JULIA
The daycare classroom was quiet, only filled with the soft scratching of crayons against paper.
Andy sat on a small stool nearby, his tongue sticking out in concentration as he worked on his latest masterpiece.
Meanwhile, Ellie and I were seated across from each other at one of the low tables, the silence between us growing heavier with each passing second.
I focused on smoothing the sleeve of my sweater, still speckled with dirt from my earlier adventure.
Ellie, on the other hand, sat perfectly composed, her green eyes scanning the room to search for the right words.
Finally, she broke the silence. “He’s a great boy.”
Her tone was soft as her gaze shifted to Andy. He was drawing what looked like a cat with an oversized head.
I nodded, swallowing hard. “Yeah, he is.”
She smiled faintly, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “You’ve done well with him, Julia. It’s not easy, raising a child on your own.”
Her words stung, though I knew she didn’t mean them to.
“I had a hunch already,” she continued. “When I saw your name, I had to backtrack a little bit.”
“Julia Johnson,” she continued.
“Oh, then you already knew since the beginning?”
She shook her head. “Not really,” she chuckled. “You have an incredibly common name, you know that? There are a lot of Julia Johnsons in the world.”
I pursed my lips. I can’t believe she just said the same thing as Sarah! My name wasn’t that common.
With that, I cleared my throat, desperate to change the topic of the conversation.
“Why are you here, Ellie?” I asked, not being able to take my curiosity.
“The last I heard, you were being groomed to become one of the heads of Astor Empires. Shouldn’t you be jet-setting between boardrooms right now?”
Ellie sighed, leaning back in her chair. She reached up to tuck a strand of brown hair behind her ear, a move that reminded me so much of Evan it made my chest ache.
“I left,” she said simply.
I blinked. “You left? As in—”
“Walked away. From all of it.”
“The company, the money, the pressure. I didn’t want that life, Julia. I never did.”
I stared at her, trying to reconcile the girl I used to know with the woman in front of me. Eleonor Cassidy Astor, heiress to a corporate empire, now working in a daycare.
“This is my dream,” she continued, gesturing around the room. “Working with kids, making a difference. It’s what I’ve always wanted.”
I leaned forward slightly, lowering my voice. “So…you’re not in contact with them anymore?”
“Only with Evander.”
The mention of his name sent a jolt through me. Ellie must have noticed because her eyes narrowed slightly, a smirk tugging at her lips.
“Speaking of Evander,” she said, tilting her head before glancing at Andy. “Is he—”
My face must have betrayed me because she gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. “Oh my goodness. I knew it!”
I shook my head quickly, but it was too late.
“It’s not what you’re thinking—“
“Andy looks just like him!” Ellie exclaimed. “The same eyes, the same smile. And don’t think I didn’t notice his name. Andy. Evander…Anders! It’s not a coincidence, is it?”
“It’s not what you think,” I said, but my voice lacked conviction.
Ellie leaned forward, her green eyes wide with disbelief. “I can’t believe this! That bastard! Don’t tell me you still like him.”
“Of course not!” I said, a little too quickly.
“Good,” she shot back. “Because it’s not good, Julia. He’s with Heather.”
I flinched, but kept my expression neutral.
Well, that just pretty much confirmed it. The two of them were really together.
“I don’t care,” I said firmly, folding my arms across my chest.
“Sure you don’t,” Ellie said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. Even if we haven’t met in years, it still felt the same. She was the only Astor who made me feel like I wasn’t any different from them.
She sat back, crossing her legs.
“I can’t believe this. My brother…” She shook her head, muttering a string of curses under her breath. It was so graphic that I had to cover her mouth in the middle of it.
Andy glanced up from his drawing, his brow furrowed. “Mama, what’s a ‘fuckboy’?”
My cheeks burned. “Nothing, sweetie. Just keep drawing, okay?”
“Okay.” He went back to his work, thankfully satisfied with the non-answer.
Ellie snorted, but her expression softened as she watched him. “Sorry about that,” she whispered. “I just—I just can’t believe he’d do this!”
“It’s alright,” I muttered. “Like you said, I raised him pretty well on my own.”
She nodded, turning silent. Then, a thought had occurred to her, making her exclaim, “Oh, that reminds me. Have you heard about my dad lately?”
I frowned. “Sir Garyn? No. Why?”
“He’s on a new kick,” she said, rolling her eyes. “He’s obsessed with the idea of an heir. You know, someone to carry on the Astor legacy.”
My stomach twisted. “An heir?”
“Yeah,” Ellie said with a shrug. “He’s been hounding Evan about it. It’s ridiculous, honestly. Like either of us care about his stupid legacy.”
My heart stopped. “He needs what?”
“An heir,” she repeated, frowning slightly. “Why are you—” She stopped, her eyes narrowing. “Julia.”
I shook my head quickly, but my panic must have been obvious.
“Oh, no,” she said, sitting up straighter. “You don’t think he—”
“Ellie,” I said, my voice tight. “You can’t tell him. You can’t tell anyone.”
She stared at me, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to process what I was saying.
“You think I’d—Julia, of course I won’t. It’s not like he visits me often anyway.”
Relief flooded through me.
“Thank you,” I sighed. “Please make sure he doesn’t see Andy.”
