Chapter 7 – My Kids

~ Julian ~

I couldn’t stop staring at the photographs.

For the third time that day, Marcus’s file lay open on my desk. Birth certificates without a father’s name. Medical records of twins born exactly nine months after that night making it six years now. School forms signed only by Lily Harper.

But it was the photos that left me shaken.

Eva and Ethan. My children.

Eva’s bright smile carried my eyes—dark brown with gold flecks. Ethan’s serious face mirrored my own childhood pictures, down to the stubborn set of his jaw. I compared his school photo to one of mine that my mother had kept for years. The resemblance was undeniable.

“Six years, Lily,” I muttered to the empty room. “Six years you thought you could keep them hidden.”

If I hadn’t seen them at the mall, would I ever have known I have children? Would it have been a lifetime secret?

The thought of all these made my grip tighten on the edge of the desk.

They kids have had their six birthdays, six Christmas celebrations. Six years of scraped knees, bedtime stories, and first days of school—stolen from me.

My phone buzzed. Raymond.

“Sir, your three o’clock with the Yamamoto Group—”

“Reschedule,” I snapped.

“But sir, Tokyo expansion—”

“I said cancel. Reschedule.”

A pause. “Shall I say you’re unwell?”

That word fits. “Tell them whatever you want. Just handle it.”

I ended the call and looked again at the photos. Eva, wearing a plastic tiara like the one I saw at the mall, looked like Lily. But her eyes were mine. Ethan’s frown was exactly like mine as a boy.

My mother would be furious when she found out. Margaret Stone, who spent years shaping Adrian and me into perfect heirs, now had grandchildren she’d never met.

But first, Lily.

I leaned back, thinking. The legal route—custody papers, paternity tests—would scare her off. She’d disappear again, and this time I might never find her.

No. I had to be careful.

I called Marcus.

“Chen,” he answered.

“I need Lily’s full routine. Where she goes, who she meets. I want a schedule.”

“That’ll cost extra. Surveillance takes time.”

“Money isn’t the issue. I need it tomorrow.”

“Got it. Anything else?”

“I need to know the safest place to approach her. Somewhere public where she can’t run.”

“I’ll have something by morning.”

I hung up and gathered the documents, but one photo stayed on my desk—Eva’s arm around Ethan, both smiling at the camera.

My kids.

I’d never wanted children. The idea of failing them like my father failed us always terrified me. But this wasn't a theory. They were real, living in this city.

What did they like? Were they good in school? Did Eva believe she was truly a princess, or just pretend? Did Ethan’s serious look hide storms like mine once did?

The questions suffocated me.

The desk phone rang. “Yes?”

“Sir, I have the address you requested,” Raymond said. “Lily Harper is CEO of Harper Events on Fifth Avenue. Should I set a meeting?”

Lily ran her own company. That fit. She had always been clever and ambitious, even back then when she was Adrian’s fiancée.

“No meeting,” I said. “But dig into her company—clients, recent events, everything.”

“Understood.”

After hanging up, I tried to work but failed. My mind circled back to Lily and the twins. How had she managed a business and raised two kids alone? Did she ever think of me? Did she regret that night?

By evening, I made a decision. No more waiting.

Tomorrow, I'll face her myself.

I searched Harper Events online, memorized the address, and closed my laptop. I felt nervous and something else I didn’t want to name. Lily wasn’t the shy girl I remembered. She had changed. Stronger. Confident. Would she still bite her lip when nervous?

Tomorrow will give me answers.

Still, one thought haunted me: Lily had hidden this secret for six years. She wouldn’t give it up easily. This wouldn’t be a conversation. It would be a fight. And I intended to win.

---

The next morning, I dressed carefully. Not too formal, not too casual. I needed control, authority—but not intimidation.

I took my ride to Fifth Avenue, using the ride to plan my words. How do you face the mother of your hidden children without making her run?

The Harper Events building was sleek glass and steel. Inside, the security standing in as a doorman greeted me politely. The directory showed the company on the fifteenth floor.

As my hands reached for the elevator button and pressed it they trembled slightly. I constantly had to remind myself: this was just another negotiation. I’d faced worse in boardrooms. I could face her.

The elevator chimed briefly, then I stepped out confidently into a stylish hallway. Everything seems polished and professional, a clear sign of success. Signs led me to the right door.

Harper Events. CEO: Lily Harper.

I pushed the door open.

The reception area was warm and professional. A young woman at the desk greeted me.

“Good morning. How may I help you?”

“I’m here to see Ms. Harper. I have a potential project.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No. But she’ll want to see me.”

Her polite smile faded when she heard my name. Stone Global carried weight. She called someone, then pointed down the hall.

“Third door on the right. She’ll see you now.”

I walked down, my steps soft on the carpet. The door was slightly open. I saw movement inside.

I knocked once and entered.

My eyes fell on Lily at once. She stood behind her desk, arranging papers. Her short wavy hair fell to her shoulders.

She appeared smart and professional in the navy blazer she wore. When she turned, I stopped.

She had changed. The uncertain girl I once knew was gone. In her place stood a woman of presence, a woman who had built something of her own.

Our eyes locked.

And in hers, I saw fear.