All Chapters of The Billionaire's Hidden Heir : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Sophia Miller tugged at the hem of her worn blazer, trying to make it look less cheap as she stared up at Blackwood Tower. Fifty floors of glass and steel that scraped the New York sky, reflecting the morning sun like a weapon. The building was so tall it made her dizzy. Cars honked loudly behind her, people in expensive suits rushed past her like she was invisible, but she stood frozen, clutching her daughter's hand.This was her last chance.In her purse was an eviction notice dated three days ago, stamped in angry red ink. In her bank account was $42.18, not even enough for a proper grocery run. Her rent was two months late, her fridge was empty except for Lily's milk, and the landlord had screamed at her yesterday that he would throw their things out on the street by Friday. And beside her, swinging her tiny hand, was the reason she couldn't give up, the only reason she woke up every morning."Mommy, you look pretty," Lily whispered beside he

At that exact moment, the office door burst open with a loud BANG that made both of them jump, shattering the tense, intimate silence.Sophia gasped and jumped back from Ethan like she had been burned, her heart in her throat."Mr. Blackwood! I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry!" Mrs. Jenkins from the daycare downstairs stood panting at the door, her face red as a tomato, holding a crying, wiggling Lily who had snot and tears all over her little face, her pink backpack dragging on the floor. The old woman looked like she had run a marathon up fifty floors. "She slipped away from me! I turned for one second to sign the register and she said she knew her mommy was here and she just ran into the elevator before I could stop her! These modern elevators are too fast! I'm so sorry, Mr. Blackwood! I'll take her out right now!"Lily's eyes, full of big fat tears that made her blue eyes even bigger, found Sophia first, then landed on Ethan.And Ethan's entire bo

The private elevator didn't go down. It went up. Sophia clutched Lily tighter as the elevator rose one more floor, to the 51st floor - a floor that didn't even exist on the public buttons, a floor that only Ethan's fingerprint could access. The doors opened directly into a home. No, not a home. A palace in the sky. Floor-to-ceiling windows everywhere, marble floors so clean Lily could see her reflection, a giant kitchen with an island bigger than Sophia's entire studio apartment, toys that had never been touched still in boxes in the corner, as if someone had bought them hoping a child would one day come. "This... this is your house?" Sophia whispered, her voice echoing in the huge, empty, cold space. It was beautiful, but it was lonely. Like its owner had been lonely for five years. "Our house," Ethan corrected, setting Lily down gently. Lily immediately ran to the windows, her tiny hands pressed

Sophia woke up to thunder.Not the sound. The shaking.Lily was trembling in her arms, her little face buried in Sophia's chest, her blonde curls damp with sweat, her whole body shaking like a leaf."Mommy, boom boom scare Lily," she whimpered, her voice tiny, broken.The penthouse windows were rattling. New York was having one of those violent late summer storms, rain lashing the glass 51 floors up, lightning turning the giant living room white every few seconds. The palace in the sky was suddenly scary.Sophia held her tighter, humming the lullaby she always sang in their little studio when thunder came - the one about the brave little mouse who wasn't scared of anything. In the studio, the thunder was muffled by thin walls and noisy neighbors. Here, in glass and marble, it was everywhere."It's okay, baby, it's okay, Mommy here, brave mouse here—" she whispered, rocking her.But Lily wasn't calming. She had alway

Happiness in the penthouse lasted exactly 47 minutes.Sophia knew because she checked the clock on the gold wall. 7:03 AM - Ethan was kissing her. 7:50 AM - Lily was eating pancakes shaped like stars while Ethan showed her how billionaires make coffee with a machine that looked like a spaceship.And at 7:50 AM, the private elevator dinged.Ethan didn't look up. Only three people had the code to his private elevator. His assistant, his best friend, and his mother.The doors opened.Margaret Blackwood walked in like she owned the 51 floors, because technically she did own 30% of them. Perfect hair, perfect pearls, perfect cold face. She was 60 but looked 45, the kind of rich woman who never sweats.Her eyes scanned the kitchen. Lily in Ethan's oversized t-shirt, syrup on her face. Sophia in her cheap nightgown, hair messy from kissing. Ethan in pajama pants, barefoot, laughing.Margaret's perfect face cracked.