Jerrold looked up at her, his eyes a mirror of trust. "I know, Mommy.

I just slipped up, that's all."

With a kiss on his cheek, she smiled. "You're brave, aren't you?

Does it hurt much?"

"Not a bit."

"Dinner? Did you eat?"

"Yeah, the nanny cooked. What about you?"

Lilah had barely eaten, hunger lost to worry. Together, they shared a late-night takeout, the night wrapping around them like a warm blanket.

Morning came too soon, and Lilah was jolted awake by her ringing phone. Groggy, she answered, "Hello? Who's this?"

A pause hung in the air, and then Gerard's voice, deep and stirring, broke through. “Sorry, did I wake you?"

She perked up, the fog of sleep lifting instantly. His absence had left a hollow space within her. "No, it's fine. I was getting up anyway. What's up?"

“Just... I missed you," he breathed out, his words brushing against her ear like a secret.

Only a day had lapsed, yet Gerard felt the absence of Lilah like a gnawing hunger. It was an alien sensation, the longing for someone's presence.

“I miss you, too," Lilah whispered, a crimson tide coloring her cheeks.

The ensuing silence was heavy, filled with the slow tick of time passing. Gerard broke the quiet, his voice a soft promise. “Babe, I'll make an effort to avoid business trips in the future. How are you and Jerrold?"

"We're good, really." They exchanged a few more words before Lilah, pushing the covers aside, stepped out of bed.

The nanny had breakfast on the table. After sharing the morning meal with Jerrold, Lilah dropped him off at kindergarten. Knowing that Jerrold had always been with Gerard, she asked with concern, "Do you miss your daddy?"

Jerrold's innocence shone in his confused gaze, and after a moment's thought, he murmured, "A little."

His face was an open book of struggle, revealing the difficulty in admitting even this small truth. "Daddy's often away," he added, as if to say he was accustomed to the absence.

With a sympathetic nod, she watched him disappear into the bustle of kindergarten life before she turned toward her own day.

When she settled into her office, Lilah's attention was snatched by a bold headline. "Katie Turner: The Chosen Apprentice of Mirello Design Academy's President?"

Lilah was confused. Clicking through, she was met with photos of Katie entering the hotel, stealthily captured by paparazzi. The article suggested that the professors and president of Mirello Design Academy dined at this hotel, and the uninvited Katie's presence hinted at her special status, stirring a buzz among her fans.

Katie's supporters were aflutter with excitement online.

"She sought out the president there," one fan commented.