Adrian sat in his office long after Elara had left for the day, staring at the photographs again.
The child "Leo" had his eyes.
The same sharp, storm-gray shade that no one else in his family possessed. Coincidence? Or something more? He clenched his jaw, shoving the thought aside.
If Leo was his son, why had Elara hidden it?
Why hadn't she told him the truth? The idea unsettled him more than he cared to admit. Pulling out his phone, Adrian made a call.
"I need a background check on Elara Sinclair," he ordered coldly. "And her son". Discreetly."
When he hung up, his chest felt tight.
He didn't like the idea of prying into her life but if she was in danger because of Celeste, he needed to know everything.
And deep down, he needed to know the truth.
A Fractured Reunion
The next day, Elara arrived at the office only to find Damian waiting in the lobby.
Her heart dropped. He approached, his expression grim.
"We need to talk." he whispered to her.
Elara glanced around nervously. "Not here," she said
They stepped into a quiet corridor.
Damian wasted no time.
Celeste says Leo is Adrian's son. Is it true?"
Elara's breath caught.
The question she had feared most. Damian..., she began, but he cut her off.
"Don't lie to me, Elara!
His voice was sharp with anger and hurt.
I deserve the truth.
Tears pricked her eyes. Leo is my son, and that's all you need to know.
Damian's jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides. "So it's true."
Before she could respond, Adrian's deep voice sliced through the tension.
"Is there a problem here?"
Both Elara and Damian froze as Adrian approached, his presence radiating authority, and something darker.
"No problem," Damian said coldly.
"Just catching up with an old friend." Adrian's gaze lingered on Elara.
Her face was pale, her eyes wide with unspoken fear. Something was definitely wrong.
And Adrian was done waiting for answers.
The Ultimatum
Later that evening, Adrian called Elara into his office. The moment she walked in, she knew he knew something.
"Sit," he ordered softly, his voice laced with steel.
Elara hesitated, then sat across from him.
Adrian placed the photos on the desk between them. "This isn't just about Celeste, is it?"
Her throat tightened. "Adrian"
"Don't lie to me." His voice was sharp now, his gray eyes burning into hers. "Who is Leo's father?"
Her heart pounded so loudly she could barely breathe. Every instinct screamed at her to protect her son.
"Elara," Adrian said, his tone lowering to something that shook her to the core. "Tell me the truth. Now."
Tears welled in her eyes as the walls she had built for years began to crumble.
With a trembling breath, she whispered, "Leo… is yours."
Celeste's Checkmate
Celeste stood by the window of her penthouse, the city lights glittering behind her like stolen jewels. Her phone buzzed with a message. She glanced at the screen and smiled wickedly.
It's done. Adrian knows.
Perfect!
She set the glass of wine down and walked toward Damian, who sat stiffly on the couch. His face was pale, his eyes stormy.
"What did you do, Celeste?" he asked, his voice sharp.
She tilted her head, her smile cold. "What needed to be done. The truth was bound to come out eventually."
Damian shot to his feet, anger radiating from him. "You told Adrian?"
Celeste arched an eyebrow. "Of course. And now, dear Damian, the game truly begins."
He gritted his teeth. "This isn't a game. You've destroyed her life."
Celeste's laugh was low and cruel. "Oh, Damian… her life was shattered long before I touched it. I'm just sweeping up the pieces."
Damian's fists clenched.
He hated her and hated what she had turned him into.
But as much as he despised her, he couldn't walk away. Not yet.
Celeste walked closer, her voice dripping with venom.
"Adrian will never forgive her for hiding his child.
And when he throws her out, you'll be there to pick up the pieces, Isn't that what you have wanted?"
Damian stared at her, his jaw tight. For a moment, he almost believed her. Almost!
But as he turned away, something inside him cracked. Celeste wasn't doing this for him. She was doing it for herself.
And for the first time, Damian wondered if they had all underestimated just how dangerous Celeste really was.
Adrian's Silence
Back at Blackwood Enterprises, the silence between Adrian and Elara was suffocating.
He hadn't moved since she spoke the words that shattered everything:
"Leo… is yours."
Adrian's jaw was clenched, his fists pressed against the desk as if holding back an explosion.
His gray eyes, usually cold and controlled burned with something raw.
"How long?" His voice was low, deadly calm.
Elara's hands trembled. "Since… that night. Five years ago."
Adrian's breath came hard through his nose.
He turned away from her, running a hand through his hair, struggling to rein in the storm inside him.
"You kept my son from me," he said, each word a dagger. "You disappeared"
You let me believe you wanted nothing to do with me."
Tears slid down Elara's cheeks. "I didn't plan any of this, "with so much agony in voice"
That night wasn't supposed to happen.
I didn't even know.."
"Stop." Adrian's voice cracked like a whip.
He turned, his eyes like steel. "You had five years, Elara, five years to tell me.
And now you expect me to just… what?
Forgive you?" "I was trying to protect him," she whispered.
Adrian's laugh was bitter. "Protect him from me?"
Her silence was answer enough.
Adrian gripped the edge of his desk, his knuckles white. "Get out," he said finally, his voice trembling with suppressed rage.
Elara froze.
"I said get out." Adrian shouted with so much anger radiating from his voice
Heart pounding, tears blinding her, Elara turned and walked out of the office, feeling like the ground had been ripped from beneath her feet.