THE BILLIONAIRE’S SECRET BABY

Chapter 3: He Remembers

Ethan Blackwood could not get the cleaning girl out of his head. There was something familiar about her eyes. Her fear.

He called his assistant. "Get me the file from the charity ball three years ago. The girl."

His assistant brought a grainy CCTV photo. Ethan stared. It was her. Ava. The waitress he spent one night with and tried to forget.

"Find everything about her," he ordered.

By evening, the report was on his desk.

Ava Miller. 26 years old. Single mother. Works multiple jobs. Lives in a tiny apartment with her mother and a 3-year-old son.

A 3-year-old son.

Ethan's hand froze. Three years. A son. The dates matched.

His heart, which had been cold for years, started beating wildly. Could it be?

The next day, he made an excuse to go to the 30th floor where Ava was cleaning.

She was on her knees, scrubbing the floor. Her uniform was too big. She looked tired.

"You," he said.

Ava jumped up, scared. "Mr. Blackwood! I... I finished here."

"How old is your son?" he asked directly, his blue eyes piercing.

Ava's face turned white. "What?"

"Your son. How old is he?" Ethan stepped closer. He could see her shaking.

"He... he is three," she whispered.

"And his father?"

Ava's eyes filled with tears, but she stood tall. "He has no father. He is MY son."

Ethan looked at her, then at the small photo that had fallen from her pocket. A little boy. With dark hair. And his own blue eyes. His exact eyes.

Ethan picked up the photo. His hand was trembling.

"This is my son," he whispered. It wasn't a question.

Ava grabbed the photo back, tears now streaming. "No! He is not! You left $100 on the pillow and disappeared! You don't get to claim him now!"

She ran out, leaving Ethan standing there, holding nothing but the truth that would change everything.

He had a secret baby. And the mother hated him.