Chapter 279: Her Pain

Mommy.

The innocent word struck Alena harder than she expected.

For a moment, the world seemed to go strangely quiet.

The laughter of the children, the cheerful music drifting from the carousel, the rhythmic clopping of the wooden horses—all of it faded into the background.

Her fingers curled tightly against her palm.

She forced herself to breathe. Slowly.

She couldn’t let anyone see the hurt on her face. Not in front of Carlos.

And certainly not in front of Randy and Yana.

The pain was hers alone to bear.

She lowered her eyes, pretending to adjust the strap of her handbag while she fought to regain control of her emotions.

Then she turned toward Yana.

"Yana, let’s take a photo."

Her voice sounded surprisingly steady.

Yana’s face immediately lit up.

"Really?"

"Of course."

Alena stepped closer to the wooden horse and slipped an arm around the little girl. She lifted her phone and angled it toward them.

Forcing her lips into a bright smile, she said,

"Smile!"

Yana grinned at the camera, her eyes sparkling with childish excitement.

Click.

The first picture was taken.

"Again!"

Yana giggled.

Click.

Another.

"One more!"

Click.

Alena kept smiling. She smiled so naturally that no one looking at the photos would ever guess that her heart was aching.

Behind the phone, however, her eyes were beginning to sting.

She blinked quickly. She would not cry. Not because of him nor the child that was no longer hers.

Then, she looked down at the screen, scrolling through the pictures one by one.

Yana’s smile was radiant.

While her own was a careful composed expression.

Two people who looked happy.

That was what she wanted everyone to see.

Not the woman whose heart had just been torn open by a single innocent word.

Mommy.

Alena swallowed hard. She had spent so long teaching herself not to hope.

Not to expect anything.

Not to imagine that one day Kai might run toward her and call her Mommy just like Randy and Yana did.

But hearing him call another woman Mommy still hurt. It hurt more than she wanted to admit.

Her gaze instinctively wanted to drift toward Carlos.

She stopped herself.

She knew what she would see.

Him standing there with that familiar, unreadable expression.

And probably looking at the woman waving at them outside the carousel. The woman who had always occupied the place Alena had hoped to belong.

His wife.

Alena’s fingers tightened around her phone.

She lowered her head and pretended to examine another photograph.

Anything was better than looking at him.

Because she was afraid that if she looked at Carlos for even one second too long, he would see through the hate she had carefully constructed,

he would see the pain, the jealousy... the heartbreak.

And she refused to give him that satisfaction.

...

The carousel slowly began to lose speed.

The cheerful music softened until the wooden horses finally came to a stop.

Alena immediately reached for Yana.

"Come on, sweetheart."

She helped the little girl down from the carousel, her movements quick and almost hurried.

All she wanted was to leave. To get away from Carlos before he could say anything else.

She had barely stepped toward the exit when a familiar voice called out behind her.

"Cousin! Randy! Yana!"

Alena froze. She turned around.

Isobel was at the entrance waving at them, Alexander cradled securely in her arms. Kristoff walked beside her, one hand resting protectively near the baby’s back.

Behind them came another couple, each carrying a child.

And behind them were more familiar faces.

The group seemed to keep growing until the small space around the carousel was suddenly filled with excited voices.

"Don’t get off yet. We’re riding with you." Isobel called from the other side.

Yana’s face immediately lit up.

"Yay!"

She pointed excitedly at the group.

"It’s Uncle Morgan and Aunt Kristine! And the twins!"

She continued, naming each person she recognized.

"Grandpa Julian! Grandma Leanne!"

Her cheerful voice carried across the carousel.

Carlos, who was preparing to dismount, suddenly stopped.

His gaze shifted toward Isobel.

Cousin?

His eyes narrowed.

Alena is Isobel Lancey’s cousin?

That was news to him. News he didn’t like realizing he had never known.

Before he could dwell on it, Kai tugged at his attention.

"Daddy, can I ride again?"

Carlos looked down at his son.

"You want another ride?"

"Yes, Daddy!"

Kai’s face brightened.

Then, as though remembering something important, he added,

"But Mommy is waiting for us."

Carlos’s expression hardened.

"Let her wait."

He didn’t even bother looking toward Denise. Denise Montana wouldn’t ride a carousel. It was beneath her.

The Foster Family chose the largest carriage on the carousel so Julian and Leanne could sit comfortably with them.

Kristoff selected one of the taller horses for Alexander.

"Isobel, come sit with us!" Kristine called.

Isobel took a step toward them.

But the moment Alexander saw her moving away, his little face crumpled. He began to cry.

Isobel immediately turned back.

"All right, all right. Mommy’s here."

She smiled apologetically at Kristine before returning to Alexander.

Kristoff smiled faintly.

He and Isobel took positions on either side of Alexander’s horse, making sure the baby was safely settled between them.

Alena watched them for a moment. Then she quietly chose the horse beside Isobel.

It was almost instinctive. She wanted to be near someone she trusted.

More importantly, she wanted to put as much distance between herself and Carlos as possible.

There was no way Carlos could stand beside her now.

Carlos noticed. His jaw tightened.

He chose the horse directly behind her.

The carousel began moving again.

As the horses rose and fell to the rhythm of the music, Carlos slowly looked around.

Something felt strange.

There were no other families joining them.

Only the Foster family, the people accompanying them, the photographer documenting the birthday celebration—and himself.

He remembered another father asking the guard earlier if he could remain on the carousel.

The guard had refused.

"Sorry, sir. This ride is reserved for the birthday celebrant and their guests."

Carlos’s brows furrowed.

So why had no one asked him to leave?

The answer was obvious. He was a congressman.

The amusement park was within his jurisdiction. The staff knew he was was someone that could not be offended.

But that still didn’t explain Alena, or Randy, or Yana.

Why were they allowed to stay?

Carlos’s gaze settled on Isobel. then on Alena.

A question began to take shape in his mind.

Just who was Isobel Lancey?

He remembered hearing the name before.

She was once at the center of several scandals—at least, that was what he heard.

But the woman standing in front of him now didn’t resemble the one in the scandal.

She was standing beside Kristoff Dalton.

The Foster family treated her like one of their own.

And, apparently, Alena was her cousin.

Carlos’s eyes narrowed.

There was clearly a story here.

A story even Alena did not know.

Carlos wondered just how much of Alena’s life had existed beyond the walls of his world.