Chapter 3
The day after tomorrow came.
Everwell Tower, 48th floor—right in the heart of the CBD.
I dressed in a black skirt suit, hair pulled into a neat bun, makeup flawless.
This wasn't for anyone—just my armor for the battlefield.
When the elevator doors opened on the 48th floor, the receptionist guided me into a spacious conference room.
When I pushed the door open, there were already people inside.
Three of them.
Director Lewis, someone who looked like he was from legal.
And then, a woman.
She was probably twenty-six or twenty-seven, with long hair, perfectly done makeup, and wearing a Chanel tweed jacket.
When she saw me, she stood up politely.
"Hello, Ms. Nolan. I'm Grace White, Chairman Nolan's assistant. He had an urgent matter, so I'm here to greet you on his behalf," she said.
Grace.
'Lucas's fiancée,' Emma thought.
'The name the nurse mentioned that night,' Emma recalled.
She didn't know me. We'd never met.
I was the part of Lucas's life he'd hidden away.
"Hello, Ms. White," I said, extending my hand.
She shook it briefly, then let go.
"Ms. Nolan, you're young and accomplished. Nolan HealthTech has grown so fast these past two years, and Chairman Nolan has been keeping a close eye on you," Grace said.
"Thank you," I replied.
After the small talk, we got down to business.
Director Lewis went over the framework we'd already agreed on, while Grace took notes and added a comment here and there.
Her questions were all very professional.
She wasn't just a pretty face.
After about forty minutes, her phone rang.
"Sorry, I need to take this," she said.
She stepped out of the conference room.
The door was left slightly open.
I could hear her voice from the hallway.
"Lucas, I'm in a meeting at Everwell right now Yeah, the medical equipment company—Emma, do you know her? No? Okay, tonight let's do a tasting for the engagement party menu, we still haven't decided Alright, love you."
'Lucas,' Emma thought, hearing the nickname.
'Love you,' Emma echoed silently.
I kept my head down, reading every word of the contract.
Grace came back in, smiling as she sat down.
"Sorry, that was a personal call. Shall we continue?" she asked.
"Let's continue," I said.
When we got to the profit-sharing part, we hit a snag.
"Ms. Nolan, we're hoping for a 35% channel margin," Director Lewis said.
"30% is my bottom line. That's the industry standard," I replied.
"But Everwell's network covers six provinces—that's a unique advantage," Director Lewis said.
"Your network may be unique, but so is my equipment. We were awarded three national patents last year—there's nothing else like it out there," I replied.
Grace looked at me, her smile unwavering.
"Ms. Nolan, you really know your worth," she said.
"In business, it's not about confidence—it's about the cards you hold," I replied.
She didn't push it.
"I'll bring this up with Chairman Nolan and we'll follow up later," Grace said.
With that, the meeting wrapped up.
I stood up, picked up my bag, and got ready to leave.
Grace escorted me to the elevator.
"Ms. Nolan, hope you don't mind me asking—are you married?" Grace asked.
"No," I said.
"Any kids?" Grace pressed.
I met her gaze, not flinching.
"Ms. White, does that have anything to do with our partnership?" I shot back.
She gave a small smile.
"No, just curious. Women like you—strong, successful—are usually single," she teased.
The elevator arrived.
I stepped inside and pressed the button for the first floor.
Before the doors closed, she waved at me.
Her smile was sweet, harmless.
But when she asked those two questions, there was a trace of something probing in her eyes.
I couldn't tell if she was just casually asking, or if she'd picked up on something.
*****
Friday.
Kindergarten Parents' Day.
I took the afternoon off, slipped into some comfy clothes, and headed out to pick up Alex.
The classroom was crowded with parents—most came as a family of three.
Alex was waiting by the door, and as soon as he spotted me, he dashed over.
"Mommy!" he called out.
"Come on, let's go inside," I said.
The teacher had set up some family games.
The first activity was for parents and kids to draw a family portrait together.
The teacher handed out sheets of paper, each printed with the outlines of three figures—dad, mom, and kid.
Alex picked up his crayons and started drawing, totally focused.
He drew me with long hair and a red dress.
He drew himself.
When he got to the dad's outline, he hesitated for a long time.
Then, he drew a man in a doctor's white coat.
My heart skipped a beat. 'Why did he draw that?' I wondered.
"Alex, who's this?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
"The doctor," Alex replied. "He was really gentle. I want him to be my dad."
A parent nearby overheard and shot me a look.
I quickly turned the paper over.
"Alex, how about we draw on the other side?" I suggested.
"Why?" he asked.
"I want to draw something different," I said.
He thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."
After the event, Ms. King, the homeroom teacher, pulled me aside.
"Ms. Nolan, Alex has been a little different at school lately," she said.
"What changes?" I asked.
"He never used to mention his dad, but recently he's been asking the other kids what their dads do. One of them told him, 'You don't have a dad,' and Alex cried for ages," Ms. King said.
I tightened my grip on my bag.
"I'll pay attention to it," I said.
"Have you thought about talking to him about it? At four, he's starting to understand who he is—he needs an answer," Ms. King said.
"Got it. Thanks, Ms. King," I replied.
On the way home, Alex sat in his car seat, staring out the window.
"Mommy," Alex's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Yeah?" I said softly.
"Do I really not have a dad?" he asked.
I glanced at him in the rearview mirror.
He wasn't crying, but his eyes were red.
"Alex, you do have a dad. Everyone does," I said softly.
"Then where is he?" Alex asked.
"He I'll tell you when the time is right," I said.
"When?" Alex pressed.
"When you're a little older," I said.
He looked down, fiddling with his fingers.
"Zack said kids without dads are just picked up from the trash," Alex said quietly.
I slammed on the brakes.
The car came to a stop by the side of the road.
I unbuckled my seatbelt, turned around, and pulled him out of his car seat, holding him close in my arms.
"Alex Nolan, listen to me. You were not found in the trash. You're Mommy's most precious treasure. If anyone ever says something like that again, you tell me, and I'll handle it," I said.
He hugged my neck.
"Mommy, I don't want you to go talk to him. I'm scared you'll get upset," he said.
He was only four.
At just four years old, he already knew how to feel for me.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
'It's not fair,' I thought.
He should have had a real family.
But I was the one who walked away.
I have no regrets.