The Unwanted Wife and Her Secret Twins (Mia and Kyle) novel Chapter 468

Kyle's POV

The key slides into the ignition. Metal on metal. That specific sound of precise German engineering. The engine starts—smooth, quiet, the kind of purr that costs more than most people's annual salary.

I adjust the rearview mirror.

In the mirror, I can see all three children. Alexander is clutching the pink elephant. Madison has her seatbelt on already—always the first one buckled. Ethan is looking out the window at something I can't see.

Mia opens the passenger door. The interior light comes on. That soft yellow glow that makes everything look warmer than it is.

She slides in. The leather creaks slightly as she settles into the seat. Her hand reaches for the seatbelt—automatic motion, muscle memory—and I hear the click as it locks into place.

The door closes. The light fades.

I should start driving.

My hand is on the gear shift. Ready to put the car in reverse. But I'm not moving yet because Mia is adjusting something. Her jacket. She's pulling it off. The fabric rustling. Her arms twisting behind her.

The jacket comes off. She drops it in her lap. Underneath she's wearing that gray sweater. The one that's soft. I know it's soft because earlier when she fell on me in the leaves, when my arm was around her waist, my fingers had pressed against that fabric.

She's leaning forward now. Adjusting the heating vent. Directing it away from her face.

"Too hot?" I ask.

"A little."

Her voice is tired. Not the performative tired people do. Real tired. The kind that settles into your bones.

I adjust the temperature down. Two degrees. Then another two.

"Better?"

"Yes. Thank you."

She leans back. Her head finds the headrest. Tips back slightly. Her eyes close for a second. Then open. She's looking straight ahead through the windshield at the Tony's sign. Red neon. Flickering slightly on the left side.

I should drive.

I put the car in reverse. Check all the mirrors—rearview, both sides. My hand on the back of her seat as I turn to look over my shoulder.

The parking lot is nearly empty now. Just a few cars scattered across the spaces. A truck in the far corner.

I back out. Smooth. Slow. The kind of slow that doesn't jostle passengers.

"DADDY!" Alexander's voice explodes from the backseat. "DID YOU SEE HOW FAST YOU WON THAT ELEPHANT?"

"Alexander," Mia says. Not loud. Just his name. But there's warning in it.

"What?"

"Inside voice."

"This IS my inside voice!"

"Smaller inside voice."

"How much smaller?"

"Half."

Alexander huffs. Dramatic. But when he speaks again, his volume has dropped. "Did you see though? One quarter! ONE! That's like—that's like magic or something!"

"Or skill," Ethan observes from his window seat.

"Or LUCK!" Alexander counters.

"Luck is just probability meeting preparation," Ethan says.

"What does that even MEAN?"

I'm pulling out of the parking lot now. Onto the main road. The traffic light ahead is green but turning yellow as we approach. I slow down. Let it turn red. Stop smoothly.

In the passenger seat, Mia's head has tilted to the side. Just slightly. Toward the window. Her eyes are still open. But barely.

The light turns green.

I accelerate. Gentle. The kind of acceleration that doesn't push you back in your seat. That doesn't announce itself.

"Daddy?" Madison's voice. Quieter than Alexander's. Always quieter.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Can I sleep with the elephant tonight?"

"Of course."

"What if it's too big for my bed?"

"Then the elephant sleeps on the floor next to your bed."

She considers this. I can see her in the mirror. Her small face serious. Thinking it through.

"Okay," she decides. "That's fair."

Mia shifts in the passenger seat. Her hand comes up. Touches her face. Her fingers pressing against her temple like she's trying to push away a headache.

"You okay?" I ask. Quiet. Just for her.

"Mhm."

It's not really an answer.

I take the next turn. There are two ways to get back to her apartment from here. The highway is faster. Fifteen minutes versus twenty-three on surface streets. But the highway has potholes. Construction. Rough patches that make the ride less smooth.

I take the surface streets.

The car glides through the intersection. Smooth suspension. Premium everything. This is why you pay extra. For the ride that doesn't announce itself. That doesn't jostle. That just moves you from point A to point B like you're floating.

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