Chapter 5: You Ghosted Me

Adrian’s POV

Sera averts my eyes, and that’s all the confirmation I need. The resemblance is glaring, and I don’t need a fucking genie to tell me he’s mine.

The same dark hair, and green eyes… very similar to mine. He looks just like my baby pictures.

“You haven’t answered my question, Sera,” I snap, shallow puffs of breath leave my lungs, anger brewing in my chest.

Ivy steps towards me, a hand on my back. 

I stiffen, turning to her. “You knew Sera had a son.”

It’s not a question. Ivy’s throat bobs on a swallow, cheeks flushing.

“I didn’t think you—”

“You’re right,” I interrupt Ivy. “You didn’t think.”

“C-can we go somewhere private?” Sera asks.

“No,” I shake my head once. “Not until you answer the damn question. Who’s son is he?”

She gulps, looking away. “He-he’s y-yours.”

The words that leave her lips are barely audible, but I catch it. I knew it already, I just needed her to confirm it… but it still surprises me.

My jaw tightens, teeth grinding on each other.

“I’m about to walk out that door,” I say, voice threateningly low, “if I don’t see all three of you outside with me…fucking hell, you have no idea what I will do.”

I stride off, footsteps brisk and fast. I shove my tight fists into my pockets, heat licking up my skin. I want to fucking punch something.

When I step out into the cool air, I’m swarmed by a sea of reporters.

“Mr. Cross, how do you feel about your engagement to Miss Shawn?”

“How long have you been dating Ivy Shawn?”

“Is Miss Shawn pregnant? Is that why you’re proposing?”

I shoot a glare to the reporter that asked that stupid question. She shrinks back, cheeks reddening in embarrassment. 

A flash goes off.

Lips pulled into a straight line, I stomp down the red carpet. No one asks any other questions. My phone blares in my pockets and I know exactly who it is, my security Gillian…but I don’t respond.

The valet brings the limo around, and I open the door. Ivy scurries in, but Sera is in a hurried conversation with a young girl. She slips some bills in her hands, and slowly approaches the car.

She looks up at me, face crumpling in that familiar way that shows she’s guilty. “Adrian…”

“Get in the car, Sera.”

She gives me a long look, sighs then gets in with her son—my son. 

Fuck.

Ivy pushes into one side on the chair, and I sit at the opposite end. Sera sits on the opposite chair, while Ezra whispers to her.

Grabbing a tumbler, I pour myself two fingers of whiskey and slam it down the back of my throat.

I welcome the burn, it licks away some of the anger but not nearly enough. I pour another finger, but this time… I nurse it.

The car ride is tense, thick with suffocating silence. Sera gives me brief looks every once in a while, Ivy types furiously on her phone.

“Look, Adrian,” Ivy sighs. “All this is—”

I raise my glass. “Not now, Ivy.”

All I need is to get my thoughts together. 

I have a son that I didn’t know about…

I sip my whiskey.

***

“We’re here, Sir,” the chauffeur says, parking the limo in front of the house.

“Thanks.” I get out, holding the door open for Ivy and Sera. In her arms, Ezra is asleep, and my fingers itch to hold him, but I stuff them in my pockets.

The walk to the door feels longer than it usually is, almost as if we were all avoiding the bomb that was about to drop.

Sera and Ivy shuffle in, and I click the door shut.

“Give him to me.” I hold my hand out to Sera. “I’ll put him in my room.”

Sera frowns. “I don’t think we should—”

“Unless you want to wake him up with the ruckus that is about to happen, I suggest you hand him over.”

She shudders, chest rising and falling rapidly. “I-I will do it. J-just point me to the room.”

I scoff, a hollow laugh drags out of me. “You think I would let you have free reins in my home? After hiding the biggest part of my life for years?”

“I didn’t mean to…”

“You’re not better than a liar and a fucking robber.”

She gasps, my words cutting into her. Tears fill her eyes, and for a moment, I want to take my words back…but I don’t. 

I stretch my hand out again. This time, she doesn’t argue, she places the little boy in my arms. I walk to my room.

Placing him on my bed, I take a moment to inspect his features. Long dark lashes frame his eyes, tiny nose and puckered pink lips. 

He’s gorgeous…and he’s mine.

With one last look, I cover him up, guarding him with pillows and then I’m back in the living room.

Sera immediately stands when she sees me. “Adrian, I didn’t mean to keep him away from you. I swear.”

“But you did,” I hiss. “Four years, Sera. Four fucking years, and you hid him from me.”

“There was no way to reach you,” she lies. The biggest lie I’ve heard in a while.

I snort. “But you were able to reach me the moment you heard I was proposing?”

“I’m sor—”

“Don’t even.” I glare, whirling around to Ivy. “And you, Ivy. You knew about this, you knew she was with my son yet you didn’t think I should know?”

Ivy sighs. “Baby, she didn’t want you to know about it. I swore to secrecy.”

The endearment irks me, eyes twitching.

“You swore to secr—” I pause, shaking my head. I rip my tie off, and pop two buttons on my shirt. 

Sera‘s eyes follow the movement but it’s brief. She finds my eyes again. 

“I’ve not had it easy, Adrian.”

“Don’t make it about you, Sera. You had every moment to reach out,” I tell her, jaw ticking.

“I know,” she sniffles. “I’m so sorry, but after everything that happened between us…I didn’t know how.”

“You fucking left me, Sera!” I roar. She flinches, Ivy jerks. “You left without a word. I called you every single day for a whole month until you changed your number!”

“So what? You just expected me to pick up? After what you did?”

“What I did? You ghosted me, Sera! I went by your house but you and your parents had moved, I called you, Sera—” 

The words get stuck in my throat, memories of that month filter into my mind. How lost I was, confused and so heart broken.

“I’m sorry, Adrian.” Sera swipes harshly at her eyes. “I had to do what was best for me.”

“By keeping my son away from me,” I scoff.

“I think I’ll let you two hash this out.” Ivy rises. “But for what it’s worth Adrian,I told her to tell you the first few months, until I eventually gave up.”

I shake my head at her. “You should’ve told me.”

“Only a parent knows what’s best for their child, Adrian. I couldn’t intrude.”

“You’re right,” I say, pinning Sera with a look. “And now that I’m a parent, I know what’s best for my son.”

“W-what does that mean?” Sera asks, dabbing at her eyes.

“It means that you’re not leaving this house with Ezra,” I say. “It’s either both of you stay here, or you leave without him.”

“What?” Both of them chorus, although with different expressions.

Ivy is flabbergasted, shocked…while Sera, she’s angry. Her face flushes, teeth clenched.

“You have no right!” She snaps. “He’s my son.”

“He’s our son,” I correct. “And I have every fucking right, Sera. He’s going to know me as his father.”

“No, you can’t do that…”

“You can choose to agree to this amicably.”

Her frown deepens. “And if I don’t?”

A small, malicious smirk tilts my lips upward. I grab a bottle of whiskey from the bar, pour it and take a small sip.

Everyone waits for my response, and the wait is long.

Eventually, I respond.

“If you don’t, Sera. I’ll be forced to sue for custody…and we both know who will win.”

Her jaw drops, she stiffens, eyes hard. 

She scoffs. “You’re a fucking bastard.”

I raise a glass to her. 

“That…” I raise a glass to her. “I am.”