Chapter 20 – The First Move

The office buzzed as usual, but the atmosphere shifted the moment Evelyn Royce arrived. May noticed it immediately—not just from the way her colleagues straightened, but the subtle way the air seemed to thicken around her.

Damien followed May into the conference room, tense. He didn’t need to speak; she felt it. Daxton had planned this, and Evelyn was his first real move.

Evelyn walked in, flawless as ever, heels clicking deliberately against the marble floor. She didn’t smile—she didn’t need to. Every gesture was calculated to make people notice her presence, to unsettle, to dominate.

“May,” Evelyn said, voice smooth, almost casual, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything important.”

May folded her arms. “Just the usual strategy discussion.”

Evelyn’s eyes swept the room, then lingered on Damien. “Strategy is only as good as the people who execute it.”

The subtext was obvious: she was implying May wasn’t enough. Damien’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. He knew May didn’t need his defense.

May’s gaze locked with Evelyn’s. Calm. Measured. “Execution is only as valuable as the mind behind it.”

The words were polite, but Evelyn felt the sharp edge. She tilted her head slightly, an almost imperceptible smirk forming. Interesting, she thought. She’s no ordinary woman.

After the meeting, May retreated to her office. Damien lingered in the hallway, uncertain whether to intervene or let her handle it herself.

Before he could step in, Aiden and Aria arrived for a surprise visit from school.

“Mum!” Aria called, dropping her bag. “Aiden said he wants to play in the office!”

Aiden looked at Damien nervously. “Daddy, can we?”

Damien glanced at May. “Your call.”

May knelt to Aiden’s level. “Of course. But behave, okay?”

Aiden nodded, then smiled. He clutched May’s hand the way a child would clutch something precious, something familiar.

As they played, Aiden stopped suddenly and looked up at May with wide, innocent eyes. “Mum… why did my nanny say my real mum doesn’t live with me?”

May’s heart tightened. Every instinct screamed. She didn’t respond immediately, just looked at him, study him. The way he held himself, the small tilt of his head, the way he mirrored Aria in tiny details—all of it whispered a truth she was slowly piecing together.

“It’s complicated, sweetheart,” she said softly. “But we’ll talk about it soon. I promise.”

Aiden frowned slightly but accepted it for now, returning to the toy blocks. May watched him quietly, her mind racing.

Meanwhile, across town, Daxton Stone’s presence loomed. Damien had just received a private call.

“Evelyn is only the beginning,” Daxton’s voice was calm but firm. “She will test you. She will test your children. And she will test your loyalty—to the Stones.”

Damien’s grip tightened on the phone. “I won’t let her—”

Daxton interrupted. “Do not underestimate her. And do not underestimate me. Everything you’ve achieved, Damien, comes with strings. You want her? You will have to fight for her. You want your children safe? You will need strategy. Remember: blood is thicker than loyalty—but legacy is thicker than blood.”

The call ended before Damien could respond.

Back at the office, Evelyn was already making subtle moves. She suggested minor changes to projects, corrected colleagues’ phrasing, and praised their work only to undermine May’s authority indirectly. Every comment was a test, every glance a reminder of Daxton’s backing.

May noticed. And she remained unshaken. But her mind was constantly working, watching patterns, anticipating moves. She knew Evelyn wasn’t here to coexist—she was here to dominate.

Damien leaned close. “Be careful. He’s setting her up.”

May smiled faintly. “I’ve faced bigger storms without flinching.”

But inside, she knew this was only the first real skirmish.

That evening, May sat at home with Lily and the children. Lily was reviewing her first college assignment while Aria and Aiden played quietly on the floor.

Aiden stopped again, tugging at May’s sleeve. “Mum… can I sleep over tonight? I want to be near you.”

May knelt and looked at him, softening. “Of course, sweetie.”

He smiled, and Aria clapped excitedly.

Lily, watching the exchange, whispered, “Sis… you feel it too, don’t you?”

May’s hand hovered over Aiden’s hair, brushing it gently. “Yes. I know.”

Her mind raced. Evelyn, Daxton, corporate games—it was all circling. But here, in this quiet moment, she remembered why she had survived. Why she had fought. Why she would continue fighting.

Blood didn’t lie. Instinct didn’t lie.

Her children had found her. And she would find them every time, no matter the obstacles.

Outside, the city lights sparkled, oblivious to the quiet war beginning inside one office building.

Inside, May closed her eyes briefly, preparing herself.

Evelyn had made her first move.

And May would answer.