All Chapters of My Best Friend’s Uncle… and My Baby Daddy: Chapter 61 - Chapter 67

Eric’s POV I stared at the charred remains of the West Wing—or what was left of it. The sight of the blackened stone and the acrid, scorched scent of burnt timber made my blood boil. Somewhere under that wreckage was my son's room. Somewhere in there, my child was hurt, and the rage inside me was threatening to tear my spill open. “Sir... Young Master Finn wasn't evacuated with the rest of the staff. It’s presumed he is still inside the building,” Gabriel’s voice reached me, but it sounded like he was underwater. My mind raced through a thousand scenarios, each darker than the last. This had to be a joke. Some sick, twisted game played by my enemies. “How?” The word was a jagged glass fragment in my throat. How did this happen? How could I lose him now, just as I was learning what it meant to be a father? What was I going to tell her? 

I had been completely immersed in planning a small, intimate surprise party. With only three days left before the big day, the pressure was mounting. I had to make sure every single detail was perfect, from the delicate silk decorations to the rich aroma of the catering. I had chosen the greenhouse as the site for the party—the glass walls and lush greenery would make it feel like a private Eden under the stars.Currently, I was deep in the trenches of finalizing the menu with the chef. For the center-piece, the birthday cake, I had decided on a dual-flavor masterpiece: chocolate and vanilla. I chose vanilla because, let’s face it, Eric could be a bit of a boring guy sometimes, but the chocolate? That was because he liked me—rich, sweet, and a little bit addictive.Overall, planning this without Eric catching on had been one hell of a pain. The man was suspicious of everything. He had a sixth sense for secrets, like the time he almost caught me red-handed with his gifts.[Flashback]“

We sat in the quiet of the greenhouse, soaking in the bliss of the day. Outside, the world was swallowing the last of the light, but inside, the atmosphere was beginning to glow. The fairy lights twinkled against the glass, creating an illusion of peace and tranquility that felt almost too good to be true.“It’s time to open presents,” I said, finally setting the empty dessert dishes aside.Eric chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “I don’t think that would be necessary, Autumn. This—all of this—is enough.”“Well, it’s normal to open presents during one's birthday,” I insisted, trying to persuade him with a playful nudge. “Besides, you have a mountain of them to get through.”He stared back at me, his gaze softening into something so tender and loving that I felt my cheeks heat up. I shifted shyly under his look, my heart doing a stutter-step in my chest.“Can I show Daddy my gift?” Finn’s small voice broke the trance.“Of course, honey,” I said. Eric nodded, his eyes never leaving ou

I stared at the documents gripped in Eric’s white-knuckled hands, and something inside me hardened. It was a cold, sharp feeling I hadn't felt in years—a part of the old me, the one who wasn't afraid to fight, clawing its way to the surface. I knew Eleanor was the one behind this move. Whatever game she wanted to play, I was done being the pawn. I was going to play at her level, and I was going to win. “What proof do you have to say this house was bought with company funds?” Eric snarled. His voice was a low, dangerous vibration that usually made men back down, but this messenger was shielded by his own arrogance. “Well, Mr. Kingston,” the man said, his chin tilting up with an air of practiced defiance. He looked at Eric not as a titan of industry, but as a fallen king. “You were once the CEO of the Kingston Group. You had total financial control over the accounts. It doesn't take a genius to track where the leaks went.”He spoke like a lackey who had been promised a promotion by El