I never told my parents the truth about who my husband really was. In their eyes, he was simply a disappointment compared to my sister’s successful CEO husband. When I went into labor earlier than expected while my husband was overseas, the pain hi:t hard and fast.

Ethan didn’t react. He simply nodded once, as if acknowledging the statement but not needing to expand on it. There was no need to. Not now.

“I always said it would be his greatest asset,” Ethan said, his tone quiet but filled with purpose. “But it’s not about the empire. It’s about knowing what’s worth building. The rest doesn’t matter if the foundation isn’t solid.”

My father nodded, though I wasn’t sure he understood. It was a different kind of wisdom than he was used to, and I saw the flicker of recognition cross his face before he quickly masked it with the same neutral expression he’d worn for years.

My mother stepped closer, and her eyes flicked to the baby again, studying him with an intensity that felt almost…guilt-ridden. I knew she had her own reservations, her own doubts. But as she gazed at her grandson, there was a vulnerability in her expression I hadn’t seen before.

“Can I hold him?” she asked, her voice smaller than it had been in years.

I was taken aback by the gentleness in her voice. It was a far cry from the dismissive, cold remarks she had made when she’d first arrived at the hospital. I nodded, my heart unexpectedly softening.