CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Elsa
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, my knuckles aching from the pressure, as the neon motel sign faded in the rearview mirror. The road stretched endlessly before me, dark and desolate, the only sound the steady hum of the engine and the occasional rustle of the baby shifting in her car seat. Elena let out a soft whimper, but I barely spared her a glance. My mind was too consumed with everything that had gone wrong, every miscalculation that had led me here.
I had nothing left. No home, no safety net, no money, not after draining every cent I had into my legal defense. My mother was furious with me for taking out a loan using her house as collateral. And for what? A losing battle.
Cole and Leo had boxed me into a corner, stripping away every excuse, every escape route. If I stayed, I'd be dragged into court and shredded apart by their lawyers. The fraud case alone would ruin me. But worse than that, I'd lose Elena. I wasn't stupid—I knew the moment I stepped inside that courthouse, the judge would hand her over to Leo. He had Cole on his side, the law on his side, hell, even the moral high ground.
But I had something they didn't.
Elena.
She was my shield. My leverage. My last bargaining chip. As long as I had her, neither of them could push too hard. They could throw their accusations and threats, but at the end of the day, I was the one holding the baby. And as long as I had her, I still had some control.
I had been running for two days, and exhaustion clung to me like a second skin. My frayed nerves and aching body pushed me to the brink of madness over this baby. Elena's cries were relentless, high-pitched and desperate, piercing through the stale silence of the car like a knife. I had tried everything—feeding her, rocking her in my arms, even singing the lullabies Nancy used to hum. But nothing worked. Her tiny fists flailed, her face scrunched up in frustration, and the more I tried to soothe her, the louder she wailed.
Panic clawed at my chest. What if she was sick? What if something was wrong, and I didn't know how to fix it? I wasn't Nancy. I knew I wasn't an exemplary mother.
By now, either Cole or Leo had to have realized that I took Elena and ran. Cole didn't stay overnight at the house anymore, but Leo was there almost every fucking day. There was no way they hadn't noticed. No way they weren't already looking for me. My stomach twisted at the thought. I could picture Leo's rage. And Cole, though not Elena's father, had been very invested. He'd been there. He must be furious that I had taken Elena away. I knew it was only a matter of time before they caught up to me. But I couldn't stop.
I exhaled sharply, drumming my fingers against the wheel, my pulse hammering as I took the next exit. I had a plan. It wasn't perfect, but it was all I had. A fake name waiting for me at a run-down motel in another state, just enough cash to last a few weeks, and no intention of stopping until I was untouchable. No credit cards. No phone calls. No trail. Cole thought he had control, but he didn't. Leo thought he had rights, but he didn't. This was my game, and I wasn't about to lose.
The gas light blinked on, and I cursed under my breath. Fuck! I was too focused on running to notice my empty tank. The next exit came up, and I veered off, pulling into a deserted gas station. A single flickering light buzzed overhead, casting eerie shadows across the cracked pavement. I killed the engine and took a deep breath. I just needed gas. In and out. Then I'd be gone before anyone knew where to look.
The second I stepped out of the car, the chilly night air bit into my skin, but another sensation hit me harder—the unmistakable prickle of unease. Something was wrong.
The sound of screeching tires tore through the quiet.
My stomach dropped.
I spun around just as a dark figure stepped out from the shadows, moving with slow, deliberate steps. My breath caught in my throat.
Leo. His expression was hard, the scar on his face catching the streetlight as he smirked, calm, sure of himself. Terrifying. I felt chills running down my spine.
"It's over, Elsa." His voice sliced through the night like a blade.
Immense panic surged through me. "You can't—"
He took another step forward, his jaw tight. "I already did."
I followed his gaze toward the parking lot, and my breath hitched.
Two cop cars. Their lights were dark, their engines silent, but they were there. Waiting.
Shit. Fuck!
I turned to run, but Leo grabbed my arm, grip like iron. "You're not getting away this time. The game is over."
