Chapter 26: Gossip Site Leak

Elena stood in front of the full length mirror in the master bedroom, adjusting the black hoodie over her jeans. The midnight meeting with Marcus Vale was less than two hours away. She could feel the weight of the USB drive in her pocket and the tension in Damian's shoulders as he buttoned his dark shirt beside her.

Damian stepped behind her, hands resting on her waist. "You do not have to come with me," he said quietly. "I can handle Marcus alone."

Elena turned in his arms and looked up at him. "We do this together. No more secrets. No more going alone."

He leaned down and kissed her slowly, deeply, the kind of kiss that made her forget the world outside for a moment. When he pulled back, his forehead rested against hers.

"I love you," he whispered. "No matter what Marcus says tonight, that does not change."

"I love you too," she replied, her fingers tracing his jaw.

Before they could say anything more, Lila's voice called from the living room. "You both need to see this right now."

They walked out to find Lila at the kitchen island, laptop open. The screen showed a fresh article from one of the biggest gossip sites in the industry.

The headline read: "Damian Holt's Secret Daughter Caught on Camera — Is the Billionaire Using Her for Sympathy?"

Below it was the full viral clip from Mia's preschool event. The article went on to speculate that Damian was "weaponizing his love child" to save his reputation after the Vegas scandal. The comments section was already a war zone.

Elena felt her stomach drop. "They are using Mia as a weapon again."

Damian read the comments, his jaw tightening. "Theo reposted it thirty seconds ago with the caption 'Vanguard's new family image strategy? Pathetic.'"

Lila refreshed the page. "Sarah just quoted it on LinkedIn. She is calling herself the whistleblower who exposed the truth and is offering to take over all of our clients."

At the same moment, Mia wandered in from the guest room, rubbing her eyes with her good hand. She was still in her pajamas, purple cast glowing under the kitchen lights.

"Mommy, why is my picture on the big phone again?" she asked, climbing onto a stool.

Elena knelt in front of her and forced a gentle smile. "Some people are sharing your drawing because they think it is pretty, baby. But some haters are using it to hurt us. We are fixing it okay..."

Mia nodded her head. "Okay mommy. I trust you and dad to take care of it" she smiles with assurance.

Damian turned to Elena with a smile. "Yes, sweetheart, daddy and Mommy will take care of them because we're stronger."

Mia nodded and hugged them both with her good arm. "Okay. Can we watch a movie after you fix it?"

Elena kissed her forehead. "Of course. Go pick one with Lila. We will be right back."

As Lila led Mia away, Damian pulled Elena close again. "The gossip site leak is timed perfectly with the midnight meeting. Someone is trying to distract us."

Elena checked her phone. "Marcus just sent a new message. He said he will only meet us if we come alone. No security. No Lila."

Damian’s eyes darkened. "It is a trap."

"But we have to go," Elena said. "If there is any chance he knows the real truth about Mia, we cannot risk it."

They changed quickly into dark clothes that would help them blend into the night. As they prepared to leave, Lila walked back in.

"The board just sent an emergency email," she said. "They saw the gossip site article. They are demanding you both attend a video call at eleven thirty tonight before the midnight meeting."

Damian cursed under his breath. "They are squeezing us from every side."

Elena touched his arm. "We do the board call from the car on the way to meet Marcus. We can handle both."

They kissed Mia goodnight one more time. She was already curled up on the couch with Lila, watching her favorite cartoon.

"Be safe," Mia said sleepily. "And bring me a story when you come back."

"We will," Damian promised.

The black SUV pulled out of the garage at eleven fifteen. The city was quiet, but the gossip site article was still trending. Comments were pouring in faster than they could read.

As the car sped toward the old warehouse on 5th and River, Elena’s phone buzzed again. This time it was a message from an unknown number.

She opened it.

A new photo appeared.

It showed the warehouse from a distance. Marcus Vale was standing outside, but he was not alone. A tall figure in a dark coat stood beside him.

The message read: "Quick reminder: Midnight. Come alone. Or the real father of Mia goes public."

Elena showed Damian the photo.

His grip on her hand tightened. "Whoever is with Marcus knows everything."

The car continued through the empty streets. The board call was starting in ten minutes. The midnight meeting with Marcus was less than an hour away. The gossip site leak was still spreading like wildfire.

And somewhere in the darkness ahead, the real truth about Mia's father was waiting.

Nothing scared them more than the fact that they were quite sure Damian was Mia's father and Marcus also sounded sure that Mia's father was unknown to them. The thought of who it was, if not Damian, was blowing up in their heads.

The night was far from over.