LOGINThe morning sun filtered through the tall windows of Ethan’s penthouse, spilling soft light across the marble floor. The world outside buzzed with weekday rush, but inside, it was oddly peaceful.For the first time in years, Ethan Blake wasn’t rushing to a meeting, buried in numbers, or glued to a screen. His assistant had practically fainted when he’d said, “Cancel everything today.”He didn’t know what came over him—maybe it was the small pair of shoes by the couch, the laughter still echoing from yesterday, or the quiet way Maya had thanked him before tucking their son into bed.He wanted one day. Just one day where he could forget he was CEO of Blake Enterprises and simply be Ethan—a man trying to understand the little boy who had his eyes.In the kitchen, Maya stood by the counter, tying her hair into a loose bun. She was already dressed in a soft sweatshirt and jeans, the kind of casual comfort Ethan rarely saw her in.When he entered, she startled slightly. “You’re up early,” s
The world outside buzzed with scandal. Headlines screamed, “Blake’s Hidden Heir Revealed!” Paparazzi camped at the hospital gates. Every gossip page had a picture of Maya holding Daniel, with Ethan’s shadow looming protectively behind them.But inside the quiet of their penthouse—the one Ethan had whisked them to at dawn for safety—time stood still.Daniel sat cross-legged on the couch, his little fingers fiddling with a Lego piece as he looked at Ethan with wary curiosity. Maya sat across from them, tension tightening her every muscle.She’d told her son the truth only that morning.“That man you met, sweetheart,” she’d said softly, voice trembling. “He’s… your father.”Now, father and son were meeting for the first time—not as strangers, but as family.Ethan swallowed hard, sitting across from the boy who mirrored his every feature—same sharp chin, same storm-gray eyes, same stubborn mouth. “So… You like Legos?” he asked, voice unsure.Daniel nodded but didn’t speak. He just pushed
Rain still clung to the air like grief when Ethan’s car screeched into the hospital parking lot. He barely waited for it to stop before jumping out, slamming the door behind him. His shoes splashed through puddles as he sprinted toward the emergency entrance, breath ragged, heart pounding so violently it felt like it might burst.Maya stumbled after him, clutching her soaked coat tightly around her trembling body. Her mind was a blur of fear, prayers, and images of her son’s smile—the one that had always been her light through every darkness.The moment they reached the reception, Ethan barked out, “Daniel Blake! Six years old—he was brought in from a car accident!”The nurse blinked at his intensity, fingers tapping rapidly on her keyboard. “He’s in the pediatric emergency ward. Down the hall, last door to your left.”Ethan didn’t wait. He ran.The world slowed the second he entered the room.Daniel lay on the bed, small and pale, a bandage wrapped around his forehead. His left arm w
The storm came without warning.Thunder cracked across the sky like an open wound, and rain poured down in violent sheets, drenching the small lakeside town. Wind rattled the shutters and howled through the trees, the world outside dissolving into chaos.Ethan stood by the cabin window, watching lightning flare over the lake. His reflection in the glass looked hollow—eyes dark with exhaustion, jaw clenched tight.Maya was gone. Again.She’d left that morning after breakfast, saying she needed air. Hours had passed. The storm rolled in, but she still hadn’t returned.He tried to wait. Tried to tell himself she’d come back once the rain eased. But the unease in his gut twisted into something darker with every passing minute.He’d lost her once before. He wasn’t going to let that happen again.He grabbed his coat and ran into the storm.The rain hit like shards of ice as he stumbled down the muddy path, calling her name into the wind.“Maya!”His voice was swallowed by thunder.“Maya!”L
The moment those innocent words left the little boy’s lips—“He has eyes just like mine”—everything inside Ethan shattered into motion.The diner air seemed to vanish. For a heartbeat, he couldn’t breathe. He looked at the boy again, really looked—at the way his eyes gleamed like polished amber, the familiar tilt of his chin, and even the small crease that appeared on his forehead when he frowned in curiosity.It was like staring into a mirror from another lifetime.Maya’s voice trembled. “Ethan… please.”He blinked, the truth dawning so painfully it felt like the world cracked in half around him. “He’s mine.”Maya’s lips parted, but no words came. Her silence was the answer.A storm of emotions tore through him—shock, rage, guilt, and grief—all crashing at once. “How long?” His voice was hoarse. “How long have you been hiding him from me?”“Ethan, don’t do this here,” she pleaded, her eyes darting to the people turning toward them.He lowered his tone, but his voice still shook. “Five
The video kept replaying in Ethan’s mind long after the screen went black.He’d watched it twice, three times—every frame pulling him deeper into confusion.It wasn’t Maya selling him out. It was someone else entirely.The video had shown a woman in a cafe—a face half-hidden by sunglasses, her hand sliding a flash drive across the table to a man Ethan recognized as a tabloid photographer. And when the woman spoke, the voice was unmistakable.Claire.His trusted assistant.The same woman who had warned him to “be careful.”The same one who had handed him that folder was pointing at Maya.He staggered back, running a shaking hand over his face. The betrayal was staggering—but it wasn’t the first one that cut deepest. It was Maya’s last look before she walked away.You already did—the moment you stopped trusting me.And now, she was gone.By the next morning, her number was unreachable. Her house—empty.Her office access card—deactivated.Her apartment lease—canceled.The only thing left