*** *** ***
I sat in the courtroom, my fingers gripping the armrest of my chair so tightly that my nails dug into the worn fabric. The room was chilly, with rows of wooden benches filled with unfamiliar faces. Strangers judging me, whispering, waiting to see how this would all play out. At the front of the room, the judge, an older man with sharp eyes and a blank expression, flipped through the case file.
Leo sat at the next table, his lawyer beside him, their voices calm and confident, while my attorney whispered rushed reassurances in my ear. I sank into my seat. It didn't matter anymore. I knew how this was going to end.
The court process was brutal. Leo wasted no time filing for emergency custody, and within days, the judge ruled in his favor. The argument was simple—I was a flight risk. A danger to my child. And the worst part? He had evidence. He had Cole backing him, too, which made things even worse. The judge immediately placed a temporary restraining order on me. I wasn't allowed to leave the state, and worst of all, I was granted only supervised visitation for Elena, and even that felt like a punishment.
The hearings that followed were grueling. My lawyer tried to argue that I had been Elena's primary caretaker, that Leo had no real presence in her life before now. Leo's attorney didn't hold back. He presented evidence of every lie, every moment I had manipulated the truth. They painted me as a liar, a manipulator, a woman who had used her own child as leverage. And the worst part? I could see it in their eyes. They knew. Every time the judge asked why I ran, why I didn't allow Leo to take a DNA test from the beginning, I had no proper answer.
And then came the fraud case.
In criminal court, the District Attorney built a damning case against me. The falsified paternity test, the forged documents and the financial records, it was all laid out in excruciating detail. The prosecution called fraud, forgery, and theft by deception, arguing that I knowingly deceived Cole and wrongfully accepted financial support.
Then they brought up the fact that I took Elena across state lines while a custody case was pending. That was enough to add custodial interference, a felony.
The trial dragged on for months, but the verdict was inevitable.
The moment the judge spoke, my stomach turned to ice.
"Ms. Kramer, this court finds you guilty of charges of fraud, forgery, and custodial interference. Given the severity of your actions, you are hereby sentenced to three years in state prison."
The gavel struck the wood, finalizing my fate.
It was over.
I turned in my seat to look at Cole. He was staring at me, cold, detached, but fully satisfied.
I begged him, not caring anymore where I was or who was watching.
"Cole," I choked out. "Please. Don't do this. Save me, please. I did it because I love you. Because I wanted to be with you. We had a good time together, Cole, don't you remember? Please, Cole."
Tears streamed down my face, my sobs breaking apart, hysteria rising in my voice. I was pleading, desperate, completely unraveling in front of him.
"Cole!" I screamed, desperate to get his attention. "Please!"
He just stared at me. Silent. Unmoved.
Then, slowly, he shook his head.
And I knew there was no hope for me left.
Elena was gone. Leo had won. I lost Cole.
I lost everything.
And I was going to prison.
*** *** ***
COLE
I sat on the park bench, elbows resting on my knees, watching as Elena wobbled through the grass. Her tiny legs moved in awkward, unsteady steps, arms stretched out for balance. Every time she teetered too far to one side, Nancy was right there, ready to catch her if she fell.
Elena.
Leo's daughter.
And damn if she didn't look just like him.
Same blond curls, same sharp features. Even the way she scrunched her nose when she focused too hard—it was all him. Like a miniature version of a man who had become my good friend, stumbling her way across the playground.
A warm breeze drifted through the park, carrying the scent of fresh-cut grass and the distant laughter of kids playing on the swings. The sun hung low in the sky, casting everything in a soft, golden light.
I exhaled slowly, leaning back against the bench.
"She's getting big," I said, watching as she plopped onto the grass with a soft thud.
Instead of crying, she blinked in surprise, then let out a deep belly laugh. It was the sound that made people turn their heads, unable to resist smiling along with her.
Leo chuckled beside me. "Yeah." He glanced over at me. "Crazy how fast it happens."
I nodded, my eyes still on her.
I wouldn't know.
