Chapter 4 - Rebuilding the Foundation
I didn't hand Ethan a free pass. He had to earn every single inch of ground he wanted to cover in Leo's life.
I stayed in New York for an extra two weeks to negotiate the new waterfront blueprints, and I allowed Ethan to visit us at the hotel. The first few days were agonizing to watch. The ruthless billionaire, a man who commanded thousands of employees, was absolutely terrified of breaking a toddler. He sat on the floor of my hotel suite in his expensive trousers, awkwardly rolling a plastic truck back and forth.
But Leo, with the beautiful, forgiving innocence of a child, didn't care about Ethan's billions or his past mistakes. He just saw a man willing to play trucks with him.
By the end of the first week, Leo had fallen asleep on Ethan's chest. I watched from the doorway of the bedroom as Ethan gently stroked our son's dark curls, silent tears streaming down his face, completely undone by the weight of the love he had almost thrown away.
Ethan didn't just change his behavior around us; he systematically dismantled the toxic empire that had cost him his soul. He fired the board members who had pressured him into the Hayes alliance. He personally absorbed the financial hit of Victoria's father pulling his capital. He restructured Blackwood Enterprises, prioritizing ethical development and stepping back from the aggressive, hostile takeovers that had defined his career.
When it was time for me to fly back to Chicago, Ethan walked us to the private terminal at Teterboro. He didn't ask me to stay in New York. He knew I had built a life I loved in the Midwest.
"I bought an apartment in Chicago," Ethan said quietly, handing me Leo's diaper bag as the pilots prepped the jet. "I'm stepping down as primary CEO. I'll remain as Chairman of the Board, but I'm delegating the day-to-day operations. I am going to split my time. I want to be there for his soccer games. I want to be there for parent-teacher conferences. I want to earn the right to be his father."
I looked at the man standing in front of me. The arrogance was gone. The cold, corporate armor was completely stripped away, leaving only a deeply remorseful, fiercely determined man.
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"He likes blueberries in his oatmeal," I said softly, adjusting Leo on my hip. "And he is terrified of the dark, so you'll need to buy a nightlight for the new apartment."
Ethan's breath hitched. He nodded frantically, a brilliant, watery smile breaking across his face. "Blueberries. Nightlight. Got it."
