The Unwanted Wife and Her Secret Twins (Mia and Kyle) novel Chapter 291

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Chapter 291 Truth is always better than lie

Mia’s POV

I woke up because I had to pee.

My bladder felt like it was about to burst, a consequence of drinking too much wine at that goddamn cruise party. The taste in my mouth was stale and metallic.

Thomas and I had fallen asleep on the sofa. We were both exhausted. His arm still wrapped around me.

I tried to move carefully, not wanting to wake him, but the moment I shifted my weight, every muscle in my body protested. The expensive dress I was still wearing had twisted around my legs, the fabric wrinkled and uncomfortable against my skin.

As I stood up slowly, I caught a whiff of myself and nearly gagged.

I smelled really bad.

Like a combination of spilled wine, expensive perfume that had gone rancid, and the lingering scent of cigarette smoke from the cruise ship. My hair felt greasy and flat against my scalp, and I could feel the sticky residue of makeup caked on my face.

Thomas was still sound asleep, his dark hair falling across his forehead. His tie hung loosely around his neck, and his shirt was wrinkled from our awkward position on the couch. He looked peaceful, younger somehow.

I adjusted his position gently, lifting his head to slide a cushion underneath and straightening his legs. He murmured something.

“Mama?”

Ethan’s small voice made me freeze. He was standing in the hallway entrance, wearing his dinosaur pajamas, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. His dark hair was sticking up at impossible angles, and his innocent black eyes were wide open.

“Did I wake you up?” I asked quietly, moving toward him. “Do you need to use the toilet?”

He nodded, still rubbing his eyes. “I heard you moving around.”

I took his small hand and led him down the hallway to the bathroom, trying to move quietly so we wouldn’t wake Alexander. The hardwood floor was cold against my bare feet, and I realized I’d lost my shoes somewhere during the night.

As I helped him with his pajama bottoms, Ethan wrinkled his nose and looked up at me with his characteristic honesty.

“Mama, you smell bad.”

I couldn’t help but smile despite everything. “I know, sweetheart. Mama had a very long night.”

“You look different too,” he observed, tilting his head to study my face. “Your eyes are puffy.”

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Chapter 291 Truth is always better than lie

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When he finished, I knelt down to his level, smoothing his unruly hair with my fingers. “Little one, you should always think your mama is the most beautiful person in the world.”

Ethan considered this seriously, his small face scrunched up in concentration. “Mama, I can’t lie. Your face looks ugly right now.”

The blunt honesty of a four–year–old. No sugar–coating, no polite deflection.

“Well,” I said, fighting back a laugh, “I suppose I do need to clean up.”

I took his hand again and led him back toward the twins‘ room. Alexander was still fast asleep, sprawled across his bed like a starfish, one arm dangling off the edge and his mouth slightly open. Gas had somehow managed to squeeze himself onto the narrow bed beside Alexander, his golden fur mixing with the superhero–themed bedsheets.

As I tucked Ethan back into his bed, he reached up and grabbed my wrist with his small hand.

“Mama, stay with me tonight.”

Something in his voice made me pause.

I touched his face gently, feeling the soft warmth of his skin beneath my palm. He might have been scared by everything that happened today.

Children pick up on everything, even when they don’t understand it.

“Of course, baby,” I promised, settling onto the edge of his narrow bed. “Mama will stay right here.”

“But you need to take a shower first,” he said matter–of–factly, not letting go of my wrist. “You smell like the garbage truck that comes on Tuesdays.”

This little rascal.

“Ethan,” I said, trying to sound stern but failing completely. “That’s not a very nice thing to say to your mother.

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“But it’s true,” he replied. “truth is always better than lies.”

“You are right,” I admitted. “But maybe next time you could say ‘Mama, you might want to freshen up‘ instead of comparing me to a garbage truck.”

“Okay,” he agreed readily. “Mama, you might want to freshen up. A lot.”

I kissed his forehead, tasting the salt of my own tears that had apparently started falling without my permission. “I’ll be right back, okay? Just going to wash the ugly off.”

I showered quickly, scrubbing away the remnants of the evening with water so hot it left my skin red and tender.

When I returned to Ethan’s room, clean and wearing soft cotton pajamas, he lifted the covers and scooted over to make room for me on his small bed.

“Better?” I asked, settling beside him.

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Chapter 291 Truth is always better than lie

“Much better,” he confirmed, snuggling against my side. “Now you smell like mama again.”

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I wrapped my arms around his small, warm body and listened to his breathing gradually slow and deepen. Outside, I could hear the familiar sounds of the city waking up–garbage trucks rumbling down distant streets, the occasional car horn, the faint hum of early morning traffic.

But inside this small bedroom, with my son safe in my arms and his brother sleeping peacefully nearby, everything felt still and protected.

I must have fallen asleep, because when I woke up, the children were gone.

The room was too dark for morning, heavy curtains blocking out what should have been sunlight. I fumbled for my phone to check the time, my hand searching the nightstand where I thought I’d left it.

I rubbed my eyes and got up to turn on the light, immediately squinting against the sudden brightness.

Thomas was sitting on my bedside.

“Jesus Christ!” I jumped, my hand flying to my chest. “You scared me to death.”

He was sitting there in the dim light, wearing a black shirt with an open collar. His sleeves were rolled up,

revealing his muscular forearms, and his hair was slightly messed up like he’d been running his hands through

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He looked much better than when I’d gotten up in the middle of the night yesterday. More alert, more present. But there was something in his expression that I couldn’t quite read.

“Thomas, you really scared me, sitting there staring at me like that.”

He looked like he wanted to say something but didn’t know how to begin. His mouth opened slightly, then closed again, as if he was rehearsing words in his head.

“We’re not playing riddle games, are we?” I said, getting out of bed and stretching. “Let’s have breakfast. I’m hungry.”