*Chapter 16: The Offer*
Monday. 5 PM sharp.
The knock came exactly on time.
Jane opened the door and her stomach dropped.
Ryan.
And behind him: two people in suits. One woman with a briefcase. One man with a tablet.
And Mira.
“Can we come in?” Ryan asked.
He looked different. Tired, but dressed. Navy suit. No tie.
Jane glanced at the twins. Aria was already running to the door. Aiden was behind the couch.
“Five minutes,” Jane said.
The suits stayed in the hallway.
Ryan, Mira, and a folder came in.
*The Living Room*
Aria climbed into Ryan’s lap the second he sat on the floor.
He froze, then carefully put an arm around her. Like he was afraid he’d break her.
Aiden sat at the table, drawing. Not looking.
Ryan cleared his throat. “I brought something. For all of us to talk about.”
Mira set the folder on the coffee table.
Inside: papers. Photos. A mock-up of a house.
“This is a proposal,” Ryan said. “From me. Not from Sterling Corp. From me.”
Jane crossed her arms. “What kind of proposal.”
“A life,” Ryan said. Simple.
He slid a photo across the table.
A big house. Garden. Swing set. Sun.
“Brownstone in Manhattan. 4 bedrooms. Yard. 10 minutes from my office. And from a private school I already toured.”
Jane didn’t touch it. “We live in London.”
“I know,” Ryan said. “But I work in New York. And I want to be there for bedtime. For school. For scraped knees. I can’t do that from here.”
“So you want us to move?” Jane said.
“I want us to try,” Ryan said. “Joint custody. 50/50. But in one city. My city.”
Mira pushed another paper forward.
“Financial terms. Trust funds for both children. Full medical. Nanny if you want. Salary for you, as Head of Design for Sterling Women’s. $400k a year.”
Jane stared at her. “A salary? To be their mom?”
“No,” Ryan said quickly. “To be a designer. Because you’re good. Because I saw your work. The mom part... that’s separate.”
Aiden finally looked up. “Are we moving?”
The room went quiet.
Jane knelt by him. “I don’t know, baby. What do you think?”
Aiden looked at Ryan. Then at the photo of the house.
“Does it have a dog?”
Ryan almost smiled. “We can get one.”
*The Catch*
Jane stood up. Walked to the window.
“What’s the real offer, Ryan? Because this isn’t just about a house.”
Ryan stood too. “Press release. We announce it. Together. Ryan Sterling acknowledges paternity of twins. Co-parents with Jane Miller.”
Jane laughed. Bitter. “You want to go public.”
“I want them to have my name,” Ryan said. “Sterling. I want them protected. Legally. Financially. And I want the world to know I’m not hiding them.”
“And what about me?” Jane asked quietly. “Jane Carter? The girl from the party? What happens when they dig that up?”
Ryan’s face went hard. “Then I handle it. My lawyers. My PR. No one touches you.”
Mira added: “We’ve already drafted statements. We control the narrative.”
Jane looked at Grandma. Grandma shook her head. _Don’t._
Jane looked at the twins. Aria was playing with Ryan’s watch. Aiden was watching everything.
“I need time,” Jane said.
“How much?” Ryan asked.
“48 hours.”
Ryan nodded. “Okay. 48 hours.”
He crouched down to the twins. “I had fun building with you. Can I come back Wednesday? To hear your answer?”
Aria: “Yes!”
Aiden: a small nod.
Ryan stood. At the door he paused.
“Jane. I’m not trying to buy you. I’m trying to... be there. Finally.”
Then he left.
The suits. The folder. The future. All of it.
*That Night*
The check was still in the drawer. Uncashed.
Now there was another folder on the table.
Grandma made tea.
“You can’t trust him,” Grandma said. “Men like him say one thing and do another.”
“I know,” Jane said.
“But...”
“But what?”
“But Aiden asked about a dog,” Jane whispered. “And Aria called him ‘dad’ today. Not to his face. But she did.”
Grandma was quiet.
Jane picked up the photo of the house. Garden. Light.
“I spent 5 years running,” she said. “What if running is what hurts them now?”
*Tuesday - Bella Calls*
*Bella*: _Did he really offer you 400k???_
*Jane*: _Yes._
*Bella*: _And a house?? And a dog?? Jane. TAKE IT._
*Jane*: _It’s not that simple._
*Bella*: _It is. He’s their dad. And you deserve to stop struggling._
Jane stared at the phone.
Then at her sleeping kids.
*Wednesday - 5 PM*
The knock came again.
Jane opened the door.
Ryan was alone this time. No suits. No folder.
Just him. And a small paper bag.
“What’s that?” Jane asked.
“Puppy treats,” Ryan said, embarrassed. “In case you said yes.”
Jane stepped aside.
Aria screamed and ran to him.
Aiden stayed back.
Ryan looked at Jane. “What’s your answer?”
Jane took a deep breath.
“We’ll try,” she said. “New York. But my terms.”
Ryan nodded. “Any terms.”
“My terms are: We go slow. No press for 1 month. I keep my job title but I work remote at first. And if at any point I feel like you’re taking them from me, we’re gone.”
Ryan exhaled. Like he’d been holding his breath for days.
“Deal,” he said. “Deal.”
Aria jumped up and down. “We’re getting a dog??”
Ryan looked at Aiden. “What do you think, buddy?”
Aiden walked over. Stood in front of Ryan.
“Do you promise you won’t leave?”
Ryan crouched down. Eye level.
“I promise,” he said. And for the first time in 5 years, he meant it. “I’m not going anywhere.”