Page 87 of All That She Needs

I honestly didn't know whether to be proud of my son for being so smart or to smack the back of his head for being a very bad boy.

"He was so down after he found out about the accident. I kept asking him what was wrong, but he wouldn't tell me. If he really did it, he probably blamed himself for this." I mused, trying to piece together what was going on with my son. "Did you know he was the one who found out about the accident?"

"Yes," Aiden nodded.

"How did he find out?"

"I don't know, but we need to talk to him, Asha," Aiden said. "We've known he's been a genius since he was little. Now we need to make sure he uses that talent for good."

"Yeah, we need to." Kayden was only sixteen, and I couldn't imagine what he might accomplish in ten years.

"I think we're going to do great at co-parenting." Aiden smiled at me.

I returned his smile; the warmth I felt from him was genuine. "We will."

A moment later, Chloe returned with a bag of croissants for her dad and me, enthusiastically sharing how great she was at skiing. Just then, Mason nudged my elbow, gesturing for me to follow him and Max outside.

"I talked to the nurse who was on duty when Aiden was brought in," Mason began, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "It turned out Vanessa was the one who brought Aiden to the hospital. Her car had spun out of control and hit a tree after she hit him, so she was injured too—a deep gash on her forehead that wouldn't stop bleeding. The nurse told me he'd asked her how she managed to get someone Aiden's size into her car and drive him thirty minutes to the hospital—the car was barely drivable after the crash—all while dealing with that kind of pain. She just shook her head and said she didn't know. She couldn't even remember doing it."

Mason paused, seeming to weigh his words carefully before he continued. "The nurse also said she kept murmuring to herself, almost like she was in some kind of trance, repeating over and over,'I love him. I don't want him to die.'"

I frowned at this revelation. She had loved him, and despite her actions, I believed that love had been real.

We fell into silence for a moment until Max broke it. "You know, Asha, I'll disown you if you even think about taking him back, but I can't help feeling sorry for him now. He really learned his lesson the hard way. I guess life has a way of balancing itself out."

Part 40: Kayden

The Uber dropped me off in an unfamiliar area. I glanced at my phone, double-checking the map link from the text to confirm I was in the right spot. The app showed I was exactly where I needed to be.

The surrounding buildings were all brand new, their sleek, modern designs hinting that they'd just opened for commercial use. The streets felt empty, with only a few cars parked along the curbs and an occasional pedestrian in sight. The quietness gave the place an almost unfinished feel, as though it was waiting for life to fill it.

Directly in front of me was a large building with gray concrete walls and an aluminum roof. A narrow, horizontal window sat high on the wall, and a massive metal double door marked the entrance. I looked up at the building number:No. 10. I checked my phone again. Yes, this was it.

But it didn't make sense. Why did he ask to meet me in this kind of place?

Needing to be sure, I reopened the conversation and tapped the call button, but before it connected, I heard my name.

"Kayden!"

I turned to see Theo jogging toward me, a frown on his face.

"Hey," I greeted him.

He stopped in front of me, slightly out of breath. "Kayden," he panted, hands on his hips. "Why did you ask to meet me here? What is this place?"

Now, it was my turn to frown. "What do you mean?Youasked to meetmehere."

"What?" Theo balked. "I got a message from you, and it had this address!"

I shook my head, feeling just as confused. "No way. I got a message fromyouasking to meet here."

"Same here!" He bellowed, pulling his phone from his back pocket. After scrolling for a moment, he held up his screen. "See? You asked me to come here."

I showed him my screen as well, and the confusion on his face mirrored my own.

Just then, the big double door swung open, and a face appeared that made Theo go rigid. I could sense the tension as he froze beside me, his face turning pale. He let out a soft gasp, "Keith."

I glanced at him, noticing the shock in his expression, before turning back to the tall man now stepping outside onto the sidewalk. I knew who Keith was, but I had no idea what was happening.

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