Sweet Love 2x: Miss Ruthless CEO for our Superstar Uncle-Chapter 187: What’s His Name?

The booth was already closed off when Nate stepped in, the partition pulled halfway before he pushed it the rest of the way shut with the back of his hand. Sound from the bar dropped immediately, low and indistinct, like it belonged to another room entirely.

He didn’t sit right away.

He reached for the bottle first, uncapping it with a practiced twist before setting it down in the center of the table. Glasses were already there. He didn’t bother arranging them. He just filled two, then a third, the liquid settling unevenly as he moved.

Gilbert arrived next.

He paused just inside the booth, eyes adjusting to the lower light before he stepped in fully. His gaze moved once across the table, noting who was already there. He took a seat without greeting.

Julian sat across from him.

He hadn’t moved.

His glass was already in front of him, untouched, condensation gathering along the side. His hand rested near it, not gripping, not reaching. Just there.

Gilbert leaned forward, forearms on the table.

"You’ve been here a while."

Julian didn’t look up. "Long enough."

Nate slid one of the filled glasses toward Gilbert without asking. Gilbert accepted with a brief nod but didn’t drink.

The door opened again.

Franz stepped in, Arianne just behind him.

They didn’t hesitate at the threshold. Franz moved first, taking the seat beside where Arianne would sit, his body angling as if the space had already been decided. Arianne followed, settling into place without adjusting the chair, without moving anything around her.

No one commented.

Five people in a booth built for four. Gilbert’s elbow was pressed against the partition. Nate’s knee kept bumping the table leg. Franz had one arm hooked over the back, claiming space Arianne didn’t seem to notice she was leaning into.

Nate poured again. Five glasses now.

He sat last.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Julian broke it.

"I should’ve checked."

The words landed without effort, like he had already said them to himself before saying them out loud. He leaned back. His hand found his glass. Wrapped around it. Didn’t lift it.

"I thought it ended. I didn’t look back."

He ran a hand over his face. Left it there a second longer than necessary.

"That’s on me."

No one rushed to respond.

Arianne watched him, her hands resting against the edge of the table.

"It didn’t end," she said. "It just moved on without you."

Julian nodded. "I know."

Nate let out a short laugh. No humor in it. His foot had been tapping under the table since Julian spoke; now he pressed it flat.

"You left her. What did you think was gonna happen? She was gonna send you a birthday card every year? ’Hey, remember that week? Here’s a son, hope that’s cool.’"

Julian’s jaw tightened.

Nate caught it. Didn’t apologize.

Gilbert’s hand came down on the table. Not hard. But the glass jumped.

"You didn’t think." His voice was low, but it scraped. "You had a kid out there, Julian. You didn’t think to check?"

He opened his mouth. Closed it. His hand curled once before he forced it open against the table.

"You didn’t think."

Not repeating for emphasis. Just the only thing he had.

Julian’s head came up.

"I know I fucked up." His voice was harder now, but something underneath it wasn’t. "You think I don’t know that? You think I’ve been sitting here going ’oh, well, guess I’ll just show up and it’ll be fine’?"

He stopped. His hand went to his mouth for a second, just a second, like he was holding something back.

Then: "I’m trying to figure out how to do this without making it worse."

Gilbert held his gaze. Then gave a short nod. "Then figure it out."

Arianne leaned forward.

"Ellie isn’t waiting for you to fix this. She’s been fine without you. The kid has been fine without you."

Julian’s eyes moved to her.

"That’s not me being cruel," she said. "That’s me telling you: don’t walk in there expecting her to need you. She doesn’t."

She let that sit.

"But he’s your son. And he asked about you."

Something moved through Julian’s face. He looked, for a moment, smaller than he was. His grip on the glass tightened until his knuckles went pale, then he set it down entirely.

Franz had said nothing until then.

He rested his forearm against the table, fingers loosely curved near his glass, his posture easy in a way that didn’t reduce his presence.

"Knowing now doesn’t fix it. What you do next might."

Julian’s gaze moved toward him.

"I’ll talk to her. Ellie."

He paused. "I won’t leave it like this."

Nate gave a short nod. "Good. ’Cause you don’t get to decide how simple this is anymore."

Julian let out a small breath. "I didn’t think it would be simple."

Gilbert leaned back. "Don’t just show up once and call it done. That’s not how this works."

"I understand."

"Do you?" Nate asked. Not sharply. Just casually.

Julian looked at him.

"I will."

That time, it carried more weight.

Arianne leaned back. "Then proceed."

No one followed up immediately.

Julian finally lifted his glass.

He didn’t drink. He just held it.

Then:

"What’s his name?"

The question came lower than the rest. Late. But clear.

Arianne answered without delay.

"Kyle."

Julian nodded.

The name landed. He repeated it, softer.

"Kyle."

No one corrected him. No one added anything.

Arianne stood.

The movement was smooth, controlled. She adjusted the sleeve of her blouse, her gaze no longer on Julian.

Franz stood with her.

He didn’t need to look at her to align his movement with hers. It happened naturally, his position already close enough that there was no adjustment needed.

They walked toward the door. Not rushed. Not slow. Steady.

Franz spoke just before reaching it, his voice low.

"He’ll do it."

Arianne didn’t look back.

"We’ll see."

The door slid open. Sound returned. Muted voices. Glass. Movement.

They stepped out. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The door closed behind them.

Julian remained seated.

The booth felt different now. Not empty. But not held together either.

His glass was in his hand. Untouched.

"Kyle," he said again.

Lower. As if testing the weight of it.

He set the glass down.

His phone was in his hand before he decided what to do with it. Ellie’s number was there. Arianne had given it to him this morning. He hadn’t used it.

His thumb hovered.

Kyle.

He typed: Can we talk?

Didn’t send it.

Stared at the screen.

Across the booth, Nate refilled his glass without looking up. Gilbert had his elbow on the table, chin in his hand, watching the door.

Julian hit send.