Desired By Three Alphas; Fated To One novel Chapter 148

Chapter 148: Still Can’t Do It

Hailee’s POV

For a long time, I stayed quiet. Speechless. Frederick was kind. He saved me when no one else could. He stayed by my side, helped me, and cared for my sons like they were his own. Any woman would be happy to have him.

But me? My heart didn’t work that way. I couldn’t love him, not the way he deserved. My heart was still tied to Nathan, Callum, and Dane. Even though they hated me now, even though I had lied to them, I still loved them. That love hadn’t died. I knew it never would.

And yet... telling Frederick "no" hurt me too. He had given me so much without asking for anything. How could I hurt him like that?

I swallowed hard. "Frederick... you are a good man," I said softly. My voice shook. "Better than I deserve."

He watched me, his eyes calm, but I could see hope hiding there too.

I looked down at my hands. They were shaking. "But I can’t answer right now. Your world and mine... they’re too different. And my heart..." My throat hurt as I whispered, "...my heart is still with them."

The room went quiet. I glanced up, scared of what I might see on his face.

He only nodded slowly. His jaw was tight, but he didn’t get angry—or maybe he was good at hiding it. "So... what will you do? The boys need a father... you, Hailee... you need a man," he asked.

I took a shaky breath. He was right, but... "I’ll think about it," I whispered. "That’s all I can promise you now. I’ll think about it."

Frederick leaned back in his chair. His eyes stayed on me, composed and calm. "Then that’s enough. For now, I won’t force you," he said.

I turned my face away as tears rolled down my cheeks. My sons shifted in their little bed, their small sounds breaking the silence. I wished... I wished I could give them everything they deserved. A whole family. A father. A truth that wouldn’t break them. But all I had was silence and promises I wasn’t sure I could keep.

TWO YEARS LATER!!

Time had a way of moving whether I was ready or not. Two years had gone by, and my boys were no longer helpless newborns. They were walking—no, running—through the halls, their laughter spilling like music wherever they went.

Oscar, my eldest, was the loudest. His green eyes burned bright, always daring, always testing the world around him. He had Nathan’s fire. Sometimes when he laughed, my heart twisted so hard I had to look away.

Oliver, with his sea-blue eyes, was softer, thoughtful. He clung to my skirts more than the others, but when he smiled, it lit the room. He was gentle, but his gaze was sharp, noticing things no child his age should. He had Callum’s calmness.

And then Ozzy. My smallest, my quietest. His brown eyes seemed to hold secrets far older than he was. He watched everything, spoke less, but when he cried, it broke me in ways the others didn’t. He carried Dane’s effect on me.

It’s amazing how each boy carries the traits of the men I left behind.

My boys were my world. My reason for breathing. My curse and my blessing all in one.

Frederick had kept his word. He never forced me. Never pressed me again about marriage. But he never left, either. He was there for every scraped knee, every late-night fever, every tear I couldn’t wipe fast enough. The boys loved him—called him "Godfather." To them, he was safe. To me, he was... complicated.

Sometimes, when I caught him watching me, his eyes softer than they should be, guilt crawled up my throat. I had never given him an answer. "I’ll think about it" was still all I had to offer. And yet, he stayed. Never showed up with a woman at the house. Never came back smelling of another’s perfume or with lipstick on him.

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