When Contracts Turn to Forbidden Kisses Chapter 110

Amelia

"Dr. Thompson, let me carry Lucas for you," Frank offered, his usually stern face softening as he looked at my sleeping son.

I nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Frank. Just make sure to cover him with the small blanket from the diaper bag. It's getting chilly."

I took Ella's hand, and she skipped alongside me, chattering excitedly despite her exhaustion. "Mommy, I love Daddy and great-grandpa!"

As we entered our building, Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Garcia were already waiting in the hallway, as if they'd sensed our arrival. Their faces lit up at the sight of the children.

"Frank, I'll take Lucas now," Mrs. Wilson said, reaching for my sleeping son. "Poor little man is completely exhausted."

Frank carefully transferred Lucas to Mrs. Wilson's arms, being meticulous not to wake him. "Good night, Dr. Thompson," he said with a respectful nod. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

"Thank you, Frank," I replied. "I think we'll be fine for the night. You don't need to maintain such intense surveillance."

Ella waved her small hand at him. "Bye-bye, Frank! Thank you for carrying my brother!" Her politeness made me smile – at least something from all those etiquette lessons was sticking.

As Frank departed, Mrs. Garcia took my medical bag from my shoulder. "You go take a shower, Miss Amelia. We'll get the children ready for bed."

Ella clutched her Barbie doll tighter. "I need to tell my doll a bedtime story first," she insisted, her green eyes – so much like mine – wide with determination.

Twenty-five minutes later, I emerged from the bathroom wrapped in my favorite silk robe, feeling somewhat rejuvenated. The apartment was quiet. I peeked into the children's room and found both Lucas and Ella sound asleep.

I stood in the doorway, watching their peaceful faces. Something tugged at my heart – a complex mixture of fulfillment and uncertainty. They'd met their father, and now their great-grandfather. Our carefully constructed world of three was expanding, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it.

"Miss Amelia," Mrs. Wilson's soft voice interrupted my thoughts. She approached with a steaming mug. "I brought you some warm milk with honey. It'll help you sleep better."

The gesture touched me. "Thank you, Mrs. Wilson. You didn't have to."

"Nonsense," she said with a maternal smile. "You've had a long day. Drink this before bed, it's good for you."

I accepted the mug gratefully, warming my hands around it. "I'll check my messages first, then I promise I'll go straight to sleep."

Settling onto my bed, I took a sip of the warm milk before checking my phone. Thirteen unread messages. With a deep breath, I scrolled through them. Most were from Olivia and Ethan.

I decided to call Olivia first. She answered on the second ring.

"Finally!" she exclaimed. "I've been trying to reach you all evening. Where have you been? I have three missed calls and sent five messages!"

"Sorry," I replied, keeping my voice low to avoid waking the children. "I took Lucas and Ella to meet George today."

There was a moment of stunned silence before Olivia's voice returned, pitched higher with surprise. "So George knows my little godson and goddaughter are his great-grandchildren?"

"Yes," I admitted, feeling strangely relieved to share this with someone. "It was... actually quite touching. You should have seen how emotional he got when Ella called him 'Great-Grandpa' for the first time."

"Oh my God," Olivia breathed. "And how was it? Did the kids like him? Did Ethan show up?"

I chuckled at her rapid-fire questions. "The kids really liked him, especially Ella. Lucas was a bit more reserved, but that's just how he is. We had dinner, and of course, Ethan showed up."

"And?" Olivia prompted when I paused.

"And it was... confusing. Ella was all over him, calling him 'Daddy' and wanting to sit on his lap. Lucas barely acknowledged his existence."

"Kids are intuitive," Olivia mused. "So what happens now?"

I sighed, taking another sip of milk. "I don't know. I really don't. Part of me wants to maintain boundaries, but seeing how happy Ella was with her father..."

"Listen," Olivia said firmly, "you do whatever feels right for you and those kids. I'm behind you one hundred percent, whatever you decide. If you want to let Ethan back into your lives, do it. If you want to keep your distance, that's fine too."

After chatting a bit longer about Olivia's latest film project, we said goodnight. I stared at my phone, steeling myself before checking Ethan's messages.

The first thing I saw made me nearly choke on my milk – Ethan had sent a bathroom mirror selfie at 3 AM, his hair wet and tousled, bare-chested with just a towel around his waist. The message read: [Can't sleep thinking about you and the kids.]

I scrolled through his other messages:

"Morning, Amelia. Hope you slept well."

"Thinking about Ella's smile. She has yours, you know."

"I'm not doing this just for the children, I promise you that."

"Was Lucas always so quiet, or is it just around me?"

"I meant what I said tonight. I want us to try again – for real this time."

His final message asked: [Is Ella still hugging that Barbie doll? Did she make you tell her a bedtime story?]

I stared at the screen, feeling something shift inside me. "Who is this man?" I whispered to myself. "This can't be the same Ethan Black..."

Making a sudden decision, I scrolled through my photos and found the ridiculous picture of Ethan in a dress and wig from when he'd broken into my apartment. I sent it to him with the caption: [This suits you.]

His response came almost immediately: [Still can't get over it, huh? You're not planning to show this to our son and daughter someday, are you?]

I found myself smiling as I typed back: [Hmm, not a bad idea. Ella would love to see her daddy in a dress.]

[Anything special you want for breakfast tomorrow?] he replied. [Ella likes strawberry pancakes, if I remember correctly.]

I hesitated before responding: [No, thank you. I have food at home, Mr. Black. No need to trouble yourself.]

[Goodnight then,] came his reply, followed quickly by another message: [Kiss Lucas and Ella goodnight for me.]

I set my phone down and glanced toward the children's room. Their relationship with their father was... complicated didn't begin to cover it. And my relationship with Ethan? That was something else entirely – something I couldn't quite name yet.

Taking the last sip of milk, I headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth, wondering what tomorrow would bring.