Chapter 35 My Dad's the Strongest Man Alive

The faint milky scent snapped Rowan Blackwood back to reality. He stared at the little boy before him, emotions churning—so many thoughts, yet no words came. Nolan Duvall remained silent, sitting quietly beside him as if merely seeking a seat, indifferent to who occupied the space next to him. Rowan felt an unfamiliar ache in his chest. Reese was also four, yet Reese lived freely, even spoiled—laughing loudly when happy, sobbing uncontrollably when upset. But Nolan was calm, composed beyond his years, nothing like a child should be. Rowan's first memory of Nolan was in the airport restroom—the boy clutching his legs, brow furrowed, eyes pleading desperately at him—like a fleeting bloom, now utterly unrecognizable beside the boy before him. What kind of life had shaped Nolan into this? If he truly was his son, what suffering had he and Marielle endured these past five years? A storm of questions surged within Rowan, yet he didn't know how to begin. As he hesitated, Nolan spoke first. "W