Hell Hath no fury like a billionaire's Ex

Chapter 146: The Imposing Wall

Diane’s POV

The morning sun streamed through the windows of my office as I sat across from Noah, my hands wrapped around a steamingly hot cup of coffee.

The wedding preparations were in full swing, flowers ordered, venue confirmed, dress hanging in my closet. But there was something weighing on my heart, something I needed to address before I could fully embrace this new Chapter of my life.

"Noah," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I need to talk to you about something."

He looked up from his laptop, his expression immediately shifting to concern. "What’s wrong? You look like you’ve been thinking about something heavy."

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I was about to say. "It’s about Liam. And the children."

Noah’s jaw tightened slightly, but he remained silent, waiting for me to continue.

"He’s been writing to me," I admitted. "Letter after letter, begging me to let him see Dylan and Danielle. Just once. And I... I’ve been ignoring them, shoving them away into my drawer without reading most of them."

"Diane," Noah said gently, "you don’t owe him anything. After everything he put you through—"

"I know," I interrupted. "Believe me, I know. But I’ve been thinking about my own father. About how my mother told Sophie and me that he was dead when he’d actually left because of his gambling addiction. I only reconciled with him recently you know, and I can’t help but wonder how different things might have been if I’d known the truth from the beginning."

Noah leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. "You don’t want to lie to the children about their father."

"Exactly," I said, relieved that he understood. "I don’t want to carry that guilt into our new life together. I don’t want Dylan and Danielle to grow up wondering about their father, only to discover years later that I kept them from him. They deserve to know who he is, even if... even if he’s not a good man."

Noah was quiet for a long moment, his fingers drumming against my desk. "What exactly are you proposing?"

"I want to take them to see him. Once. And then, when they’re older, they can decide for themselves whether they want a relationship with him." I paused, meeting his eyes. "But only if you’re comfortable with it. I know this is complicated, especially given your history with Liam. If you’re not okay with this, I’ll wait until they’re adults and can make their own choices."

Noah studied my face, and I could see the internal struggle playing out in his expression. Finally, he sighed. "You know what? You’re right. They should have the chance to know their father, even if he’s in prison. And honestly, maybe it’s time for me to face him too."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "I don’t want to force this on you."

"I’m sure," he said, reaching across the desk to take my hand. "Liam made his choices, and he’s paying for them. But Dylan and Danielle are innocent in all of this. They deserve to know where they come from."

Relief flooded through me. "Thank you. I was so worried you’d think I was being foolish."

"You’re not foolish," Noah said firmly. "You’re a good mother who wants what’s best for her children. That’s one of the many reasons I love you."

---

Two weeks later, we stood outside the imposing walls of the state penitentiary, Dylan balanced on my hip while Noah carried Danielle. The children, now walking steadily but still unsteady on their feet, seemed oblivious to the gravity of the situation. Dylan was babbling happily, pointing at birds in the sky, while Danielle had dozed off against Noah’s shoulder.

My heart was racing as we approached the entrance. I’d been steeling myself for this moment for days, but nothing could have prepared me for the reality of seeing Liam in prison. The cold concrete walls, the barbed wire, the guards with their watchful eyes—it all felt surreal.

"You okay?" Noah asked, noticing my hesitation.

"I don’t know," I admitted. "Part of me can’t bear the thought of seeing him like this. Despite everything, he’s still the father of my children."

Noah squeezed my free hand. "We can leave at any time. Just say the word."

The processing took what felt like hours. Forms to fill out, metal detectors to pass through, rules to understand. The guards were professional but stern, explaining the regulations about physical contact, what we could and couldn’t bring in, how long we could stay.

Finally, we were led to the visiting room—a sterile space with plastic chairs and tables bolted to the floor. Other families sat at various tables, speaking in hushed tones. Children played quietly while their mothers tried to maintain normal conversations with men in orange jumpsuits.

"Inmate Ashton will be brought out shortly," the guard informed us.

My hands were shaking as we took our seats. Dylan had woken up and was looking around curiously, while Danielle remained sleepy in Noah’s arms. I tried to compose myself, to prepare for whatever version of Liam I was about to encounter.

Then I saw him.

He looked different—thinner, but somehow more solid. His dark hair was shorter, and there was a scruff of beard on his face that made him look older. But it was his eyes that caught my attention. The arrogance, the calculating coldness I’d grown to recognize—it was gone. In its place was something I hadn’t seen in years: vulnerability.

When he spotted us, his face transformed. His eyes lit up, and a smile spread across his features—not the practiced charm he’d perfected, but something genuine and raw. He walked toward us with purpose, his hands shaking slightly.

