. I know this isn’t what any of us wanted. Call me back when you get this, no matter how late.”

I called Thomas back immediately.

Chapter 346 Those Small Hearts

+25 BONUS

“Mia.” His voice was thick with exhaustion and frustration.

“What exactly do Theo’s family want with Madison?”

“They want to interview her about her mother’s relationship with Theo,”

The euphemism sat wrong in my mouth. Interfering with his treatment. As if Victoria’s potential murder of her husband was a administrative oversight rather than a calculated act of evil.

“She’s five years old, Thomas.”

“I know.” I could hear him moving around. “But they’re claiming this is her chance to ‘help justice be served for her father.‘

“And you believe them?”

Thomas was quiet for a moment. “I believe they want answers about Theo’s death. Whether they actually care about Madison’s wellbeing is… debatable.”

“So what does this mean?”

“It means I have to bring her back tomorrow morning. The interview is scheduled for two o’clock at their lawyers’ office. Child psychologist present, family court advocate, the whole circus.”

I pressed my free hand against my forehead, feeling a headache building behind my eyes. “For how long?”

“I don’t know. Maybe just the day, maybe longer if they decide she needs to stay closer to the investigation. Mia, I’m so sorry.s.‘

“This isn’t about me, Thomas.”

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