Chapter Six - Suspicion

The next morning, Dexter walked into Lim Corporation feeling restless.

He had spent most of the night thinking about Adrian.

His son.

Even silently saying those words still felt strange. For six years, Dexter had lived without knowing that he had a child. Now that he had finally met Adrian, he wanted to know everything about him—his favorite things, his fears, his dreams, and every little detail that made him who he was.

Most of all, he wanted to make up for the years he had missed.

But another thought refused to leave his mind.

Selena had hidden Adrian from him.

That hurt more than he wanted to admit.

And the more he thought about it, the more he suspected that Adrian wasn't the only secret Selena had kept from him.

Dexter opened his laptop and began looking through old information about Selena's life after their separation.

There were gaps.

Too many gaps.

His mind returned to the final months of their relationship. Selena had become distant and unusually guarded. At the time, he had blamed their arguments and the problems that had slowly pushed them apart.

Now, everything looked different.

One memory stood out.

It had been raining heavily that night. Selena had arrived at his apartment unexpectedly and stood outside his door for several minutes without speaking.

When he finally asked what was wrong, she had looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"You're not going to hate me, are you?"

Dexter had laughed softly, believing she was being overly dramatic.

"I could never hate you."

She had stared at him for a moment before whispering, "Promise me."

"I promise."

The next morning, Selena was gone.

Dexter stared at his laptop.

For years, he had wondered why she had disappeared so suddenly.

Now he wondered if that conversation had been a warning.

His phone rang.

"Sir, Selena is here to see you."

Dexter's heart skipped.

"Send her in."

A few moments later, Selena entered with several documents.

"I brought the reports you requested."

She placed them on his desk.

"Thank you."

She turned to leave.

"Selena."

She stopped.

"Sit down."

She hesitated before taking the chair opposite him.

Dexter studied her.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"And Adrian?"

"He's happy."

"Good."

Silence filled the room.

Selena finally looked at him.

"What is it?"

Dexter glanced at the documents.

"I was thinking about the last year we were together."

Her expression changed.

"Why?"

"Because your behavior changed. You became distant. You were afraid of something."

Selena lowered her eyes.

"I was going through a lot."

"I know. But I never understood what."

"What do you want me to say?"

"The truth."

She looked at him.

"You already know the truth about Adrian."

"I do."

"Then what else is there?"

"That's what I'm trying to understand."

Selena looked toward the window.

"Before you left, something happened."

She remained silent.

"You asked me to promise I wouldn't hate you."

Her eyes widened.

"You remember that?"

"I remember everything."

She swallowed.

"I didn't know what to do."

"What were you going to tell me?"

"Nothing that matters now."

Dexter frowned.

"If it didn't matter, you wouldn't still be afraid."

Selena stood.

"I have work to do."

"Selena."

She stopped at the door.

"I'm not trying to attack you."

"I know."

"I'm trying to understand why you left."

She turned around, tears shining in her eyes.

"I wasn't the same woman anymore."

"Why?"

"Because I had to become stronger."

"For Adrian?"

She nodded.

"Yes."

Dexter studied her face.

"Was someone threatening you?"

The color drained from her face.

"No."

The answer came too quickly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Dexter knew she was lying.

But he didn't push her.

"All right."

Selena left.

The moment the door closed, Dexter returned to his computer. He searched through old records, travel logs, addresses, and names connected to Selena during that period.

One name kept appearing.

He didn't recognize it.

After digging deeper, he discovered that the man had once been associated with his father's company and had been involved in a business dispute around the same time Dexter and Selena separated.

Dexter's expression hardened.

Could this be connected to Selena's fear?

He picked up his phone.

"Gabriel."

"Yes, sir?"

"I need you to investigate someone."

He gave Gabriel the name.

"Find everything you can. I want to know if he had any connection to Selena or my father."

There was a brief silence.

"Your father?"

"Yes."

"Understood."

Dexter ended the call.

For years, he had believed his relationship with Selena had ended because of their arguments, mistakes, and growing distance.

Now he wasn't so sure.

Maybe someone else had been involved.

That afternoon, Dexter drove to Selena's apartment.

Before he could knock, the door opened.

"Daddy!"

Adrian grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.

Dexter smiled.

"Hello, little man."

"I have something to show you!"

"What is it?"

"My drawing."

Adrian dragged him toward the table.

Selena watched from the kitchen doorway.

Dexter crouched beside the table and looked at the drawing.

There were three figures holding hands.

"Who's this?"

"Me."

"And this?"

"Mommy."

Adrian pointed at the third figure.

"And this one?"

"That's you, Daddy."

Dexter's heart tightened.

"Why did you draw us together?"

Adrian smiled.

"Because we're a family."

The simple statement affected Dexter more than he expected.

He looked at Selena.

She gave him a small smile.

For a moment, everything felt peaceful.

Then Dexter noticed an old envelope lying on the table.

His name was written on it.

He looked at Selena.

She immediately picked it up.

"What is that?"

"Nothing."

"Selena."

"It's old."

"Why does it have my name?"

She hesitated.

"Because I intended to give it to you."

"When?"

"Six years ago."

Dexter's heartbeat quickened.

"What's inside?"

Selena held the envelope tightly.

"Something I was too afraid to tell you."

"Then maybe it's time I knew."

She said nothing.

Adrian looked between them.

"Mommy?"

Selena forced a smile.

"It's nothing, sweetheart."

But Dexter knew it wasn't nothing.

There was another secret.

And this time, he intended to uncover it.

Discovering Adrian was his son had answered one question.

But it had created another.

What had really happened during the final days of his relationship with Selena?

Why had she been so afraid?

And what was written inside the envelope she had kept for six years?

Dexter stared at it.

For the first time, he realized that the truth might be far more complicated than he had imagined.

And whatever Selena had been hiding, he was determined to find out.