Chapter Four The Storm Before the Fire

Damian Cavendish sat frozen at his desk, his fingers tightening around the edges of the printed birth certificate.

Unknown.

That single word mocked him.

His breath was slow, controlled—but beneath the surface, a storm raged.

Sienna had a child.

His child.

And she had kept it from him.

The weight of the revelation crashed into him, an unrelenting force that shattered everything he thought he knew. For five years, she had walked around carrying his blood in her veins—raising their child—without ever telling him.

His hands curled into fists. He wasn’t sure what burned more: the betrayal or the undeniable fact that he had missed five years of his son’s life.

His. Son.

Damian’s jaw clenched as he forced himself to think logically, to push down the fire threatening to consume him. He needed confirmation. A single hospital record wasn’t enough.

He reached for his phone, dialing a number he rarely used.

"Mr. Cavendish?" A gruff voice answered almost immediately.

"Vincent, I need you to run a DNA test. Quietly. As soon as possible."

There was a slight pause. "On whom, sir?"

Damian exhaled, his grip on the phone tightening. "Sienna Blake’s son."

Another pause. Then, Vincent’s voice came carefully, "And your sample as well?"

"Yes." The word was sharp, final. "Discreetly. No mistakes."

"Understood. I’ll make the arrangements."

Damian ended the call, his pulse hammering in his ears.

If the results confirmed what he already suspected…

Sienna was about to learn exactly what happened when someone tried to deceive him.

---

### **Sienna felt uneasy the next morning.**

She tried to tell herself it was nothing. That it was just her nerves over the upcoming work trip with Damian. But there was something else—an unsettling feeling crawling over her skin, as if something had already begun unraveling.

Shaking off the thought, she focused on Julian. He sat across from her at the kitchen table, swinging his legs as he happily munched on a pancake.

"Mommy, can I have two syrups today?" he asked with wide, pleading eyes.

Sienna chuckled, ruffling his black curls. "You know the rules, Jules. One syrup, or you’ll be bouncing off the walls."

He pouted but obediently continued eating.

Olivia leaned against the counter, sipping her coffee, watching Sienna carefully. "You’re distracted."

Sienna sighed. "It’s just this trip. Spending time around Damian… it’s risky."

Olivia set her mug down. "You’re sure he doesn’t suspect anything?"

Sienna hesitated. "I don’t think so. But Damian isn’t stupid. If he starts putting the pieces together…"

She trailed off, shaking her head.

Olivia reached out, squeezing her arm. "You have to be careful, Sienna. If he finds out about Julian—"

"I won’t let that happen," Sienna interrupted firmly.

But deep down, a small, terrifying part of her wondered…

Was it already too late?

---

### **Damian watched Sienna the moment she walked into the conference room.**

She was poised, professional, every bit the talented designer he had hired. But there was something beneath her calm façade—an edge of tension, a flicker of unease in her hazel eyes when they met his.

He knew she could feel it.

The shift in his energy.

He was no longer just the ex-lover from her past.

He was a man with questions. And he wouldn’t stop until he had his answers.

"Miss Blake," he greeted smoothly.

"Mr. Cavendish," she replied, her voice even.

He gestured toward the chair beside him, silently daring her to refuse. After a brief hesitation, she took her seat.

"Are you prepared for the presentation?" he asked, his gaze never leaving her face.

"Of course," she replied, flipping open her portfolio. "The design elements align perfectly with the Cavendish brand. The investors will be impressed."

Damian smirked slightly. "I never doubted your talent."

She stilled, caught off guard by the rare compliment. But before she could respond, he leaned in slightly, lowering his voice.

"What I do doubt, however, is your honesty."

Her entire body tensed.

Sienna turned to face him fully, keeping her expression unreadable. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Damian tilted his head, studying her. She was good. He had seen people lie before—businessmen, competitors, women who wanted something from him. But Sienna… she was different.

Because she wasn’t just lying. She was protecting something.

Or someone.

"You always did hate being backed into a corner," he murmured.

Sienna forced a small smile. "Then maybe you should stop trying."

Their conversation was interrupted as the other executives filed in, ready for the meeting.

But as the presentation began, Damian didn’t focus on the numbers or the projections.

He focused on Sienna.

And the secrets she was desperately trying to keep.

---

### **The Test Results Arrived That Night.**

Damian sat in his penthouse, the envelope resting on the coffee table in front of him. The only barrier between him and the truth.

His fingers were steady as he tore it open.

His eyes scanned the paper.

Then everything inside him went deathly still.

**99.9% Probability of Paternity.**

The words blurred slightly as Damian exhaled, a slow, dangerous breath.

His heart pounded—not with shock, because he had already known. But with the sheer, undeniable confirmation.

Julian Blake was his son.

His.

Five years. Five damn years of never knowing.

His fists clenched as rage surged through him. Sienna had stolen those years from him. She had kept his son hidden, raised him alone, decided—without him—that he had no right to know.

She had played God with his blood.

And that… was unforgivable.

Damian stood abruptly, his entire body radiating fury.

Sienna thought she could keep this from him?

She thought she could control this?

She was wrong.

Because now that he knew the truth, there was only one outcome.

Julian was his son.

And he was going to claim him.