All Chapters of His hidden heir : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

“You can’t do that.”“Watch me.”“Alicia…”“I can leave this place and dissolve into the air. You won’t even know what continent I am. Try me.”She meant it. He could see it in her face.“What can I do?” His voice broke. “Just tell me. How do I fix this?”“You can’t.”“There has to be something.”“There’s not. You can’t fix five years in one conversation.”“Mummy I’m hungry!” Aiden was back. Out of breath. Face all red from the cold. “Can we get pancakes?”“Yeah baby. Let’s go.”Aiden looked at Alex. Just stared at him with those big dark eyes. Alex’s eyes.“Who are you?”Alex opened his mouth. Nothing came out.“He’s nobody,” Alicia said quick. “Just someone I used to know.”“Oh.” Aiden kept staring. “You look sad.”“Aiden come on.”“But mummy…”“Now.”She grabbed his hand. Started walking.“Wait.” Alex didn’t mean to say it out loud.She stopped. Didn’t turn around.“I’m sorry. For yesterday. For showing up here. For everything.”She stood there for a second. “Yeah. Me too.”Then sh

“No. Wait. I’m not… I’m not trying to fight.” He leaned forward. “I just want to meet him. Properly. Not in some parking lot or park. Just… meet my son.”“No.”“Why not?”“Because he’s five. He doesn’t need this drama.”“What drama? Me wanting to know him?”“You wanting to turn his whole life upside down.”A waitress came over. Asked if they needed anything. Alex ordered coffee. Black. She left.“I’m only trying to be his dad.”“You can’t just decide that. It doesn’t work like that.”“Then how does it work? Tell me. Because I don’t know what you want from me.”“I want you to leave us alone.”“No you don’t.”“Yes. I do.”“You’re lying.”“I’m not…”“If you wanted me gone you would’ve blocked my number. Sent back the packages. Gotten a restraining order. But you didn’t. You kept every package. You answer when I call. You’re here right now.”Damn. He had a point.“That doesn’t mean anything.”“Doesn’t it?”The waitress brought his coffee. He didn’t touch it.“I miss you, Alicia.”“Don’t.”

Alicia pulled back first, breathless and dizzy.“We shouldn’t have done that.”“Probably not.” Alex’s voice was rough. His forehead rested against hers. Neither of them moved away.“This doesn’t change anything.”“Doesn’t it?”She finally stepped back, putting distance between them. Her lips still tingled. “I need to go.”“Alicia…”“Please. Just… give me some time to think.”He nodded slowly. “Okay. But I’m not sorry it happened.”“I know.”She left before she could do something stupid like kiss him again.-----The next morning, her father called.“Meeting. My office. Ten AM.”“Good morning to you too.”“Don’t be late.”He hung up.Zara was feeding Aiden breakfast when Alicia came out of the bedroom.“You look like you didn’t sleep,” Zara observed.“Thanks for the reminder.”“What happened yesterday? You never told me.”“Nothing happened.”“Your face says otherwise.”Aiden looked up from his cereal. “Mummy’s face looks normal to me.”“See? My face is fine.”Zara didn’t look convinced

Alicia sat in the passenger seat, watching the buildings in Alex’s estate blur past.Alicia was a rich heiress too yet she had never stayed in such a luxurious house setting.“This is too much.”“It’s secure. That’s all that matters right now.”The car pulled up to the front entrance. Modern architecture. All glass and clean lines. Probably cost more than most people made in a lifetime.Security had already brought Zara and Aiden through the back. They were waiting in the foyer when Alex and Alicia walked in.Aiden’s eyes were huge. “Mummy, this place is like a castle!”“It’s just a house, baby.”“A really big house.” He was already running around, looking at everything. “Can I explore? Please?”“Aiden, we’re guests here…”“Let him,” Alex said. “He can’t break anything important.”“You sure about that?” Zara muttered.But Aiden was already gone, his footsteps echoing through the halls.An older woman appeared from somewhere. Gray hair pulled back, kind eyes. “Mr. George. Should I prepa

Later, after Aiden was napping and Zara had disappeared somewhere, Alicia went looking for him.She found him in his office. On the phone again. His voice was tight.“I don’t care what she wants. The answer is no.”Pause.“She doesn’t get a say in this.”Pause.“Tell her to back off or I’ll handle it myself.”He hung up. Turned around. Saw Alicia in the doorway.“How long have you been standing there?”“Long enough. Who was that?”“Nobody.”“Alex…”“I said it’s nobody. Just work stuff.”“Don’t lie to me.”“I’m not lying.”“Yes you are. Your jaw does this thing when you lie.”“My jaw does not do a thing.”“It absolutely does.”They stared at each other.“It was Leah,” he finally said. “My stepmother.”“What did she want?”“To tell me I’m making a mistake. That you and Aiden are going to ruin everything.”Alicia felt like she’d been slapped. “And what did you say?”“I told her to back off.”“That’s not what I asked.”“What do you want me to say?”“I want to know if you think she’s right