[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-2603220ECDF1-658":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},658,100,"Chapter 100: \"Hello, Hello, I Am Zero.\"","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">In Violette Ellis’s memory, the last time she saw that older woman, she was still a timid, subservient wife. Today, though her hair was grayer and her palms were rougher, she carried herself with a newfound crispness and resolve.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She had earned her driver’s license last year and bought a used Wuling minivan. At fifty-six, she had decided to step out of the shadow of her family and finally live for herself.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Before I hit sixty, I want to drive along every coastal city near here,\" the woman said with a beaming smile. \"I don’t want to stay in Deepwater anymore! I’ve spent my whole life here. You were right—the world is huge. I’m finally able to live for myself.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It was wonderful.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">All of Violette’s emotions converged into that one thought: *It’s wonderful.* Beyond that, she didn’t know what else she could possibly say to Roman Griffin.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But Roman seemed to understand everything. As he parked the car, he reached over and gave her hair a gentle, affectionate ruffle.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You’ve messed up my hair,\" Violette complained, though her tone held no real bite.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman steered the conversation toward more pressing matters. \"We’re going to be late for the concert.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That effectively derailed any further focus on her hair. They hurried through the ticket gate, hunched over, and tiptoed to their seats.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette glanced at Roman.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The exertion of their rush had his chest rising and falling rhythmically beneath his shirt. The stage lights washed over his features, lending him a softness that blended perfectly with his underlying intensity—a dangerous, intoxicating mix of tenderness and sex appeal.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Sensing her gaze, he turned toward her, his Adam's apple bobbing with a subtle swallow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They were in the middle of a row, middle of the section; arriving late was already a social faux pas. By silent agreement, they didn't speak. Violette reached out, and Roman took her hand. As her fingers were swallowed by his larger palm, it felt like a drifting boat finally finding the harbor.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette lowered her head and smiled.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She felt as if her own life was just beginning.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">...\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The concert ended at 8:30 PM.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">There was a long line for the ladies' room, so Violette waited for about ten minutes. When she finally stepped out, she found Roman standing near a young boy with a bowl-cut and a miniature suit. The boy was gesturing wildly, babbling away, while Roman was crouched on one knee, resting an arm on his leg, listening with rapt attention.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette blinked, surprised. \"Is he… lost?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I am not!\" the boy said, chin held high. \"I’m just waiting for my mommy to come out of the bathroom! And I have a smartwatch, so I won't get lost!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Without waiting for a reaction from Violette, the boy turned back to Roman.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Zero’s helmet has two horns, not like Leo’s! Leo is his mentor, and they’re so cool when they fight monsters! They have super-light ray skills, like this—*pew, pew!*\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette stood there, completely bewildered. She looked at Roman, who nodded in solemn agreement, and then back at the boy, who was busy performing laser blasts in the air.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She had no idea how these two had managed to find a common language.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When the boy’s mother finally appeared, he still refused to leave, tugging on Roman’s sleeve to swap WhatsApp contacts. \"I have a smartwatch. I can message you.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">In any other context, the request would have been absurd, but Roman actually agreed. He pulled out his phone, and the boy scanned the QR code with a satisfying beep. He sent a voice note immediately: \"Hello, hello, I am Zero.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman replied, \"Hello, Zero. I am Roman.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"No, you’re not! You have to say you’re Leo.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Fair enough.\" Roman let out a low chuckle, deleted his previous message, and resent it: \"Hello, Zero. I am Leo.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The boy was satisfied at last.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">His mother leaned in toward Violette, looking sheepish. \"I am so sorry. My son doesn't usually act like this.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It was a rare side of Roman that even Violette had never seen. The \"older brother is like a father\" dynamic she had heard his siblings, Adelaide and Kaisen, talk about suddenly had a concrete, visual image.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Once they were back in the car, Violette asked, \"You’re quite the hit with kids, aren't you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Am I?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman hadn't thought much of it. He’d just run into the boy while buying hot chocolate in the lobby. The kid had been on his tiptoes trying to reach for a straw, and Roman had grabbed it for him. The boy had said, \"Thank you, mister,\" and then noticed the watch on Roman's left wrist.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Wow, mister. Your watch is so cool, it looks like a transformation device!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That was all it took to start the conversation. The boy only had a few core interests—race cars, excavators, superheroes, and space rangers. Roman hadn't grown up with those things himself, but that didn't stop him from having shared topics with Kaisen.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As Roman explained, it clicked for Violette. He always responded to people with genuine intent, no matter who they were. It was no wonder the boy was so drawn to him. To have an adult treat a child with that level of equal respect—Violette thought about her own childhood. She had always craved that—to have her thoughts listened to with gravity rather than dismissed with a blunt, \"You’re too young to understand.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette remembered what the boy's mother had whispered before they left and relayed it to Roman: \"His mom said if it’s a bother, you can just delete the contact later.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She already knew his answer.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Sure enough, he replied dismissively, \"It’s fine. It’s not like it takes up any space.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The streetlights flickered against him one by one, light and shadow dancing across his face. The soft night air couldn't compete with the gentleness he emanated—a deep, visceral warmth that made one want to drown in it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It was like the hot chocolate he’d bought for her; his kindness was always in the details.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette leaned her head back against the neck pillow and suddenly asked, \"The matter from last time—has Mom brought it up again?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Which one?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette turned her face toward the window. \"The one after we had our check-up.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"No.\" Roman glanced at her, his voice quiet. \"Did she say something to you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"No, I was just thinking about it.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A thought was lodged in Violette’s throat. She interlaced her fingers, rubbing her knuckles nervously, and after a long beat, she tried to sound casual. \"I think you’d be pretty good with kids.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman was startled. He desperately wanted to unpack the layers behind that single sentence.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But his logic reigned supreme.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, pondering for a moment. \"There's no rush.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Before Violette, Roman had imagined what a life with her would look like. Since having her, he had also imagined what a home with one more person would look like. But that version of the future still felt further away than Violette herself.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">For the first time in his life, he found himself wavering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">One moment, he wanted to maintain the perfect balance of their two-person world; the next, he thought a little rascal running around wouldn't be so bad. Then, in the next breath, he was back to being hopelessly possessive of their solitude.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It wasn't that he didn't want it—it was that he wasn't ready.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He was a man who never fought a battle without a plan. He meant it when he said there was no rush; he needed a long, elaborate foundation before a beautiful fantasy could turn into reality. And he, more than anyone else, possessed the patience for it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The mood tonight was simply too perfect.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">There was the quiet glow of having done the right thing years ago, the haunting melodies of the concert, and the sheer, gentle presence of the man beside her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The moment they stepped through their front door, Violette reached up, hooked her fingers around Roman’s neck, and pulled him into a kiss. His Adam's apple bobbed beneath her touch, a reflexive, restrained movement he wasn't even aware of.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The more he held back, the more magnetic he became.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">There was nothing more seductive than the sound of stifled breath in the back of a throat.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette cupped his face, pulling him higher, and leaned in to kiss his throat. She nibbled at the skin, and then, she heard the soft click of a metal fastener being undone.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman lifted her leg, pulling her close.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*Meow.*\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A fluffy, yellow ball of fur abruptly jumped right between them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette shrieked, stumbling back against the foyer cabinet.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman steadied her, his eyes darkening with frustration. He looked down to see Sunny, their cat, clinging to their ankles with a pathetic, high-pitched meow. Having missed his owners all day, Sunny was demanding affection, blinking his big, round eyes at the two of them with calculated innocence.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The cat had no idea why \"Daddy\" was currently looking at him as if he wanted to eat him.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272920862]