Afolabi_Esther_4626

Title: unexpectedly your's 

Seven years ago, Mia Carter made the biggest mistake of her life, falling into the arms of a mysterious stranger after a night of heartbreak. What she didn’t know was that the man she made an unforgettable mistake with was Adrian Sinclair, heir to the powerful Sinclair empire. When that single night leaves Mia pregnant, she vanishes without a trace, determined to build a new life for herself and her son, Liam.

Now, fate drags her back into the storm.

Under a new identity, Mia finds herself working as the assistant to the formidable Eleanor Sinclair, Adrian’s calculating grandmother, who quickly grows fond of both Mia and her son. But Eleanor's kindness hides a dangerous truth, she knows exactly who Mia is… and the secret she's been keeping.

When Adrian returns to the company, he’s drawn to the quiet assistant and her son in ways he can’t explain. The more time he spends around them, the more familiar Liam seems — his habits, his expressions — until a devastating truth unravels before him.

Liam is his son.

As Adrian confronts the betrayal, Eleanor schemes to erase Mia and Liam from Adrian’s life — pushing him toward a loveless engagement with a woman of "status." But Adrian refuses to lose Mia again. With their love reigniting and their son caught in the crossfire, they must fight against secrets, lies, and the weight of the Sinclair legacy.

But just when it seems they might find their way back to each other, a shocking accusation from Mia’s former best friend threatens to destroy everything — leading to an explosive ending that will leave hearts broken and fates uncertain.

Because some secrets refuse to stay buried… and some love stories are far from over.

unexpectedly your's

Chapter Seventeen: The Cracks Begin to Show

Her hands trembled as she typed out Eleanor's meeting schedule, but her mind kept replaying the conversation from the day before.

"There's something familiar about him."

She had spent years convincing herself she was safe, that no one would ever connect the dots. But Eleanor Sinclair was no fool. If she had even the faintest suspicion, Mia knew she would dig until she found the truth.

Her only option was to stay calm. Act normal. Give Eleanor no reason to doubt her.

Because today, everything changed.

A courier arrived in the afternoon, dropping off a sleek black envelope embossed with a golden A.S.

Eleanor took the envelope, her lips curling into something that wasn't quite a smile. "He's finally agreed to visit."

Mia's hands turned ice-cold. She forced her voice to stay even. "Adrian?"

Eleanor's sharp gaze flickered, studying her reaction.

Mia's pulse thundered in her ears.

The flight to Everdale was a blur.

Adrian clenched his jaw as he stared out the plane's window, the weight of the past seven years pressing down on him.

He wasn't coming for his grandmother's schemes. He wasn't coming for the company.

Because if the whispers were true—if this "Emily Hayes" working at Sinclair Enterprises was really Mia—then the woman he had spent years searching for had been right under his grandmother's nose all along.

Why had she left? Why had she disappeared without a word?

And why—after all these years—had she resurfaced here, working for his family?

Mia's plan unraveled before it even began.

She woke up at dawn, a packed bag hidden under Liam's bed. She had planned to call in sick, grab Liam, and disappear before Adrian ever set foot in the building.

Because when she stepped into the daycare to pick Liam up early, she heard a familiar voice.

Deep. Smooth. The voice of a ghost from her past.

"Hey there, buddy. What's your name?"

She froze just outside the door, her pulse roaring so loudly she could barely hear Liam's soft, cautious reply.

Then Adrian's voice again, quieter this time.

Mia's vision blurred. Panic tightened around her chest.

Adrian Sinclair was standing right there—just feet away from his son.

Before she could move, another voice cut through the air.

Mia turned sharply, her breath catching in her throat.

Eleanor stood behind her, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

Mia barely had time to react before Eleanor's voice—calm, controlled, dangerous—continued:

"You should come with me. There's much to discuss."

Adrian hesitated, his gaze flickering toward the daycare, toward Liam.

Mia could feel the weight of his stare, the tension thick enough to suffocate her.

For a split second, she was certain he would look at Liam again, that something would click, that he would see the truth.

But then Eleanor placed a hand on Adrian's shoulder, steering him away.

Mia barely held herself upright as they disappeared down the hallway.

She had been seconds away from losing everything.

Because while Adrian hadn't pieced it together yet, Eleanor was watching.

And Mia knew the older woman wouldn't let this go.