Sophia was in a meeting when the call came.
"Your son got into a fight," the teacher said over the phone. "We need a guardian immediately."
She was about to cancel everything—but someone else was already walking through the school gates.
Adrian.
He stepped into the principal's office, where Ethan sat with a scraped knee and crossed arms. Another kid was crying on the couch.
"Mr. Black?" the teacher asked, confused.
"I'm his father," Adrian said without hesitation.
Sophia arrived minutes later, heels clicking like thunder.
"What happened?" she asked, eyes flicking between the staff and Ethan.
Adrian calmly knelt beside Ethan. "What's wrong, champ?"
Ethan looked down. "They said I don't have a dad. That I'm a liar."
Adrian's hands clenched—but his voice was gentle. "And what did you say?"
Ethan sniffed. "I told them my daddy's a hero. He fixes hearts. He fixed mine too."
Sophia's eyes widened.
Everyone in the room fell silent.
Adrian slowly turned to look at her. For the first time… it wasn't about the contract.
It was about them. The three of them.
Later, as they walked out of the school, Sophia asked, "Why didn't you correct him? You could've reminded him we're not—"
"He knows who I am," Adrian said quietly. "That's all I ever wanted."
And for the first time… Sophia didn't have an answer.
Only the echo of her own racing heartbeat.
Sophia was in a meeting when the call came.
"Your son got into a fight," the teacher said over the phone. "We need a guardian immediately."
She was about to cancel everything—but someone else was already walking through the school gates.
Adrian.
He stepped into the principal's office, where Ethan sat with a scraped knee and crossed arms. Another kid was crying on the couch.
"Mr. Adrian?" the teacher asked, confused.
"I'm his father," Adrian said without hesitation.
Sophia arrived minutes later, heels clicking like thunder.
"What happened?" she asked, eyes flicking between the staff and Ethan.
Adrian calmly knelt beside Ethan. "What's wrong, champ?"
Ethan looked down. "They said I don't have a dad. That I'm a liar."
Adrian's hands clenched—but his voice was gentle. "And what did you say?"
Ethan sniffed. "I told them my daddy's a hero. He fixes hearts. He fixed mine too."
Sophia's eyes widened.
Everyone in the room fell silent.
Adrian slowly turned to look at her. For the first time… it wasn't about the contract.
It was about them. The three of them.
Later, as they walked out of the school, Sophia asked, "Why didn't you correct him? You could've reminded him we're not—"
"He knows who I am," Adrian said quietly. "That's all I ever wanted."
And for the first time… Sophia didn't have an answer.
Only the echo of her own racing heartbeat.