Billionaire's Secret Heir

Chapter 2

Tristan Glass stared at me, his lips slightly parted. If he thought I was going to keep begging for his affection, he was dead wrong.

Without saying a word, I slipped off my wedding ring and placed it on the table between us. It was more than just a gesture—it was a silent declaration that I was done honoring the promises we exchanged at the altar. I was freeing him, and in turn, freeing myself. I didn’t spare him another glance as I headed toward the door. Whatever love I had left for him had crumbled. In its place, resentment bloomed.

I strode toward the parking lot, where my car waited. Sliding into the driver’s seat, I gripped the steering wheel, feeling my heart thundering inside my chest. The cold leather against my skin didn’t help ease the fire burning through me. Our conversation kept looping in my mind like a painful echo. I shut my eyes, trying to suppress the sob that threatened to break free. When I opened them again, the storm had dulled—only slightly. I exhaled deeply, started the engine, and pulled out of the lot.

The car hummed quietly along the nearly empty highway under a moonless sky. I had left the restaurant behind, but mentally, I was still there—sitting across from the man who shattered what I tried so hard to protect. Tristan had chosen to end everything on our fourth wedding anniversary of all days. He could have waited... but no. He wanted to make it hurt.

I let out a shaky breath and tried to keep my emotions from spinning out of control. I couldn’t afford to break down behind the wheel.

A few minutes later, my car rolled to a stop in front of the modest two-story house where my mother lived. I got out quickly and let myself in with my spare key. Rose, the nurse caring for my mom, was already waiting in the living room. The moment she saw me, she stood up from the floral-patterned couch.

"How is Mom?" I asked, dread clawing up my throat.

"She’s not doing well," Rose replied softly, her eyes shimmering with tears she couldn’t hold back. She had been with our family for years, and she loved my mom like her own. We were more than just coworkers—we were sisters in all but blood.

My voice wavered. "Do you think she’ll be okay?"

Rose hesitated. "I don’t know, Susan. Only time can answer that."

The words pierced through me like glass.

"I’ll check on her upstairs," I said gently. "Thank you for staying, even on your day off."

"I told you, Susan, I would be here for her no matter what. You don’t need to pay me for that."

"You’re a blessing, Rose. Please get home safe, and don’t forget your seatbelt."

"I will. See you tomorrow," she said, giving me a small smile before slipping out the door and closing it behind her.

Once alone, I climbed the stairs to my mother’s room. I paused outside the door, unable to bring myself to open it. The fear of seeing her frail figure lifeless on the bed gripped me like a vice. She was all I had left in this world. The thought of losing her—after losing Dad last year and now Tristan—was unbearable. One tear slid down my cheek. I hadn’t cried when Tristan asked for a divorce, but this? This hurt differently.

I forced my hand to turn the knob and push the door open.

The bed was empty.

A jolt of panic surged through me. I rushed into the room, my heart slamming against my ribs like a war drum. Where was she? Had she fallen? Was she in pain? I dropped to my knees and looked under the bed—nothing. My fear spiraled.

"Mom?" I called out. No response. My pulse raced. What if she had slipped in the bathroom? I darted toward it and swung the door open—but it was empty too.

Terror clawed at me. "Where are you, Mom?" My voice cracked as I broke into sobs. My legs wobbled beneath me, my hands trembling. Then I noticed the door to the balcony was open just a sliver. My breath caught.

I ran to it.

There she was, seated quietly on the balcony’s old lounge chair, a photo album resting on her lap. Relief crashed into me like a tidal wave. She had probably dragged herself across the floor to get there. She loved the cool night breeze and the quiet of the stars. I had asked her not to come out here after dark, but she never listened.

As if sensing me, she looked up and smiled. "Susan, come sit with me, sweetheart."

I rushed to her, dropping to my knees beside her and wrapping my arms around her frail body. I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding my breath until that moment.

"I thought you were gone," I whispered, my voice breaking as tears spilled freely. The pain was unbearable, crushing me from the inside out. She had been fighting stage three cancer with all her strength, and she was all I had left. If I lost her too, I didn’t know how I would survive.