The cathedral was long emptied. Only the faint scent of rose petals and regret lingered in the air.
Ethan sat alone in the last pew, drenched in sweat and rain, his trembling fingers still clutching the bloodstained bankruptcy statement. His forehead was raw and bleeding from the earlier kowtowing, yet he felt none of it.
He only felt… cold.
Utterly, soul-crushingly cold.
The massive cathedral doors creaked open. For a moment, hope flared in his broken chest.
Was it her? Had Amelia come back for him?
Slow footsteps echoed on the marble floors.
But it wasn't Amelia.
It was Aiden and Aaron.
The twins stood tall and proud in their tiny tuxedos, like two miniature executioners walking toward a man on death row.
Aaron crossed his arms, a faint smirk on his face.
"Daddy," he greeted flatly, as if the word itself was a courtesy.
Aiden pulled out a neatly folded document from his little blazer and tossed it onto the floor before Ethan.
It landed with a loud slap.
Ethan's shaking hands reached for it, his blurry vision barely making out the words at the top:
Official Name Change Application
His heart stopped as his eyes scanned further.
"Legal Guardian: Prince Alexander of Aravia.""New Surname: Alexander."
Ethan's body violently shook. His lips parted, but no sound came out.
Aaron tilted his head, feigning innocence.
"Daddy, Mommy said it's time for us to take a new name. One that actually protects us."
Aiden crouched down, his young eyes as cold and sharp as knives.
"And Daddy… we just came to say goodbye."
Aaron pulled out a tiny handkerchief and gently wiped away the blood from Ethan's forehead.
"Take care of yourself, okay? Mommy says regret doesn't keep you warm at night."
The twins turned on their heels and walked away without looking back, their tiny footsteps echoing louder than any thunder.
Ethan collapsed completely, his fingers gripping the name change document as his chest heaved with silent, broken sobs.
He had truly… lost everything.