The Unwanted Wife and Her Secret Twins (Mia and Kyle) novel Chapter 260

Chapter 260 A wealthy eccentric client

Mia’s POV

I typed back quickly: “Yes, please confirm. Also, can you research appropriate gifts for a client? Something tasteful but not too expensive.”

“On it,” Camille replied immediately.

“Everything okay?” Thomas asked, noticing my distraction.

“Just work stuff,” I said, tucking my phone away.

Thomas nodded, returning his attention to the stove where he was creating what looked like the most decadent cheese sauce I’d ever seen.

“Can we tell Uncle Thomas about our presents?” Alexander asked suddenly.

“What presents?” Thomas looked curious.

“The superhero man sent us amazing gifts!” Ethan explained excitedly. “There were art supplies and a book about space and even a telescope!”

“A telescope?” Thomas raised an eyebrow. “That’s quite a gift from a stranger.

“He’s not a stranger,” Alexander corrected. “He saved me from falling at the park. Mama said he’s a nice man who was impressed by our good behavior.”

Thomas looked at me questioningly over the boys‘ heads.

“Jackson Maxwell,” I explained quietly. “My client. He happened to be at the park the other day when Alexander had his climbing adventure.”

“And he sent gifts?”

“Very generous gifts,” I confirmed. “Which is why I need to get him something appropriate in return. Professional courtesy.”

“That makes sense,” Thomas said.

I couldn’t blame him. I wasn’t entirely comfortable with it either.

“Dinner’s ready!” Thomas announced, pulling a bubbling casserole dish from the oven.

The mac and cheese was indeed the best I’d ever tasted. The boys declared it “better than restaurant food” and asked if Thomas could make it every night.

After dinner, we all migrated to the living room for what had become our evening routine–a movie for the boys while the adults relaxed with coffee and conversation.

Thomas settled onto the couch beside me, and within minutes, both boys had climbed up to join us. Alexander curled up against Thomas’s side while Ethan snuggled into me.

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The movie was some animated adventure about talking animals.

“Mama?” Ethan’s sleepy voice drifted up from where he was nestled against my side.

“Yes, baby?”

“Is Uncle Thomas going to stay tonight?”

“If you want him to,” I said softly.

“We want him to,” Alexander mumbled from his position against Thomas’s chest.

“Then he’ll stay,” I confirmed, catching Thomas’s eye over their heads.

He smiled at me, the kind of smile that reached all the way to his eyes and made my heart skip a beat.

As the movie wound down and the boys grew drowsier, Thomas began the familiar ritual of getting them ready for bed.

He carried Alexander to the bathroom while I guided a sleepy Ethan, and we worked together to get teeth brushed, faces washed, and pajamas sorted. The boys were too tired to put up their usual bedtime resistance, allowing themselves to be tucked into their beds with minimal fuss.

“Story?” Ethan requested, his eyes already half–closed.

“Short one,” I promised, settling into the chair between their beds while Thomas leaned against the doorframe.

I chose a familiar story about brave little mice going on adventures, my voice soft and soothing in the dim light of their room. By the time I reached the end, both boys were fast asleep, their breathing deep and even.

Thomas and I tiptoed out of their room, leaving the door slightly ajar as always.

“Coffee?” I offered, heading toward the kitchen.

“Please.”

I prepared the coffee while Thomas loaded the dishwasher, both of us working in comfortable silence.

“Thank you,” I said finally, settling onto the couch beside him with my steaming mug.

“For what?”

“For understanding. For loving my boys the way you do.”

Thomas set down his coffee and turned to face me fully. “Mia, I need you to understand something.”

“Okay.”

“I fell in love with you first,” he said quietly. “But somewhere along the way, I fell in love with Alexander and Ethan too. Not because they’re part of you, but because they’re amazing kids in their own right. They make me want to be a better man.”

“Thomas-”

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“I’m not trying to replace their father,” he continued. “I know they have a father. But I want to be whatever they need me to be.”

I leaned into him, resting my head against his shoulder.

“Good,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “You’re stuck with me.”

We sat like that for a while. The apartment was quiet except for the distant sounds of the city and the occasional soft snore from Gas, who had claimed his spot at the foot of the couch.

“I should probably call it an.early night,” I said eventually. “Big day tomorrow.”

“The Maxwell meeting?”

“Among other things.” I stretched, feeling some of the day’s tension leaving my muscles. “I need to figure out what kind of gift to get him.”

“What kind of man sends expensive gifts to a client’s children?” Thomas asked.

“A wealthy eccentric one, apparently.” I stood up.

“Want me to come with you tomorrow?”

I considered it for a moment.

“Thanks, but I should handle this myself. It’s a work thing.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Understood. But if you need backup for any reason, call me.”

“I will.”

We got ready for bed, moving through the familiar routine of checking on the boys one more time, turning off lights, and setting the coffee maker for morning.

In bed, Thomas pulled me close, his arm wrapping around my waist as I settled against his chest.

“Sweet dreams,” he murmured into my hair.

“You too.”

But I had a bad dream.