Chapter 2: He Followed Her

Ariana’s heart pounded so violently she could hear it in her ears.

No.

This couldn’t be happening.

She carefully pulled the curtain aside just enough to see outside.

Damien Blackwood stood beside his Rolls-Royce, his hands tucked into the pockets of his tailored overcoat. He wasn’t looking at his phone or speaking to anyone.

He was staring directly at her house.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered.

Behind her, Emma yawned sleepily.

“Mommy?”

Ariana spun around.

Her daughter stood at the foot of the stairs, clutching her favorite stuffed rabbit.

“I had a bad dream.”

Ariana quickly forced a smile.

“It’s okay, sweetheart.”

She scooped Emma into her arms and kissed her forehead.

“I’m here.”

As she carried Emma upstairs, she couldn’t stop thinking about the man outside.

Had he remembered?

Had he discovered the truth?

Or was it simply a coincidence?

She tucked Emma back into bed before peeking through the bedroom curtains.

The Rolls-Royce was gone.

She released the breath she’d been holding.

Maybe she had imagined the whole thing.

The next morning, Ariana arrived at Blackwood Holdings thirty minutes early.

She wanted to avoid Damien.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

“Good morning.”

She froze.

Damien stepped out of the private elevator with a cup of coffee in one hand.

“You always arrive this early?”

She managed a professional smile.

“I like to prepare before everyone else.”

“So do I.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The silence felt strangely comfortable.

Then Damien broke it.

“I drove past your neighborhood last night.”

Ariana’s stomach tightened.

“I was looking at a property nearby.”

She searched his face.

Was he telling the truth?

Or testing her?

“It’s a quiet area,” she replied carefully.

“It is.”

His gray eyes lingered on her.

“Do you live alone?”

The question caught her off guard.

“My personal life doesn’t affect my work.”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Fair enough.”

Before Ariana could respond, his assistant hurried over.

“Mr. Blackwood, the investors have arrived.”

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

Damien looked back at Ariana.

“We’ll continue this conversation later.”

As he walked away, she felt an uneasy knot settle in her stomach.

He was asking too many questions.

At exactly three o’clock that afternoon, Ariana was reviewing structural drawings when the office doors burst open.

A small boy sprinted inside.

“Ethan!”

She shot to her feet.

“What are you doing here?”

The six-year-old stopped in front of her, breathing hard.

“Our school closed early.”

Mrs. Harper hurried in behind him, holding Emma’s hand.

“I’m so sorry,” the elderly woman said. “There was a burst water pipe at the school. I couldn’t reach you, so I brought them here.”

“It’s okay.”

Ariana knelt to hug both children.

“I should have kept my phone with me.”

Emma beamed.

“We wanted to see where Mommy works!”

Employees smiled at the adorable twins.

Then the private elevator doors opened.

Damien stepped out, discussing contracts with two executives.

He stopped mid-sentence.

His gaze landed on Ethan.

Then shifted to Emma.

Silence filled the room.

The executives exchanged confused glances as Damien slowly walked toward the children.

He crouched in front of Ethan.

“What’s your name?”

The little boy answered confidently.

“Ethan Cole.”

“And yours?”

Emma smiled shyly.

“Emma.”

Damien’s expression changed.

He couldn’t explain why.

There was something about them.

The boy’s gray eyes.

The little girl’s smile.

Even the way Ethan frowned while thinking…

It felt…

Familiar.

Painfully familiar.

“You have beautiful children,” Damien said, looking up at Ariana.

“Thank you.”

His gaze never left her face.

“Where’s their father?”

The question struck like a knife.

Ariana swallowed hard.

“They don’t have one.”

Before Damien could ask another question, Ethan frowned.

“I do have a daddy.”

Ariana’s eyes widened.

“Ethan…”

The little boy looked at her innocently.

“You always said everyone has a father.”

The office fell silent.

Damien stared at Ariana, waiting for an answer.

Instead, she grabbed her children’s hands.

“We should go.”

She hurried toward the elevator.

Just before the doors closed, Damien called after her.

“Miss Cole.”

She looked back.

“I have a feeling this isn’t the last time we’ll have this conversation.”

The elevator doors slid shut.

Damien stood motionless.

His assistant walked over.

“Sir?”

Damien’s eyes remained fixed on the closed elevator doors.

“Find out everything there is to know about Ariana Cole.”

He paused.

“And those two children.”

Somewhere deep inside him, a voice he couldn’t ignore whispered a single impossible thought.

They’re yours.