The rain in Soho always smelled of wet asphalt and expensive exhaust.

I pulled Chloe’s yellow hood up over her dark curls.

Liam was already dragging his boots through a puddle, his hand warm and sticky in mine.

“Careful, sweetie,” I said, pulling him closer to the glass storefront of the bistro.

The glass was fogged from the heat inside.

Through the condensation, I saw the reflection of a black SUV idling at the curb.

Then, the heavy wooden door of the restaurant swung open.

Jonathan Vance walked out.

He wore a tailored charcoal wool coat that looked damp from the mist.

He stopped dead on the wet pavement, his leather shoes splashing into a shallow pool of water.

His eyes went from my face down to Liam’s, then to Chloe’s.

The breath caught in his throat, visible as a small white cloud in the November air.

“Mariana,” he whispered.

I instinctively stepped backward, pulling both children behind the heavy canvas of my coat.

He took a step toward us, his hands trembling slightly as he reached out.

“They’re mine,” he said, his voice cracking. “They have my father’s eyes.”

“We have to go, Jonathan,” I said. My voice was flatter than I felt, though my heart hammered against my ribs.

“I was told I couldn’t have children,” he said, staring at Liam. “For six years, I believed the reports.”

His hands shook as he reached out toward Chloe’s damp hood.

“Don’t touch her,” I said.

The rear door of the black SUV opened with a heavy, mechanical thud.

Rebecca Sterling stepped out into the rain.

She held a black silk umbrella, her high heels clicking sharply against the uneven stone.

Her eyes scanned the street, instantly locking onto Jonathan, then onto me.

Her face hardened into a mask of cold, calculated fury.

“Jonathan,” Rebecca said, her voice cutting through the hum of the evening traffic.

He didn’t look at her. He kept his eyes locked on the twins.

“Look at them, Rebecca,” Jonathan said, his voice hollow and thin.

“Jonathan, get back in the car,” she said, stepping directly between us.

She smelled of expensive French perfume and damp silk.