The thought hit like a slow, twisting blade—cutting deep, even though I should've been used to it by now. Time moved forward, whether or not I was ready for it.
And every day, regret haunted me. By the loss of the two most important people in my world. Sara and Elena.
The trial was over. The dust had settled.
But I was still standing in the wreckage, left behind, watching from outside as my daughter built a life without me.
And as for Sara...
I had lost them both.
I told myself this was what she wanted, that she was better off without me. And maybe she was. Because I watched her take her life back, piece by piece, and she was thriving.
She had thrown herself into her work, running her company with sharpness and confidence. She learned quickly, navigating projects and contracts with ruthless determination, leaving no room for doubt. Whatever obstacles came her way, she met them head-on, no longer the woman who once stood in my shadow.
She had rebuilt.
She had won her battles.
And she achieved all of it purely on her own.
Sara proved she didn't need anyone, that she didn't need a man, or even a partner, to thrive. She was strong enough to stand on her own two feet. Strong enough to rise from the ashes and build something greater. Strong enough to leave the past behind and never look back.
The ruins I had made were all I had left to live with.
Elena lived with Leo now, in a house that had surprised me the first time I saw it. I had expected him to have a sleek, modern bachelor pad, but instead, he had a home. A real one.
A quaint three-bedroom house in the suburbs, warm and lived-in, with soft cream walls and a front porch that creaked under your weight. The kind of place made for family, not for a man who had spent most of his life living fast and reckless. But somehow, it suited him.
Nancy had moved in too, her presence as steady and reassuring as ever. She doted on Elena the way she always had, filling the space with laughter and lullabies, making sure she never felt the absence of the mother who had left her behind.
Leo had become a father in every sense of the word.
He fit the role effortlessly, as if it were always meant for him. He loved Elena instantly, without hesitation, without question. I still remember the first time he held her, how she had fit so perfectly in his arms, tiny and fragile, her blue eyes blinking up at him with curiosity.
And I remembered what I had thought at that moment. "This is right."
She was with her father.
And I... I was nothing more than a man on the sidelines, watching a life I thought I could have slip further and further away.
Elena was already pushing herself up again, determined to stand on her own. Stubborn, just like her father.
"You ever get scared?" I asked, my voice thoughtful. "That you’ll blink, and she’ll be grown?"
Leo let out a slow breath, stretching his arms across the back of the bench. "Every damn day."
I let his words settle between us.
I never used to think about time, never caring about how fast the years passed. But lately, I felt it slipping through my fingers, disappearing before I could catch it.
Elena took another unsteady step, reaching for Nancy, who clapped her hands in encouragement. The little girl's entire face lit up with a grin.
"She's lucky to have you," I said.
Leo turned his head slightly, watching me. "That's supposed to mean something?"
I smirked, though it felt hollow. "It's a compliment. Take it."
He didn't respond right away, just looked back at his daughter. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter. "Every kid deserves a father who's there for them."
I swallowed, forcing myself to nod as if I agreed—because I did.
Leo must have sensed where my thoughts had drifted because he said, "You're welcome to come anytime you want," his tone earnest. "I want you to be in her life, too."
I turned to look at him, searching for any trace of doubt in his expression. "You sure?"
"Of course." He smiled, the kind that wasn't just for show but held something real underneath. "You love her as much as I do."
My throat tightened.
Because I did. I loved her so very much.
"Thank you," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you so much."
Leo nodded, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. As if he hadn't just given me back a piece of something I thought was gone forever.
"And she's lucky to have you too, you know," he added with sincerity. Then, after a beat, he grinned. "Just... don't make her call you Dad, okay? People might get the wrong idea." He narrowed his eyes at me, clearly amused.
I let out a chuckle, shaking my head. "Oh, no, no. Definitely not." He had a point. We were two single guys raising a kid—it might give off the wrong impression.
"She'll call me by my name," I assured him. "I want her to call me Cole."
"Deal," he said with a small nod.