The family court office smelled like cold marble and expensive perfume.
Adrian sat alone, hands clasped tightly, the official custody request in his briefcase. His lawyer had warned him—facing someone like Sophia Carter in court would be brutal.
But this wasn't about business.
It was about Ethan.
When the door opened, she entered with her signature confidence—heels sharp, expression unreadable.
"You really filed the papers?" she asked, calm but deadly.
Adrian stood. "Yes. I'm not letting my son grow up thinking I was never there."
"He doesn't need two fathers," she said coolly. "He needs stability. Safety."
He stepped closer, voice trembling but firm. "He needs me. And you know it, Sophia."
She looked away.
"I know about the contract offer from Sebastian," Adrian continued. "Marry him, and you'll keep Ethan under your roof—on your terms. But what about Ethan's choice?"
She didn't answer.
"I don't want to fight you," Adrian whispered. "But I will. Because I've held my son in my arms, and I've heard him call me Dad. That wasn't part of any plan. That was real."
For the first time, her voice cracked. "You left me."
"And you hid him from me."
Silence.
Two broken hearts. One innocent child. And a storm just beginning.