"Diane," he breathed as he reached our table. "I can’t believe... I can’t believe you came."

For a moment, I couldn’t speak. Seeing him like this, in this place, brought back a flood of emotions I’d thought I’d buried. "Hi, Liam."

His eyes moved to Noah, and I tensed, unsure of how this interaction would go. But Liam’s expression remained soft, grateful even.

"Noah," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you. Thank you for being here for them, for being the father they needed when I couldn’t be."

Noah nodded stiffly. "They’re good kids, Liam. They deserve the best."

"They do," Liam agreed, his voice breaking slightly. "They deserve so much better than what I gave them."

But then his attention turned to the children, and I watched as his composure crumbled completely. Dylan was staring at him with wide, curious eyes, while Danielle had awakened and was looking around the room with interest.

"My babies," Liam whispered, tears streaming down his face. "My beautiful, perfect babies."

"I’m sorry," he said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "I didn’t mean to... I just never thought I’d see them atall."

"Liam," I said gently, "I want you to know that I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for them. They have a right to know their father."

He nodded eagerly. "I understand. I’m grateful, Diane. More grateful than you’ll ever know."

"I’ve been getting help," he continued, his voice more steady now. "Therapy, anger management, trying to understand how I became... how I became the man who hurt all of you. It’s not an excuse, but I’m working on it.

For them." He gestured toward the children. "Even if it takes years, even if they never forgive me, I want to be someone they could be proud of."

I was surprised by his words, by the changes I could see in him. Prison had a way of either hardening people or breaking them down completely. It seemed Liam had chosen a different path.

"You look good," Noah said, and I could hear the grudging respect in his voice. "Been working out?"

Liam actually laughed, flexing his arms playfully. "Not much else to do in here. Got to stay in shape somehow."

"You’re still a lazy ass," Noah said with a slight smile.

"And you’re still a straightforward asshole," Liam shot back, but there was warmth in his voice. "God, I missed this. I missed you, man."

The brief moment of levity was broken when Liam’s expression turned serious again. "I’m sorry, Noah. For everything. For the way I treated you, for the way I destroyed our friendship, for being such a complete bastard. You deserved better from me."

"We all did," Noah replied quietly.

I stood up, lifting Dylan in my arms. "Dylan," I said softly, "do you want to meet your daddy?"

The little boy looked at me with trusting eyes, then at Liam. I walked closer to the table, setting Dylan down so he could take his unsteady steps toward his father. noveldrama

"Come on, sweetheart," I encouraged. "Go say hi to daddy."

Dylan took a few shaky steps, his chubby hands reaching out for balance. Liam was crying openly now, his whole body trembling as his son approached him. When Dylan finally reached him, Liam carefully scooped him up, holding him like he was made of glass.

"Hi, buddy," Liam whispered, his voice breaking. "Hi, my beautiful boy."

Dylan babbled something unintelligible, his tiny hands reaching up to touch Liam’s face with innocent curiosity. Liam closed his eyes, savoring the moment, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I’m so sorry," he whispered to Dylan. "I’m so sorry for not being there, for not being the daddy you deserved."

Danielle, who had been watching from Noah’s arms, suddenly became interested in what was happening. She squirmed until Noah set her down, then toddled over to where Liam was sitting with Dylan.

At first, she seemed possessive, trying to push Liam’s hands away from her brother. But when Liam looked down at her with the same gentle expression, she paused.

"Hello, princess," he said softly, lowering his face to her level. "Your majesty, may I... may I hold you too?"

Danielle stood there for a moment, studying his face with the serious expression she got when she was thinking. Then, to my surprise, she raised her arms up to him.

Liam carefully lifted her, now holding both children in his arms. The sight of it—my babies with their father, finally meeting him—broke something open in my chest. Whatever he’d done, whatever mistakes he’d made, in this moment he was just a man who loved his children desperately.

"I’m sorry," he sobbed, holding them close. "I’m so sorry for everything I’ve done, for all the pain I’ve caused, for not being there when you needed me most."

Dylan reached up and patted Liam’s cheek, as if trying to comfort him. Danielle rested her head against his shoulder, completely at ease.

"I promise you both," Liam continued, his voice thick with emotion, "I’m going to be better. I’m going to be the father you deserve, even if I have to do it from here. I’m going to write to you, and think about you every day, and try to become someone you can be proud of."

He looked at them with wonder, as if he couldn’t believe they were real. "I’ve been a bad boy," he said, his voice taking on the simple cadence one uses with small children. "That’s why daddy has to stay here for a while. But I’m learning to be good, learning to be better. And I love you both so much."