For weeks, Nathan believed Vanessa was carrying his child.

Later that afternoon, Julian picked Leo up from his new middle school on the leafy outskirts of Evanston. The school was a traditional brick building surrounded by green lawns and laughing children playing soccer on the turf field. Leo walked out of the front entrance carrying his backpack, looking distinctly like an ordinary ten-year-old boy, despite his extraordinary mind.

He climbed into the passenger seat of the sedan, buckling his seatbelt with practiced efficiency.

“How was school today, Leo?” Julian asked as he pulled away from the curb, merging smoothly into the afternoon traffic.

“It was fine,” Leo replied, resting his tablet on his lap. “The math curriculum is a little behind my level, but the science lab has good equipment. We started a project on bridge stress distribution.”

Julian smiled, keeping his eyes on the road. “Of course you did. Do you want to stop by the diner for ice cream on the way home?”

Leo paused, looking over at his father with a slight raise of his eyebrow. “Is this a reward for good behavior, or are you trying to bribe me into ignoring your recent spreadsheet errors on the Q3 logistics report?”

Julian burst out laughing—a full, genuine laugh that echoed warmly inside the car cabin. “It’s not a bribe, Leo. It’s just an ice cream cone. Can’t a father take his son out for a treat without a secondary corporate audit attached?”

“I suppose,” Leo conceded with a small, amused smile. “As long as we get mint chocolate chip.”

They pulled into the parking lot of a retro diner with a neon sign buzzing softly in the late afternoon light. Inside, the air smelled of waffle cones, melted butter, and old-fashioned vanilla. They sat in a corner booth by the window, the world outside moving at a gentle, unhurried pace.

As the waitress placed two massive ice cream sundaes on the table, Julian looked across at his son. The shadows of the past—the penthouse, the red robe, the syringe, and the blinking camera light—felt like scenes from a distant, tragic movie that they had somehow managed to survive.

“We’re going to be fine, Dad,” Leo said quietly, dipping his spoon into his mint chocolate chip ice cream.