CEO Single Dad Falls For Her, Never Expected She’d Love His Kids Like Her Own
Chapter 6
The following month, Ethan’s company faced a crisis.
A major investor threatened to pull out.
The board demanded changes.
The financial press questioned whether Ethan could maintain control.
He worked eighteen-hour days.
Ava saw the exhaustion.
She also saw something else.
He stopped eating.
Again.
She placed a plate on his desk.
“Eat.”
“I don’t have time.”
“You do.”
“I don’t.”
“You have five minutes.”
Ethan looked at her.
“Are you threatening the CEO?”
“Yes.”
He smiled.
“You’re getting brave.”
“Someone has to.”
He ate.
Then Lily entered.
“Daddy?”
“What?”
“Can we go to the park?”
“Not today.”
Lily’s face fell.
Ava looked at Ethan.
“You promised.”
“I know.”
“You promised last Tuesday.”
“I have work.”
Lily turned away.
Ethan sighed.
“Fine.”
Ava shook her head.
“Don’t say yes because you feel guilty.”
“Then what do you want me to do?”
“Tell her the truth.”
Ethan looked at Lily.
“I can’t go today.”
Lily nodded.
“Okay.”
She walked away.
Ava watched her.
Ethan looked frustrated.
“What?”
“You’re learning.”
“Learning what?”
“That sometimes being honest hurts less than breaking promises.”
Ethan stared at her.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
Ava walked out.
Later that night, Ethan found Lily asleep beside a drawing.
It showed four people.
Ethan.
Noah.
Lily.
And Ava.
At the bottom, Lily had written:
OUR FAMILY.
Ethan sat beside the bed.
He touched the paper.
Something inside him broke open.
He had spent years believing family was something that had to be protected from change.
But maybe family was something that grew.
He carried the drawing downstairs.
Ava was in the kitchen.
He handed it to her.
She looked at it.
Then at him.
“Lily drew this?”
“Yes.”
Ava smiled.
“She added you.”
“She did.”
Ava looked at the drawing again.
“She’s sweet.”
Ethan watched her.
“Would it scare you if I said I want this?”
Ava looked up.
“What?”
“This.”
He pointed at the drawing.
“All of it.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Yes.”
He smiled faintly.
“Me too.”
