Kamille’s POV

After securing a ride for my kids and me, I hurried to fetch them. But as I approached, I stopped short. My light brown eyes fell on him—that same unapologetically handsome man with well-defined abs and captivating deep blue eyes—the man who had hurt and shamed me, smiling with my children. It was the most unbelievable sight of my life.

Of all days, why on earth would Zeke choose today to be here?

A wave of mixed emotions surged through me. My eyes drifted back to his face, drinking in the sight of him. Then, out of curiosity, I looked at his fingers. There it was: a wedding ring, different from the one we'd shared.

Snap! I should have known better than to be fooled by good looks.

A smile started to form, but the memory of his betrayal wiped it away. I remembered being left alone, hurting, the cruelty of his leaving and marrying Ellen.

Damn it! How could I have forgotten?

I snapped back to reality and focused on my children.

“Hey, Reon. It’s time to go. Come on, guys,” I said, beckoning them from where I stood. “Our ride is here. Let’s hurry! Come on! Come on!”

Without hesitation, they raced towards me with excited giggles.

“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. Are you guys cold?” I apologized, checking them as we started walking toward the airport exit.

“We’re fine, Mummy. Reon took good care of us. Right, Tyris?” Torin replied, giving his sister a cunning smile.

“Hmmm,” Tyris confirmed. “Don’t worry, Mummy, that gentleman stayed with us. He was nice, and we weren’t bored.” She pointed toward Zeke, and they all nodded in agreement.

Before I could respond, Tyris interrupted. “Mum,” she said, “who is he? Do you know him?”

I turned to look at him again. Just as I felt I’d had enough, he met my gaze and started approaching. Immediately, I denied knowing him.

“No, baby. I don’t know this man,” I said calmly, offering a reassuring smile. “Now, let’s hurry so we don’t miss our ride.”

Everyone believed my lie except Reon. I saw the curiosity and uncertainty in his eyes as he glanced between me and Ezekiel. Unable to resolve his uncertainty, he followed me.

“Kamille,” his deep, rich voice called. I ignored him.

“Why can’t he just crawl back to hell?” I muttered under my breath.

Anger and frustration built as I tried to lose him in the crowd. I wished I could make him stop, slap him, or just disappear.

What did he want after all these years? Why now?

My heart lamented.

As we neared the parking lot, I realized my hopes of keeping my return secret from my family had been dashed—thanks to Zeke. It seemed I was on the devil's playlist for the day because, as soon as I stepped outside, I saw my booked car—badly damaged. A black Tesla had rammed into it.

Today was definitely cursed. First, the rain, then Zeke, and now this?

I wanted to vent my frustration, but I couldn’t lose control in front of my kids. I kept calm and approached the driver, who looked less frustrated than I felt.

“Hey! What’s happened here?” I asked, assessing the damage.

“That Tesla hit my car. It’s so badly damaged I can’t drive it. I’m sorry, but we’ll have to cancel your trip,” he said, crushing my hopes.

“Dang it!” I slapped my forehead. “We need to leave now. I don’t have a second to spare. There has to be a way to fix it, right?” I asked, hoping to escape Zeke, who was approaching.

He shook his head. “No, ma’am. It’s a dead end.”

“Damn!” I didn’t know what else to say.

“Can I…” Ezekiel’s voice came from behind me. “Can I give you a lift? I don’t mind; I can take you anywhere.”

I turned in shock. This wasn’t the Ezekiel Reid I knew. He was never nice.

“Thank you, but my kids and I can find our way. We’ll be fine,” I replied coldly, though I had no idea what to do.

“Just let me help. It’s my fault you can’t use this car. My Tesla hit it, so it’s only right I take you home,” he persisted.

Why was he pushing it?

“Don’t worry, I don’t want to be a burden,” I politely declined again, growing more agitated. His presence was infuriating.

“I don’t feel burdened, Kamille. Just let me help you and the kids.” He wouldn’t give up.

The kids! His mention of my children made me want to unleash my frustrations. I took deep breaths to calm myself, then turned to my shivering children. The look on their faces broke my heart. The cold was getting to them despite their heavy coats.

Fuck! I cursed.

“Look at your kids, they’re cold. Keeping them here while you find another car won’t be good for them. Just let me help,” Ezekiel said, noticing my distress.

All I heard was “Your kids. Cold.” I couldn’t let them stay out in the cold, but I didn’t want anything to do with Zeke. He wasn’t worthy of sharing air with my children.

“Mummy, I’m cold,” Royer complained, hugging himself. My children looked pitiful. I chose my kids over my feelings.

Gritting my teeth, I said, “Fine!”

“You can take us home on one condition,” I added.

“Anything, just say it,” Ezekiel said, smiling as if he’d been waiting for this moment.

“You must not let anyone know I’m in London. Not even my family,” I said, raising an eyebrow.

He ran his tongue across his lips. “My mouth is sealed. Your secret is safe with me.”

I nodded, gesturing to my kids. We walked to his car, and as I was about to lift Royer in, I noticed some of the car seats were damaged from the collision.

“Mr. Reid, I don’t think we can accept your ride without proper car seats,” I complained, frowning.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll fix it immediately,” he responded.

Without further ado, Andrew, his chief security officer, arrived with replacement seats, and we got into the car.

Finally, this awful day would soon end. Relief flooded me—my children would soon be home, safe and warm. But the uneasiness I felt having Zeke in the car with my kids was unbearable.

Nope! We are a happy family without Zeke in it.