Shayla Meets Anthony
Shayla never planned to meet Anthony.
In fact, every instinct in her body told her to turn around the moment she saw his name light up on her phone. Anthony. A name tied to secrets, lies, and a past she had fought hard to bury.
But when the message ended with “It’s about Kai”, her heart stopped.
That was all it took.
☕ The Meeting
The café was nearly empty when Shayla arrived, rain tapping against the windows like a warning she refused to hear.
Anthony was already there, sitting in the corner booth, calm… almost too calm.
He stood when he saw her, offering a smile that never reached his eyes.
“You came,” he said.
“For Kai,” Shayla replied coldly. “Say what you have to say.”
Anthony gestured for her to sit. His hands were steady as he wrapped them around his coffee cup.
That alone terrified her.
Anthony was never steady unless he was in control.
đź“„ The Truth
“You know Kai’s condition is getting worse,” he began.
“You don’t get to talk about my son.”
“I do,” Anthony said quietly. “Because I can save him.”
Save him.
Her hands trembled. “You’re lying.”
“I wish I was,” he replied, sliding a folder across the table.
Inside were medical reports—real ones.
Specialists. Experimental treatments.
One name appeared again and again.
A private clinic overseas.
The kind of place normal people could never afford.
“This treatment has an 80% success rate,” Anthony said. “But there’s a problem.”
Shayla swallowed. “There’s always a problem.”
“It costs more than you’ll ever make in your lifetime.”
đź’” The Offer
Silence stretched between them.
Shayla’s breath came shallow, her vision blurring.
She had already sold everything she could.
Borrowed from everyone who still answered her calls.
Time was running out… and she knew it.
“So why are you telling me this?” she whispered.
Anthony leaned forward, lowering his voice.
“Because I’ll pay for it.”
“What?”
“I’ll cover every bill. Treatment. Travel. Recovery. Everything.”
Tears filled her eyes before she could stop them.
Hope—dangerous, cruel hope—crept into her heart.
“But Kai becomes mine.”
⚖️ The Choice
The world shattered.
“What do you mean… yours?” Shayla asked, her voice barely audible.
“I mean legally,” Anthony said. “I want full custody.”
“When he’s healthy… Kai leaves with me.”
Shayla stood so fast her chair screeched across the floor.
“You’re insane.”
“Or I’m the only one offering him a future.”
“You don’t get to buy my child!”
“Then you’re choosing your pride over his survival.”
That was the moment Shayla broke.
Anthony slid one final document across the table.
“You have 48 hours.”
There was no right choice anymore.
Only survival… or heartbreak.
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