The unspoken message was obvious. These weren't observations Liam could have made on his own.

Alexander remained silent, but the tension in his jaw and the sudden drop in temperature said everything about his irritation.

Even at his young age, Liam was perceptive enough to sense Alexander's displeasure, despite the lack of words. He opened his mouth, an explanation already forming on his lips.

"It wasn't Mom who told me. It was—"

Before he could finish, Victoria smoothly cut in. "Liam, I get it. These aren’t things Ms. Sinclair would say. It must’ve been some random person spouting nonsense, right?"

Liam didn’t catch the subtlety in her words. Instead, he marveled at how intuitive she was, nodding eagerly. "Yeah! I heard it at the café. Some people at the next table were gossiping."

Victoria’s voice softened. "Liam, I believe you."

Just as Liam was about to smile, a thought struck him, and his expression turned solemn. He stared at Victoria in the passenger seat, stubbornly pressing for an answer.

"Ms. Langley… would you ever be the other woman?"

Alexander’s frown deepened, but Victoria stopped him with a slight shake of her head. She turned to Liam, her tone gentle but firm. "Liam, remember? I don’t have much time left. Six months at most."

Normally, Liam called her Victoria. The sudden formality sent a pang of unease through her. Though only five, this child was far from ordinary.

Liam hesitated, as if recalling that fact. He didn’t know why he’d asked such a thing. Regret twisted inside him. Victoria had always been kind—how could he doubt her? And she didn’t have long to live.

Despite his intelligence, Liam was still just a child. He didn’t realize Victoria had skillfully avoided giving a direct answer. Biting his lip, he mumbled, "Ms. Langley, I’m sorry."

Victoria smiled warmly. "It’s alright. Let’s forget about it. Think about what you want to eat later, and I’ll treat you to something special."

Liam’s mood instantly brightened, and he eagerly chatted with her about food.

"Victoria, can we get fried chicken today?"

She didn’t hesitate. "Of course."

But Alexander interjected, "Victoria, the doctor said you should stick to light meals."

"A little indulgence won’t hurt." She glanced back at Liam. "Besides, Liam wants it. Life’s too short to always follow the rules. A little fun makes it worthwhile."

Liam thought about how his mom, Amy, always forbade such things, and suddenly felt grateful. Victoria understood him. Moms just loved enforcing rules.

The next morning, Liam shuffled downstairs, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Alexander sat at the dining table, scanning the newspaper. His frown deepened when he noticed Liam.

"Liam, why aren’t you at school yet?"

Liam looked down. "No one woke me up. I overslept."

Just then, Eleanor emerged from the kitchen with breakfast. Alexander shot her a sharp look.

"Why didn’t you wake Liam?"

Eleanor blinked in surprise, flustered. "Mr. Blackwood, Mrs. Blackwood usually handles that."

Alexander’s expression turned glacial. "She makes breakfast. She wakes Liam. Then tell me—what exactly am I paying you for?"