The next morning, the office buzzed with soft chatter and the usual clatter of keyboards. Elara walked through the glass corridor, holding a small tray with Kane's coffee, her heels clicking lightly against the marble floor. She'd barely slept the night before — her mind kept circling back to Kane, Isabella, and everything she couldn't seem to make sense of.
As she passed near the lounge, voices drifted from behind the glass wall. Two employees were huddled close, whispering but not quietly enough.
"Oh my God," one of them — a young woman with red hair — said dramatically. "I still can't believe Mr. Willison is actually marrying Isabella. Like… her of all people."
The man beside her chuckled. "Tell me about it. My dream's officially shattered. Who wouldn't want to marry Kane Willison?"
The redhead sighed dreamily. "Exactly! He's gorgeous, rich, and kind. And Isabella? Ugh, she's hot and rich, sure, but I've heard she's awful to her staff. Total diva. My cousin worked at her agency once — said Isabella threw a fit because her coffee wasn't the right temperature."
The man smirked, leaning closer. "Honestly? I think Kane's marrying her for profit."
The girl raised a brow. "Profit? What kind of profit are we talking about?"
"Well," he said, lowering his voice, "we all know Isabella's loaded — not just from modeling. Her father's some big business tycoon. If Kane marries her, the Willison company could get some serious connections. It's smart business."
The girl gasped quietly. "That… actually makes sense. But then why would she want to marry him? She can have anyone she wants. And Kane's a single father. Doesn't that complicate things?"
Another voice joined in — Daya, from accounting. "I heard they're family friends. Apparently, Isabella had a crush on him for years. But then, remember? Out of nowhere, Kane showed up with a child. The news spread like wildfire. But… the mother's identity was never revealed."
The redhead's eyes widened. "You think he's got a secret girlfriend?"
"Who knows," Daya said, shrugging. "But whoever that woman is… she's definitely important enough for Kane to keep her hidden."
Elara froze outside the door, her heart hammering in her chest. Nick's mother…?
For a moment, everything went still. The voices blurred in the background. A sharp, cold thought crept into her mind — Why was the mother's identity kept hidden?
She took a slow breath, forcing her legs to move. The tray trembled in her hand as she stepped forward. The second she entered the hallway, the chatter stopped. The employees went silent instantly, glancing at her, some pretending to work, others awkwardly looking away.
Elara kept her head high and walked straight toward Kane's office. But inside, her thoughts were spinning. Could it be…? No. It couldn't. But what if…
By the time she reached his door, her decision was made. She needed answers — real ones. The only way to know for sure was to end the confusion once and for all. She would arrange a DNA test — quietly, secretly — and find out the truth about Nick.
---
When Isabella stepped into Kane's offuce building.
As she walked in there — perfectly dressed, her presence like a storm. The office buzzed with whispers and gossips and people peeked through the glass walls, pretending to pass by. Isabella felt good with the kind of attention she was getting.
But when Isabella enter Kane office she didn't expect to to see .
Kane kneeling down, his hand gently holding Elara's ankle.
Elara winced slightly. "It's just a small twist, Mr. Willison. Really, I'm fine."
But before Kane could answer, the sound of heels clicking filled the room. Isabella stood in the doorway, her expression freezing mid-smile. Her gaze fell instantly on Kane — on how close he was to Elara.
Kane turned sharply. "Isabella—"
"Oh," Isabella interrupted, her voice tight. "I see." Her eyes flicked between them. "I didn't mean to interrupt… whatever this is."
Elara quickly straightened, her cheeks flushing. "It's nothing, Miss Isabella. I—I just slipped near the table. Mr. Willison was only helping."
"I didn't ask for your explanation, Miss…" Isabella paused deliberately, her tone sharp. "What was your name , you may take a leave".
Before Elara could speak, Kane stood, his voice firm. "That's enough, Isabella. As you can see, she's hurt. She should rest for a while."
Isabella's lips tightened, but she forced a smile. "Of course," she said sweetly, though her tone was laced with irritation. "If you say so, Kane."
Elara stepped back quietly, her eyes lowered. The tension in the room was thick enough to touch.
"So," Isabella began, walking toward Kane's desk, "I was thinking — maybe we should finalize our engagement date? I'm free this Sunday."
Kane paused, clearly uncomfortable. "Sunday? That's a bit early, don't you think?"
Isabella tilted her head, watching him carefully. "Too early? Your grandmother thought this week would be perfect. Don't you agree?"
Kane sighed and moved to sit behind his desk. "We'll talk about it later, Isabella. For now, Elara, you should get that ankle checked."
Elara nodded quietly, but before she could step away, Isabella moved closer — leaning against Kane's desk, her voice soft but sharp. "You know," she said, "you're right. Maybe we should take our time." She leaned in closer, her face inches from his.
But before she could reach him — a small voice broke the silence.
"Daddy!"
Everyone turned. Nick stood at the doorway, his eyes wide as he looked from Kane to Isabella.
"Hey, buddy," Kane said quickly, standing.
Nick walked up and, without a word, grabbed his father's hand — and pulled him toward Elara. "Sit here, Daddy," he said firmly.
The room fell silent. Kane hesitated for a moment, then sighed and obeyed, sitting beside Elara. Isabella's smile faltered.
"Oh, I see," she said, forcing a laugh. She walked to the table, pouring herself a glass of water. "You like her very much, don't you, Nick?"
Nick looked up at her, his expression unreadable. Then he nodded slowly — not saying a word.
Isabella's voice softened, though her eyes were cold. "Well, you know, I'm going to be your new mother soon. And your daddy loves me very much. So you'll have to love me too."
Nick's little face turned serious. He looked at her — then at Elara. Without saying a word, he reached out and took Elara's hand… and placed it firmly on his father's.
The entire office seemed to hold its breath. Kane froze, his eyes flicking from Elara's hand to Nick's innocent face.
Isabella's fingers tightened around her glass. Her smile vanished. She placed the glass down sharply. "I see," she said, her voice clipped.
And before anyone could speak, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the office.
Outside, several employees who had been pretending to work looked up in surprise as Isabella marched past — her heels echoing through the hallway.
A few exchanged glances, whispering under their breath. One of them chuckled softly. "Well… guess the ice queen didn't like that."
Another smirked. "Can you blame her? Looks like Mr. Willison already has someone else taking her place."
Inside the office, Elara's hand was still resting lightly in Kane's. Neither of them spoke.
Nick climbed into Elara's lap, smiling as if nothing had happened.
Kane looked at her — and for the first time, words failed him. Something in his chest shifted, something he wasn't ready to name.
And Elara… she didn't move her hand away. Not yet.
Because deep down, she already knew — this was just the beginning of the truth she was meant to uncover.