Chapter 9

Louis turned to leave, but I saw Damian clench his fists at his sides. His face went pale, his eyes unable to look away from Louis. I could see the struggle in his eyes between the urge to speak to his son and the awareness that this wasn't the right time.

"No, Louis. He's not a patient. This is... this is Mr. Kingsley. He's a potential investor for the hospital," I said.

Louis turned back, looking at Damian with curiosity.

"Oh, Mr. Kingsley? I'm Louis. Dr. Alissa's son."

He extended his hand warmly, without a hint of suspicion.

Damian stared at Louis's outstretched hand, then at Louis's face. I saw his jaw tighten, his clenched hands beginning to tremble. He wanted to say something, I could see it, but he held himself back.

"Nice to meet you, Louis," Damian finally said, his voice hoarse.

He shook Louis's hand with a grip that was probably too long.

Louis smiled, unaware of the tension in the room.

"Hope everything goes well, Mr. Kingsley. Sorry, I didn't know my mom was in a meeting. I'll wait outside."

"It's okay, Louis. This is just a short conversation. You can wait in the waiting room. I'll be done soon," I said.

Louis nodded and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. I heard his footsteps fading down the hallway.

Damian was still staring at the closed door, his face pale.

"He looks so much like me. His eyes, his jaw, the way he smiles. He's my son. I know that now. I don't need a DNA test because I can see it," Damian said.

"It's too late to say that," I said.

"I know I was stupid. I made the biggest mistake of my life." He lifted his head, looking at me with tear-filled eyes. "But I'm here now. I want to make it right. Please, Alissa. Give me a chance."

I let out a long sigh, trying to calm my emotions. This wasn't about Damian or the past. This was about Louis, and I couldn't let my emotions cloud my judgment.

"I don't want to discuss personal matters," I said.

I looked at Damian, seeing the hope in his blue eyes. But I couldn't let myself be weak. I had to protect Louis, no matter what.

"Let's talk about work," I said, steering the conversation back to business. "What do I need to do to request the equipment?"

Damian looked disappointed by the change in topic, but he nodded.

"You just need to put together a complete proposal. List what equipment you need, the specifications, and how it will help your patients. Submit it to Mr. Alan, and my team will review it," Damian said.

"I'll get it done this week."

"No need to rush. I'll be in this city for the next few weeks. I have some matters I need to take care of here."

I raised an eyebrow. "What matters?"

Damian smiled faintly. "Personal matters, but that's not for discussion right now."

I sighed. "Fine, I'll send the proposal next week."

Damian nodded, but he didn't move from his chair. He looked at me with a gaze that made me uncomfortable.

"Is there something else you want to say?" I asked, trying to sound professional.

"About Louis..." Damian began, but I immediately cut him off.

"He's not your son."

He raised both hands in surrender. "Fine, I won't push. But I want you to know, I'm not leaving this country until I get to know Louis better."

"I don't care if you leave or stay. My life has gone on without you for eighteen years, and I'm fine without you," I said.

He stood up, smoothing his suit jacket. "I hope that one day, you'll give me a chance to prove that I've changed."

I didn't answer, just stared at him with a blank expression.

Damian walked to the door, but before he stepped out, he turned back.

"One more thing, Alissa. About Nicholas, is he your husband?"

I looked at him coldly. "Why do you care so much? Didn't I already say I don't care about you?"

"I just want to know because if you're already married to Nicholas, I'll understand. I'll back off. But if you're not..."

"Not what?" I asked, my eyes narrowing.

Damian paused for a moment, then he said, "Laura and I divorced a few years ago. I've been alone, and I want to make things right. Not just with Louis, but with you too."

I was shocked. "You and Laura got divorced?"

"Yes, and a few years later she passed away," Damian said.

"Laura's dead?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, we divorced when our marriage was only two years old, and before she died, she asked me to find you. To fix everything I'd broken. And I came here not just to find my son, but because I still love you. I never stopped loving you."

I froze. His words pierced my heart like a knife. Eighteen years I'd tried to forget Damian Kingsley. Eighteen years I'd built a wall around my heart, and now, with just a few sentences, he was starting to tear that wall down.

"It's not that easy to take you back," I said.

Damian nodded. "I'll wait. I've waited eighteen years, I can wait longer."

He walked out of the room, leaving me alone with my chaotic thoughts. I sat in my chair, staring at the closed door.

A few moments later.

Louis came back into the room with two cups of coffee in his hands.

"Mom, I brought you coffee. I thought your meeting might be over by now."

He set one cup on my desk, then looked around the room in confusion.

"Did Mr. Kingsley leave?"

I nodded, still trying to calm my racing heart.

"Yes, he's gone. We're done talking."

Louis sat in the chair Damian had just vacated. His eyes studied me carefully.

"Mom, you look pale. What's wrong? Did Mr. Kingsley say something that made you uncomfortable?"

"No, sweetheart. Everything's fine. He's just a new investor who wants to help the hospital."

Louis nodded, but I knew he didn't fully believe me. He could always read my feelings, even when I tried to hide them.

"He's British, right? His accent is really distinctive. And his eyes are blue, like..." He paused, then chuckled softly. "Like mine, right? Strange, isn't it? I've never met a stranger whose eyes are exactly the same as mine."

I felt my chest tighten. Louis didn't know. He didn't know that the man he'd just shaken hands with was his biological father.

"Just a coincidence, sweetheart. Lots of people in the world have blue eyes."

Louis laughed. "Yeah, maybe." He sipped his coffee, then noticed his photo now sitting in my drawer. "Why did you hide my photo?"

I was startled. "I was just tidying my desk."

Louis studied my face with a sharp gaze. He was grown up now, not easily fooled. But he didn't push.

He just smiled and said, "Alright, Mom. If you say so."

But in his eyes, I saw doubt, and I knew, one day, Louis would find out the truth about Damian Kingsley, and when that happened, I couldn't hide everything anymore.