part 2

When they arrived, Heather held Alex's hand as they walked through the building. One of her security guard named Marcus followed a few steps behind them.

Alex glanced up at Marcus and frowned.

"Mommy, why is he following us?"

"To protect us."

"From what? No one is going to hurt us."

"It's just a precaution."

"But he is only drawing more attention to us."

That made sense.

"it should be just you and me, mommy."

She couldn't say no to those adorable eyes.

"Marcus, it's okay. We'll be fine "

Marcus looked hesitant but stepped back.

"Stick close to me, okay?" she adjusted her sunglasses.

Alex nodded.

They spent the next hour exploring the exhibits. Alex went from one display to the next, dropping off facts that Heather didn't even know he knew.

"Did you know robots can perform surgery now, Mommy?" he asked, staring wide-eyed at a robotic arm demonstration.

"Is that so?" Heather replied, her tone light even as her mind wandered. It was always wandering lately...back to rehearsals, back to the strange text message. She hadn't replied and wasn't even planning to.

"Mommy," Alex said, tugging on her sleeve. "I want to see what's over there."

Heather followed his gaze. A restricted conference area at the far end of the room, but a crowd gathered near by.

She frowned.

"Let's find out after I use the restroom, okay?"

Heather closed the restroom door behind her and exhaled deeply. Luckily, no one was inside. She adjusted her sunglasses and mask in the mirror.

"Alright, just a minute," she murmured to herself. She needed a second to compose herself. She was kind of tensed being among a large crowd without security. Worse of all, when she wore sunglasses and a mask, she looked like Miss H. And who the hell wear sunglasses and a mask indoors? She didn't know what she was thinking sending Marcus away. She immediately texted him. While she waited, she thought about Alex. He didn't want to go in with her and she didn't blame him. She left him outside with the security woman there. But took her ID and home address...just incase.

Alex was standing beside Linda, the security assigned to keep an eye on him. His little eyes moved around the place. Then he noticed a girl nearby, about age 12-14, she was wearing a shirt with Miss H's red carpet photo printed on it. He walked over curiously. She was just a few steps ahead of him, plus, Linda was focused on watching a match on her phone.

"Miss H is here," he said confidently.

He did search things about her.

The girl turned to him, "What?" she blinked in confusion.

"Miss H," Alex repeated, "She's here." he pointed toward the restroom.

The girl shook her head, "No, she's not." her tone was dismissive.

He frowned.

"Yes, she is. She's in the restroom right now."

"How would you know? You're just a baby" her arms were crossed.

Alex didn't answer. Instead he turned his attention back to the restroom door. As if daring it to open.

And open it did.

Heather stepped out. Her sunglasses and mask on. The moment the girl saw her, her jaw dropped, and she grabbed her friend's arm. "Oh my gosh!" she whispered loudly. "It's her. It's really her!"

Within seconds, the murmur spread. People's heads began to turn, while some pulled out their phones, aiming their cameras in Heather's direction. Before Heather could fully process what was happening, a crowd started moving toward her.

"Miss H!" someone shouted.

Heather froze. Her heart raced. Her gaze shifted to Alex, but before she could react, Linda stepped between her and the growing crowd.

"Back up!" Linda barked, "Keep your distance!"

Linda tried to help, but it wasn't enough to keep the crowd away. Heather's chest tightened.

She turned quickly and stepped back into the restroom, shutting and locking the door behind her. Her breathing was shallow while she pressed her back against the door.

For a moment, she just stood there, trying to block out the sound of the crazy fans outside. Right now, she hated being loved.

Alex ran through the crowded hallway. His small body made it easy for him to slip between distracted adults. He escaped easily, thanks to his mother's secret identity. He did feel bad for putting her at risk like this, but she should know he did it for a greater cause.

His eyes were locked on the glass walls of the conference room ahead. When he reached it, he pressed his face against the cool surface like a happy school boy. He smiled as he saw Caius inside. It was unmistakably him...the man he saw in photos, the man whose name he read online. He couldn't believe it.

Caius's security team began escorting him toward the door. Alex's heart skipped. He wasn't going to let this chance slip away...not today.

He ran after them without hesitation. His sneakers squeaked softly against the polished floor. He followed as they went down the stairs. His small legs worked double-time to keep up. When Caius walked through the exit doors, Alex didn't stop. He ran quickly before the heavy doors closed.

Heather sighed. She couldn't even hear Linda's voice again. Which meant, the crowd got to her. That's when she noticed that Alex wasn't with her. Her eyes widened in horror.

She brought out her phone and quickly called Marcus.

"Marcus, where are you?"

"Outside, ma'am. The crowd here is insane. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just find Alex. Find my baby."