Chapter Nineteen: The Edge of the Truth

Adrian couldn't sleep.

He had spent the last few hours pacing the length of his penthouse in Everdale, his mind replaying the moment over and over again.

Mia.

Liam.

The boy's wide, curious eyes haunted him—because they weren't just familiar. They were his.

Adrian wasn't a fool. He had done the math the second he saw the kid. Liam was six. And seven years ago, Mia had vanished after their night together.

Coincidence? Not a damn chance.

And yet, she had looked him in the eye and refused to confirm it.

Adrian slammed his hands on the desk, his jaw tightening. He had spent seven years chasing a ghost, and now, when he was this close to the truth, she was still trying to run.

Not this time.

His phone buzzed.

Caleb.

Adrian swiped the call. "Tell me you have something."

Caleb hesitated. "Sir… it's complicated."

Adrian's fingers curled around his phone. "Try me."

A sigh. Then: "Mia—well, 'Emily Hayes'—has no record before six years ago. No employment history. No address. It's like she didn't exist before then."

Adrian's breath slowed.

She had erased herself.

She had deliberately hidden.

His grip on the phone tightened. "And Liam?"

Another pause. "Same story. No father listed on the birth certificate."

Adrian exhaled sharply, his chest tightening.

Mia had gone to extreme lengths to make sure no one connected Liam to him.

And that realization burned.

Why?

Why would she keep this from him?

Did she think he would've abandoned them? That he wouldn't have wanted his son?

His throat tightened.

Or worse… had Eleanor gotten to her first?

Adrian had seen what his grandmother was capable of. If she had found out about Mia back then, there was no telling what she might have done to force her out of his life.

A storm built inside him.

He needed to talk to Mia. Now.

Adrian grabbed his keys and strode out of his penthouse, his decision made. He was done waiting.

Mia

Mia sat on her small couch, staring at her phone, debating whether to call Lily.

She needed an out.

Adrian had found her. Eleanor knew. And it was only a matter of time before everything fell apart.

She should have left last night. She should have taken Liam and disappeared again.

But she couldn't.

Liam had friends here. He had a life here. And despite everything, she had wanted to stay.

Now?

She was out of options.

A knock on the door made her freeze.

No.

Her heart pounded violently. She wasn't expecting anyone. And at this hour, it could only mean—

A second knock, firmer this time.

Mia's throat tightened. Slowly, she stood, walking to the door, her fingers shaking as she unlocked it.

She barely had time to react before Adrian stepped inside.

Her breath caught.

He had changed since earlier, his suit jacket gone, the sleeves of his black shirt rolled up. But his expression was unreadable, his stormy eyes fixed on her with an intensity that sent her pulse racing.

Adrian closed the door behind him. "We need to talk."

Mia swallowed. "It's late."

"I don't care."

His voice was low, rough with frustration.

Mia backed up slightly, but Adrian followed, stepping closer, his gaze never leaving hers.

She could feel the heat radiating from him, could see the restraint in his clenched jaw.

"I don't have time for your excuses, Mia," he said quietly, his voice controlled but sharp. "Tell me the truth."

Mia's nails dug into her palms.

"Is Liam my son?"

The room stilled.

Her breath hitched. The weight of his words crushed her, and she knew—this was it.

The moment she had dreaded for seven years.

Liam stirred in the next room, shifting in his sleep, and Mia's chest squeezed painfully.

Adrian didn't miss it. His eyes flickered toward the sound, then back to her, the storm in them growing darker.

Mia swallowed hard. "You should go."

Adrian's jaw flexed. "I'm not leaving."

Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken emotions.

Then, quietly, he said, "I deserve to know."

Mia's eyes burned.

Yes. He did.

But if she told him the truth, she knew what would come next.

And she wasn't ready to lose everything.

Not yet.