Chapter 111 -

Sean entered his house after meeting with Jameson Mahoney. His head and heart were heavy with worry.

His adopted son, Ethan, was sitting on the couch, engrossed in a book. The little boy glanced up and his face immediately lit up with relief at the sight of his father. Sean felt a pang of guilt for having kept him waiting and wondered how Ethan had been coping all this time.

"Hey, buddy," Sean said, trying to infuse a sense of cheer into his voice. "Sorry, I'm late. Got caught up with something. Did you have a good day?"

Ethan nodded, smiling shyly. "Yeah, it was okay. I missed you though." His words were soft, but the longing was evident. "Why is dirt on your clothes?" the little boy asked and pointed to the stained parts of the suit.

"I ran into some dirty thugs and they stained me. That's it," Sean answered.

Sean's heart melted as he pulled Ethan into a tight hug. "I missed you too, buddy. I promise I'll try not to be late again. Let's do something fun tonight, okay?"

Ethan's eyes