"Somebody has guilt written all over their face," Lily softly commented, seeing her oldest brother, Liam Wright, in the dining area of their home early that morning. If anyone knew about the arrival of one Lucas Thompson, her brother would be it. After all, Liam previously managed the joint businesses between their family and the Thompsons.

"Good morning, Lily," Scarlett greeted with a smile from the far end of the table. "Your dad and I made waffles. It's special today because you are home, and your brother Liam came to visit. It's such a wonderful surprise!"

"Take a seat, Lily," Liam urged, eyeing the chair right in front of him.

Lily narrowed her eyes at her older brother, sarcastically saying, "It is a surprise that Liam is here. Wonder why big brother flew out here early in the morning?"

She made sure to enunciate every word that left her lips.

At first, Liam did not respond. He studied their parents, and after seeing they were busy preparing for breakfast, he leaned closer from across the table and said, "I wasn't sure if we were ready for Lucas' return. I wanted answers before I could tell you. I had men follow the Thompsons, but they were cautious. I still did not get anything about ten years ago."

"Did you keep that information from coming into Braeton too?" Lily asked. Surely, something of this magnitude was aired on TV and covered in an internet article: The lost heir of the Thompson Group of Companies has returned.

"I did not have to. The Thompsons kept everything quiet, Lucas' arrival and down to his CEO appointment," Liam replied. He gave Lily a concerned look and asked, "Do you believe me?"

Lily sucked in a deep breath and thought about it. The anger and the pain felt like it was rushing back. Soon, she answered, "I believe you because I love you."

"You will always be my little sister." Liam reached for her hand and said, "I would do anything to protect you and get answers, but the Thompsons have risen into power over the years. Their influence has gone so deep that they are now very efficient at covering their tracks."

"Good morning, guys - Uncle Liam!" Aiden's scream echoed in the dining hall. He ran towards Liam and leaped in his arms.

"Easy, Buddy. You are not so young anymore," Liam laughed before making a mess of the boy's hair.

"It has been a while, Uncle," the boy said.

"It has been Aiden. And you are already nine years old. You are too heavy to be jumping into people's arms," Liam complained.

The dining area became filled with laughter and warm discussion after that. Aiden had so much to tell Liam about martial arts and school.

Soon, breakfast began. Aiden sat beside Lily and announced, "Mommy stayed in my room last night. We played video games and watched a movie."

"Great bonding with Mom, eh?" Liam asked before giving Lily an approving nod.

"Yep!" Aiden turned to his grandparents and asked, "Waffles, please!"

As Aiden ate, Lily glanced back to her older brother and said, "Well, the Thompsons have their secrets, and so do we. I guess we are even."

While Lily said those words, somehow, she doubted if it was truly fair for all parties, especially for Aiden, her son.

Lily knew she had a big decision to make, one that involved Lucas.

***

Wednesday.

"Do you have to go? How many years do you have to serve in the army?" Aiden complained. His brown eyes narrowed, and his face was grim as he asked, "Can't you quit?"

Lily paused. She leaned down to Aiden and explained, "I made a deal with the army. I was supposed to be in the infantry, to be deployed to another country. My contract should have already ended, but because I did not want to stay away from you, I pulled strings to be a part-time National Guard."

She pinched his cheek and added, "As a result, my contract got extended, and no, I can't pay my way out of a military contract."

"Don't worry, Aiden, my contract ends next year, and I'll only work for Black Hawk. We will have more time together," she promised with a wink.

Lily hesitated for a moment before smiling at her son. She said, "And I supposed it's time for Mom to settle down. I'll marry your uncle Jake, and you'll have a daddy -"

"What?" Aiden loudly objected. "I don't like Uncle Jake!"

Jake was Lily's boyfriend of two years. Lily never understood it. With Aiden and Jake, it was like hate at first sight! Jake did nothing to Aiden, but her son created a natural dislike for Jake.

To Lily, Jake was a very good catch. He was handsome, and he was one of a few who accepted her past and Aiden. It was never easy for a single military mom to date and find a man who was completely understanding of that fact.

"But, I thought you wanted a father?" Lily asked. "Jake adores you."

"He is a fake!" Aiden angrily growled.

"How in the world could you tell he is fake?" Lily asked, but her son did not answer. Instead, Aiden rolled his eyes.

"Then who do you want me to marry?" Lily asked.

"My real dad," Aiden responded, crossing his arms against his chest.

"That's not going to happen," Lily answered while choosing a jacket from the closet.

"Why?" Aiden asked angrily.

Lily turned to her son. She gasped and reminded him, "Because I told you he is missing. He left us, Aiden."

She turned to collect her duffle bag. Just as Lily picked it up, she heard a faint cry. Aiden sought, "He did not love us?"

His question broke Lily's heart. They had talked about Lucas before. She had always been open about the fact that Lucas had left them, but it was undoubtedly the first time he had cried about it.

"Look, I don't care if we don't find my dad, but not Jake! I don't want him!" Aiden said bitterly.

Lily embraced her son. She caressed his back and said, "Okay. I won't get married."

Sometimes, Lily felt like nobody was ever good enough for Aiden. He had such a high standard for a father, something that she could not even point out.

She pulled away to wipe the tears that stained Aiden's face and said, "Let's talk about this another time. I'll be on a mission and don't know when I'll return. I'm not sure if I can call either. You know how this works?"

"Yeah," Aiden said dryly. It took him a while to say, "Be safe, Mom. I love you."

"You know, I will," Lily responded. "I love you too."

***

Hours later, Lily discovered the full details of her new mission. She was supposed to protect a very important individual.

When she met this person, her heart sank. She silently thought, ‘No. Why didn't I see this coming?'