"Mommy!"


    "Mom!"


    Before anyone else could react, two little boys raced over, throwing their arms around Maeve''s legs like they never wanted to let go.


    "Mommy, you''re okay now. She can''t hurt you anymore!" Theo said, his tiny voice brimming with determination. "Don''t worry, we will protect you."


    Will nodded firmly. "Daddy''s not here, but we are. We won''t let anyone treat you badly."


    And they had. If not for them, Maeve would''ve been dragged off by the royal guards, used of a crime she didn''tmit. Fiora would''ve been in a hospital bed, faking injuries and spinning lies to ruin Maeve''s life.


    Even if the truth came outter, the damage to Maeve''s reputation would''ve been done.


    Being the daughter of a wanted criminal already made life tough. Add usations of attempted murder, and her future would''ve been in shambles.


    That was why the boys hadn''te to her right away. Instead, they found the surveince footage to prove Fiora was lying.


    Maeve felt her throat tighten, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. She dropped to her knees and pulled them close, wrapping them in a fierce hug.


    "I''m sorry," she murmured, her voice barely audible.


    She was their mom. She should be the one protecting them, not the other way around. Yet here they were, defending her.


    And tonight, they had even endured Fiora''s venomous words because of her.


    Hearing her apology, both boys looked rmed. Theo''s small face scrunched up as he protested, his voice cracking with urgency. "Mommy, you didn''t do anything wrong! Don''t say sorry! It''s our fault for not keeping you safe. That crooked witch just caught us off guard!"


    Will, ever the mature one, held her gaze seriously. "Mom, do you feel guilty for dragging us into this? Don''t. You''re the most important person to us. Nothing she says matters to us."


    Maeve''s heart melted into a puddle right then and there. She wondered what she had done to deserve kids as incredible as these two. It felt like she must''ve won the universe''s biggest lottery.


    Tom couldn''t help but chuckle as he pulled the two little boys into his arms, yfully nuzzling them like they were tiny kittens.


    But theughter quickly faded when Tom''s eyes caught something-a faint pink crescent mark on the back of Maeve''s neck.


    His smile vanished, reced by curiosity. Without thinking, he reached out to touch it.


    "Tom!" Maeve jolted, turning to him in surprise. "Why are you touching me like that?",


    Tom hesitated, his brow furrowing as if trying to piece together a puzzle. "Maeve... there is a crescent-shaped birthmark on your neck."


    Maeve blinked, raising her hand to touch the spot. "Really? I didn''t even know."


    Well, it wasn''t surprising. The mark was tucked away where she wouldn''t see it.


    Theo and Will immediately leaned in, their curiosity piqued. "Mom, I have the same birthmark!" Will announced triumphantly, pulling down his shirt cor to show it off.


    "What about me? Do I have one too?" Theo eagerly tugged at his shirt, tilting his head for Will to check.


    Will took a quick look and shook his head. "Nope, nothing there


    Theo pouted dramatically. "Why does Will get to match Mommy, but I don''t? Am I not the cuter one here?"


    Will smirked. "Maybe you''re too cute already. They probably figured you didn''t need the extra charm."


    Theo''s pout turned into a wide grin. "Don''t worry, Will. Mommy and I both love you so much. We''ll make sure you''re not left out!"


    Will didn''t say a word, but the look on his face screamed, ''If you love me that much, maybe cut back on snacks and save me some cleanup.''


    Maeve chuckled, her attention pulled away from the whole birthmark discussion by their banter.


    But Tom wasn''tughing. He kept ncing at the mark on Maeve''s neck, his brow furrowing as though a long-forgotten memory was trying to resurface.


    Later that night, after the party ended, Tom made his way to the Royal Hospital.


    "You want to see N''s photo? At this hour?" Wren asked, looking puzzled as he leaned against his desk. "You just came from the party. What''s going on? Why the sudden urgency?"


    N was Wren''s firstborn, her precious baby girl. She barely had time to give her a nickname before losing her forever. It was the kind of pain Wren had buried deep, but it lingered, never fading.


    Tom offered her a soft smile. "I just feel like today''s... important. I wanted to see N, in a way. Maybe talk to her."


    Wren softened at his words. She opened a small box from her desk, pulling out a few photos, edges slightly worn but lovingly kept. "Here," she said, handing them over. "Talk to her properly. I wouldn''t mind hearing it too." "Okay." Tom nodded, flipping through the photos one by one. His gaze lingered on a specific picture.


    "Do you remember her birthmark?" he asked, pointing at the photo.


    Wren''s lips curved into a bittersweet smile. "Of course. She had it from birth. It was a little big, shaped like a crescent moon. Back then, I thought it might''ve been a nail mark I identally left on her."


    Tom''s pulse quickened, his usualposure slipping. He told himself this was ridiculous-it had to be-but a small, nagging "what if" refused to go away.


    Wren tilted her head, watching him closely. "You okay?" she asked, her voice cutting through his racing thoughts.


    "You seem... off tonight. I also heard about Fiora. Kicking her out was the right call. She brought it on herself, and you don''t need to worry about what anyone thinks. You did the right thing" "Thanks for understanding," Tom said, though his heart felt unbearably heavy. He forced a smile. "I just remembered something I still need to handle. It''s giving me a bit of a headache." "You''re not young anymore; your healthes first. Work isn''t going anywhere." Wren sighed, shaking her head.


    "know," he said, nodding. "I''ll be careful."


    As soon as Tom left the top floor, Tom headed straight to the doctor''s office. He instructed the staff to pull up Maeve''s medical records from herst visit. 16:57 Sat, Dec 14 GOG.


    Momentster, he was staring at the data. Her blood type: AB Rh negative. The same as Loren''s.


    1483%


    At the time, he hadn''t thought much of it-it seemed insignificant. But now, with everything stacking up, the coincidences were getting too big to ignore.


    Tom''s fingers shook a little as he held the report. For a moment, he couldn''t bring himself to think too much about it. He just sat there, waiting for the rush of excitement to settle before he could focus again. The blood type and birthmark alone didn''t mean much. He needed something more solid.


    Thankfully, Maeve''s blood samples were still on file. Tom wasted no time, arranging for the doctor topare Maeve''s and Wren''s blood.


    But the results wouldn''t be ready until tomorrow, at the earliest. Though he was eager to stay and wait for the results, Tom found himself driving to Vi 08 without even thinking about itContent (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    He couldn''t quite exin how he felt. Excited, hopeful, but also uneasy.


    Maeve''s age matched up perfectly. She had also been taken by her adoptive parents the same year his sister gave birth to N, and Maeve had been in Setigal, at the same hospital, when she was stolen. The problem was, a paternity test had already been done on Maeve and Henry, showing they were father and daughter.


    Tom''s excitement started to fade, reced by growing unease about the paternity test results.


    The man who had been with his sister back then wasn''t Henry-it was a businessman. He couldn''t help but wonder if the test had been wrong.