When Contracts Turn to Forbidden Kisses Chapter 93

Amelia

"Mommy, can we go to the beach park tomorrow to play with sand?" Lucas burst into the living room, his blue eyes wide with excitement as he ran toward me. His little hands grabbed my knees, practically bouncing with anticipation.

I looked down at my son, his eager face making my heart melt. "Sweetie, I was thinking we could invite Aunt Olivia over for brunch tomorrow instead. Wouldn't that be fun?"

"But I want to build castles with Auntie!" Lucas insisted, his bottom lip jutting out in that stubborn way that reminded me so much of his father. "Please, Mommy? Pretty please with sprinkles?"

Before I could respond, Mrs. Wilson appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel. "I believe Mr. Daniel Astor has already arranged for tomorrow's outing to the Brooklyn Beach Park," she explained. "He called this afternoon to confirm the details."

"Daniel did?" I felt a warmth spread through my chest. My cousin had become such an important part of our lives since we discovered our family connection.

Mrs. Wilson nodded. "Mr. Daniel has been very attentive, planning weekend activities for the children almost every day. He mentioned wanting to make sure they experience all of New York's family-friendly spots."

I glanced back at Lucas's hopeful face. How could I possibly say no? "Well, if Uncle Daniel already promised, then I guess Mommy has to follow the little man's decision."

Lucas's face lit up like Christmas morning. He threw his arms around my legs in a tight hug. "Thank you, Mommy! We're gonna build the biggest castle ever!"

Across the room, Ella looked up from her drawing, her curious eyes watching our exchange. When she saw her brother's excitement, she abandoned her artwork and ran over to join our hug, wrapping her tiny arms around my waist.

"Looks like it's settled then," I said, ruffling both their heads. "Beach park tomorrow it is."

---

Later that night, after tucking the kids into bed, my phone buzzed with a notification. A friend request on my social media account, followed by a direct message: [Please accept. We need to talk.]

Ethan.

I stared at the screen, my finger hovering over the delete button. The mere sight of his name sent an unwelcome shiver down my spine.

I closed the phone without responding and instead focused on laying out Lucas and Ella's beach clothes for tomorrow. They would need sunscreen, hats, and a change of clothes. No way was I letting Ethan Black disrupt the life I'd carefully rebuilt.

I picked up my phone again and dialed Olivia.

"Hey, you up for a beach day tomorrow? Daniel arranged for the kids to go to Brooklyn Beach Park."

"Count me in," Olivia replied. "I could use some vitamin D before my afternoon interview."

---

The next day, Lucas and Ella were having the time of their lives, digging in the sand and chasing each other around the shallow tide pools. Olivia and I sat on a bench nearby, keeping a watchful eye on them.

"So," Olivia said, lowering her sunglasses to peer at me. "Noah's been showing up at my set. Like, every single day this week."

"Seriously?" I turned to her. "That's... interesting. You think he has a thing for you?"

Olivia snorted. "Please. Noah Randall doesn't 'have a thing' for anyone. He collects women like some people collect vintage wines." She pushed her sunglasses back up. "A shark doesn't suddenly become a vegetarian, Amelia."

I laughed, watching as Lucas triumphantly placed a shell on top of his sand mound. "Speaking of predators, Ethan apologized to me. Said he wants to pursue me again. Can you believe that? He's completely lost his mind."

Olivia nearly choked on her iced coffee. "Wait, what? Ethan Black? Mr. Ice-Cold-Wall-Street-Robot apologized?" She grabbed my arm. "Holy shit, Amelia! That's... that's something."

"It's nothing," I said firmly. "Just another game he's playing."

"Maybe you should let him pursue you," Olivia suggested, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "I'd love to see how much effort the mighty Ethan Black puts into wooing someone. It's probably never happened before."

I rolled my eyes. "Not happening."

"Think about it, though," Olivia's tone turned serious. "One day Lucas and Ella will start asking questions about their father. What will you tell them?"

Her words hung in the air between us, heavy with implications I wasn't ready to face.

"Mommy! Look!" Lucas called, saving me from having to respond. He proudly pointed to a lopsided sand castle. "I made a house for us!"

---

Monday morning brought chaos to the hospital as usual. I was reviewing patient charts at the nurses' station when Jenny approached, a knowing smile on her face.

"Dr. Thompson, there's a delivery for you at reception. Looks like someone has an admirer."

I frowned, not understanding what she meant until I walked into the reception area and saw a stunning arrangement of white roses sitting on the counter. Several nurses and my colleague Rebecca were gathered around, openly speculating.

"Ooh, secret boyfriend?" Rebecca teased when she saw me. "They're gorgeous!"

"I didn't know you were dating again," Jenny added. "Good for you!"

I took the small card attached to the arrangement, my stomach dropping as I read the message:

[A sincere apology is where new beginnings start. ]

No signature, but it didn't need one. I knew exactly who they were from.

"They're beautiful," Rebecca said, waiting for me to share details.

I crumpled the card in my fist. The last thing I needed was to become the center of hospital gossip because Ethan had decided to play Prince Charming. Without a word, I picked up the entire arrangement, flowers and all, and dropped it into the nearby trash can.

The shocked expressions of my colleagues followed me as I walked away. Let them wonder. I had patients to see and a life to protect – a life that had no room for Ethan's games, no matter how many flowers he sent.