Chapter 4

On Wednesday, Julian suddenly claimed he wanted to make things up to Leo.

"I’ll take you guys to tour the new luxury show unit this weekend. Didn't Leo want his own room? I’ll sketch one out for him right there."

Leo perked up all over again.

He pulled out that crushed drawing from his bag, carefully retracing the faded lines with his crayons.

"Mommy, is Daddy really going to build a room for me this time?"

I didn't answer.

When we arrived at the penthouse showcase, Sienna was already there.

Dressed in a tailored white dress, she was standing by the panoramic window, conferring with the site manager.

The moment Julian saw her, his stride quickened.

"The pitch on the drainage slope for the terrace is completely off. Did you review the revised schematics I sent last night?"

Sienna nodded eagerly, and within seconds, both of them slipped into their private world of creative synergy.

Leo held my hand, standing stiffly by the entrance.

"Mommy... when is Daddy going to show me the room?"

"Just wait a little longer."

We waited for four hours.

Leo went from bouncing on his heels to silence, from silence to utter exhaustion. Eventually, he curled up on the display sofa and fell sound asleep.

The drawing slipped from his small fingers and fluttered to the hardwood floor.

When Julian walked by to grab a water bottle, his shoe stepped right on it.

He looked down, paused, and picked it up.

"What is this?"

"Leo drew it for you," I said evenly. "He drew a home with you, me, and him in it."

Julian smoothed it out and glanced at it for half a second.

"The scale is completely warped. The windows don't even line up."

He tossed it onto the coffee table casually.

"I’ll teach him how to use an architect's ruler later."

A wet glass had been set down nearby; condensation seeped into the corner of the paper, bleeding the crayon colors into a muddy blur.

When Leo woke up, he saw the stain on the paper.

He didn't cry. He didn't say a word.

He just carefully folded the ruined drawing into quarters and shoved it deep into his pocket.

I took advantage of the quiet moment to walk over and slide a thick folder in front of Julian.

"I have a few financial disclosures and family asset filings that need your signature."

He was busy adjusting a 3D render on his tablet.

"What are they for?"

"Asset restructuring. The auditors need them on file before tax season."

Sienna leaned over his shoulder, her perfume drifting across the table. "Julian, what do you think about softening the radius on this curved corridor?"

Julian didn't even look up at me.

"Where do I sign?"

I clicked the pen and handed it to him.

"Here. And here. Flip the page—here as well."

He signed his name with rapid, fluid strokes.

Julian Vance.

His bold, stylized signature dropped onto the divorce agreement.

Onto the sole custody waiver.

Onto the division of real estate assets.

He didn't read a single line.

He pushed the paperwork back toward me without missing a beat.

"Next time, don't dump routine admin chores on me while I’m in the middle of a design sprint."

I collected the pages and slipped them into my leather tote.

"Don't worry. There won't be a next time."

As we headed for the elevator, Leo’s stomach let out a loud rumble.

Julian finally remembered.

"Let’s grab an early dinner together."

Before he could even finish the sentence, Sienna’s phone rang shrilly.

She answered, and her face went pale instantly.

"What? The developer wants to scrap the facade design? Tonight?"

She hung up, looking at Julian with wide, tear-filled eyes.

"Julian, I can’t handle the board alone on this. Can you please come with me? I’m terrified of blowing this deal..."

Julian grabbed his blazer without a second thought.

"Let's go. We're heading to the studio."

Leo reached out, his tiny hand grabbing the corner of his father’s jacket.

"Daddy... you said we were going to eat."

Julian glanced down at him, his voice clipped and impatient.

"Leo, big boys don't whine. Daddy has an emergency at work. I'll be home later."

I reached out and gently peeled Leo’s small fingers away from the fabric of his jacket.

"Go ahead," I told Julian. "We'll eat on our own."

Julian walked away without looking back once.

Leo stood frozen in place, watching his father’s hurried silhouette vanish down the hall.

After a long silence, my little boy whispered:

"Mommy... there was never any room for us in Daddy’s houses, was there?"

I knelt down, meeting his eyes at his level.

"There will be," I promised him, my voice steady and clear. "Mommy is going to find us a real home."