The Day I Walked Away My Empire Began novel Chapter 153

Steven’s expression darkened as he grabbed Cody by the collar and pulled him right in front of Bria. “Come on, be good. She’s your real mom. Call her Mommy.”

Cody pouted, shrinking back in fear. “No, no, she’s not my mommy!”

“Now,” Steven snapped, his tone sharp and impatient.

Bria quickly stepped in, trying to ease the tension. “Steven, don’t push him. He’s meeting me for the first time. It’s only natural he’s a little scared. Let’s just take it slow, okay?”

She pushed herself up from the wheelchair and limped over to Cody, then crouched down so they were eye to eye. Her face softened, full of warmth and motherly affection as she studied him.

Cody was a handful, sure, but he was also adorable. With his custom-tailored little suit and shiny dress shoes, he looked every bit like the young prince of a powerful family.

“He’s so handsome… He looks just like you,” Bria thought, feeling a rush of emotion as she reached out to touch him.

Cody pulled away, scrunching his nose in disgust. “Don’t touch me. I don’t like you.”

“Cody, that’s enough. She’s your mom. Go give her a hug,” Steven said, voice tense.

“I don’t want to!” Cody protested.

“It’s fine, Steven, really. Don’t rush him,” Bria said quickly, trying to smooth things over. She turned to Cody with a hopeful smile, pulling out a stash of toys she’d brought along. “Cody, I didn’t know what you liked, so I got you some toys. Wanna take a look?”

She wasn’t sure what kids liked, so she’d just bought the fanciest, most expensive toys she could find. That limited-edition Transformer robot alone cost as much as one of her Hermès bags.

Cody’s eyes widened as he spotted the toys. He couldn’t hide his excitement.

“Whoa, is that a Transformer? And Spider-Man too?”

Bria grinned, looking completely different from her usual cold self. “You like them?”

He hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Yeah, I do!”

Kids are easy to win over, Bria thought. Give them a few toys, take them out for something yummy, and soon enough, they’ll start to warm up to you.

Her smile softened into something deeply maternal. “If you like these, there’s even more in your room.”

“Really?” Cody’s eyes lit up.

“Of course,” Bria replied, nodding. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

This was her first time meeting her son—she just wanted to give him everything. Her style couldn’t have been more different from Lucie’s. Lucie barely ever bought him toys, kept a tight lid on his playtime, and always had some tutor lined up to teach him something new. It was no wonder Cody wasn’t a fan.

It only took one morning for Bria and Cody to hit it off. Soon, they were playing together and laughing like they’d known each other forever.

Steven watched them, a smile tugging at his lips. But deep down, he felt an ache he couldn’t explain. Their little family looked perfect now, but Lucie was out there, alone, taking all the pain by herself. The more he thought about it, the more he realized just how cruel he’d been.

He’d called her Mommy for three years. He didn’t really hate her. Marian was always whispering bad things about her, so he’d started to pull away. But he remembered the last time they got into trouble outdoors. When Mommy held him on the boat, her arms felt so warm, she smelled so nice. It’s nothing like what Marian had said.

Steven didn’t know how to explain, so he just said coldly, “Don’t ask so many questions. From now on, she’s the only mommy you have.”

“Call her Mommy,” Steven commanded.

Cody looked at Bria, his eyes full of tears. “…No, I don’t want to,” he whimpered.

Steven lost his patience. “I told you to call her Mommy! Did you hear me?”

Cody dropped his toy and started to sob. “I don’t want a new mommy! I want my old mommy back! Please, Daddy?”

“Is it because I was bad? Is that why Mommy doesn’t want me anymore?” Cody cried, voice shaking with heartbreak.

Steven felt his anger and guilt twisting inside him. “Enough! Don’t talk about your old mommy ever again. She’s not your mother. This is your mother now.”

Bria stepped in, worried. “Steven, please, you’re scaring him. He’s just a kid. Let’s give him time.”

Steven took a shaky breath, trying to calm himself down.

Bria smiled gently at Cody. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You don’t have to call me Mommy if you don’t want to. Just call me whatever you like.”