CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

Lara crossed the door of the art gallery with her heart beating crazy. However, she managed to act calm. Mainly because of the little hand holding hers.

After thorough consideration, Nate had pointed out she couldn't bring Scarlet to an art gallery. She would be bored. As such, she had taken Jaden.

Since it was a sunny day, daughter and father were surely eating ice cream somewhere, so she wasn't expecting complaints once home. As for Jaden, he was content to be with his mommy.

So much that he didn't even notice the paintings until reaching the reception.

The art gallery resembled more a living room than a shop. The reception was right in front of the entry, hiding the rest part of it from curious eyes and giving a sense of mystery to the whole place. There were a couple of paintings in the shop window, but the best pieces were well-hidden inside.

Lara smiled at the young girl who walked to her.

«Hello, I'm Lara Clayton. I've chatted with Miss Dixon about a painting and was curious to see if there's something I can buy for my home.»

«Oh, yes! Miss Clayton! Sure, come this way.»

She eyed the little boy next to her but didn't dare ask anything.

She accompanied them to a lower table surrounded by armchairs, and Lara sat on one.

«I'll bring you a drink. Do you prefer tea or coffee?»

«Tea would be perfect,» Lara replied while making Jaden sit on her lap.

The little boy's eyes followed the girl leaving and then stopped on the paintings. He observed each one for a minute or a little more before moving on to the next. He was observing the art, turning on his mommy's lap to see the pieces behind their backs as well.

«Do you like this place, Jaden?» Lara asked.

Sure, an art gallery was not something a kid would like. However, her son wasn't an ordinary kid. He liked reading, playing with puzzles, and imitating adults. Maybe he would have found something interesting there too.

And if he didn't, she wouldn't have brought him next time. Simple. She just had to ensure not to become a woman who would drag her kids to places they didn't like.

«Welcome to my gallery, Miss Clayton,» she heard from the side. She turned to smile at Mary Dixon, wondering whether to get up and greet her properly.

However, with Jaden in her arms, he stayed seated.

«Hello, Miss Dixon.»

«Please, call me Mary.»

«I guess it's only fair if you call me Lara, then.»n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

«But who is this little boy here? I've read some gossip about him too, but I couldn't believe my eyes. He's even more handsome from up close than in pictures!»

Jaden blushed at the woman's compliments, hugging his mother to hide his embarrassment. She had said he was handsome, how cool.

«This is my son. His name is Jaden. Jaden, say hi.»

«Hello,» he murmured, still confused by all those compliments.

«Jaden Woods?» Mary Dixon asked while sitting down.

She didn't need to worry about a gaffe. That little boy was so similar to Nate Woods that it was a safe bet to say they were father and son.

«Oh, he has your eyes! How adorable!» she noticed, then.

At those words, Jaden seemed even happier. He was proud that he resembled his mommy even just a little.

«Yes,» Lara said after thorough thought. In the end, it was simpler to say it like that.

She was not as close to Mary Dixon as to tell her the whole story. She wished to be, actually, to have a human female friend who would understand the struggles of being a single mother and then finding the father of her children by chance. She wished to tell her human story to someone, leaving out all the talk about wolves.

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Just talk about feelings, struggles, and how pretty her twins were.

«Why are you hiding your son, though? Because you're afraid of the press?»

«Not really,» Lara chuckled. «We weren't hiding anything. Just, we didn't think we needed a statement about our family status.»

«As for your engagement ring, it's quite curious that you waited years before taking that kind of decision. You already are parents, after all.»

Lara sighed, wondering once again whether to trust her.

«There were some misunderstandings and we lived apart for years. We met again only recently and started dating for real. That's also why no one knows about the kids.»

«Kids?» Mary Dixon repeated, widening her eyes. She felt honoured to hear that story before anyone else.

Even though she knew Lara was doing it because it was her only choice, the fact that she had chosen a humble art merchant made Mary contented.

«Jaden has a sister,» Lara said. «Oh, I hope you won't tell the press yet. Nate and I will give an interview after we decide to. It's to protect the kids since they have no fault in any of our decisions. We don't want them in the middle of a scandal.»

«So, it's just as simple: Nate Woods isn't a cold detached man, he just had a family all along. That's why he has never glanced twice at any woman before you appeared out of thin air.»

«I like to think so,» Lara chuckled. «But now that we're together, the press will ask a thousand questions. Nate is a public figure, after all... We don't want to give explanations to anyone, but I'm afraid the reporters won't leave us alone until we do.»

«Oh, and is it related to how you don't talk with your mother? Is she the reason why you two were separated?»

«Not really,» Lara chuckled. «It's all connected, but it wasn't my mother. I just left because I was afraid. But now I'm not anymore. I'm ready to accept the responsibilities of being in a relationship.»

Mary Dixon nodded. She knew about Lara Clayton being spotted in front of the study of a therapist. So, she had been working hard on her fears and was going to suppress them for love. How romantic!