Chapter Ten: When Truth Breaks Free
2247 Words
The next morning dawned quietly—too quietly for Liam.
He sat on the edge of the bed in his penthouse, watching Anna sleep beside him. A gentle sunbeam kissed her cheek, and for a moment, she looked entirely at peace. But Liam’s thoughts were tangled.
The previous night’s confrontation with Clarissa had stirred something in him—not just fury or protectiveness, but something deeper. A sense of unfinished truth.
There were still questions—about that night. About what really happened between him and Anna five years ago. Why she left without a word. Why he hadn’t remembered her face even after that one unforgettable night. It haunted him now, even more than before.
He reached for the drawer and pulled out the old silver locket he’d kept for years. The one he found in his coat pocket the morning after that night. He never knew whose it was—until now.
Anna stirred, eyes fluttering open. She blinked at him sleepily. “You’re up early,” she whispered.
He nodded and held out the locket. “This... was yours, wasn’t it?”
Her breath caught as her fingers touched the worn silver. “You kept it?”
“I didn’t know why,” he said softly. “But now… it’s starting to make sense.”
Anna sat up, holding the locket close. “That night… I wanted to tell you the truth the next day, but I was gone before I could. I panicked. I didn’t even know your real name until months later, when I saw you in the papers.”
Liam’s voice was low. “You never reached out.”
“I was just a girl working two jobs, pregnant and scared. And you were a billionaire with a life I didn’t belong in.”
He looked at her for a long moment. “But you did belong. You always did. I just didn’t know it yet.”
A silence stretched between them—tender, honest.
Then Liam stood, determination hardening his expression. “I want to make things right. No more secrets. No more guessing.”
Anna tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
“I want a DNA test,” he said. “Not because I doubt you. But because I want the world to know—those boys are mine.”
Anna hesitated, then nodded slowly. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
Later that afternoon, as they arrived at the private clinic, the twins were already bouncing with excitement.
“Are we getting shots?” one asked nervously.
“No, sweethearts,” Anna said with a laugh. “Just something to show how special you both are.”
As the clinic staff took samples and ushered them out with smiles, Anna felt something shift in her chest—something like hope. Like closure.
Later that evening, a call came in. The results were fast-tracked. Liam stood in his study, Anna beside him, as the doctor confirmed what they already knew.
“They are one hundred percent yours, Mr. Davenport.”
Liam exhaled shakily, emotion clouding his eyes. “Thank you.”
He turned to Anna, pulled her into his arms, and whispered, “No more running. No more hiding. You’re mine now—officially.”
Anna buried her face in his chest, the weight of five years finally lifting.
Outside, the city buzzed with life. But in that moment, all that mattered was the truth that finally, finally had come to light.
The next few days moved quickly—filled with questions, conversations, and long-overdue healing. The news of the DNA test hadn’t just confirmed what Liam already knew in his heart—it had awakened something deeper in him: the fierce protectiveness of a father, and the realization that his legacy no longer ended with him.
But the world outside their private bubble wasn’t as forgiving.
The tabloids had caught wind of something—paparazzi had seen Anna entering Liam’s penthouse with the twins. Now, headlines buzzed with speculation. Who was this mystery woman? Was the billionaire finally off the market? Were there secret children?
Liam wanted to protect Anna and the boys from the noise, but the truth had a way of demanding center stage.
One morning, as they sat at the breakfast table with the twins eating cereal and giggling over cartoons, Liam placed a tablet in front of Anna. “We need to talk.”
She glanced at the screen. The gossip site headline screamed: "Liam Davenport’s Secret Family? Mystery Twins Spotted at Billionaire’s Estate."
Anna swallowed. “So it begins.”
“I want to tell the truth, Anna. On my terms,” he said firmly. “Not theirs.”
She met his eyes, nervous but trusting. “What are you thinking?”
“A press statement. A public acknowledgment of you. Of the boys. Not just to protect you—but to claim you. Fully.”
Her heart pounded. “That’s a big step…”
He reached for her hand. “You gave me two sons. You carried that burden alone for years while I lived in ignorance. It’s my turn to carry the weight now.”
Anna blinked back tears. “What if they come for us? The press. The people who want to hurt you.”
“Then they’ll have to come through me.”
And just like that, the announcement was made.
In a bold, heartfelt press release posted on Liam’s official media accounts, the world was introduced to Anna Wren and her twin boys—his sons.
Public reaction exploded.
Some were shocked. Some were critical. But most were moved.
“She raised his children alone, and he stepped up like a real man should,” one comment read.
“The way he looks at her? That’s love,” another added, quoting a photo of Liam and Anna emerging hand-in-hand from his penthouse.
And while the noise outside grew louder, inside their world, a new kind of peace settled.
Later that night, Liam stood on the balcony with Anna. The city lights glittered like stars beneath them. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.
“You’re not just the mother of my children,” he whispered. “You’re the woman I should’ve been searching for all these years.”
Anna turned to face him, smiling through the ache of it all. “Well, you’ve found me now.”
And with the wind stirring gently around them, he kissed her like he had that first night—only this time, there were no masks. No drinks. No forgetfulness.
Just them. Present. Real. Remembered.
The next morning, sunlight poured through the tall windows of Liam's penthouse. Anna stretched beneath the warm sheets, the scent of fresh coffee drifting into the room. For the first time in years, she had slept without fear or stress weighing on her chest.
She sat up to find the bed empty. The sounds of soft laughter led her to the kitchen.
Liam stood barefoot, in a fitted black T-shirt and gray joggers, flipping pancakes while the twins sat at the island giggling. One of them—Aaron, she guessed—had batter on his nose.
“Mommy!” they chorused as she entered.
Liam turned, his eyes lighting up when he saw her. “Morning, beautiful. Hope you’re hungry.”
She laughed, her heart full. It felt like a dream—one she hadn’t dared to imagine. “This is surreal.”
“It’s just breakfast,” Liam teased.
“No,” she whispered, watching the boys laugh, “this… us.”
He set down the spatula, walked over, and kissed her gently. “Get used to it. I plan to give you a lifetime of mornings like this.”
They sat and ate as a family. Between mouthfuls of syrup and stories from school, it all felt… normal. Perfect, even.
But perfection didn’t last forever.
That afternoon, as Liam checked emails, his expression darkened.
Anna noticed immediately. “What’s wrong?”
He turned the screen toward her. It was a message from his legal team.
Subject: Urgent—DNA Leak & Threat of Custody Lawsuit.
A portion of the paternity test had been leaked to the media. And worse, Vanessa, Liam’s ex-fiancée, had found out and was threatening to file for partial custody—claiming Liam was unfit, and that Anna’s sudden reappearance with two children had tarnished his reputation and sabotaged their engagement.
Anna paled. “She can’t take them, right? She’s not their mother!”
“She can’t. But she can stir the waters. Make life miserable. The media frenzy is already wild,” Liam said, voice tight with frustration. “And she’s not above using connections to make our lives hell.”
Anna stepped closer. “We can fight her. Together.”
He looked at her with something fierce in his eyes. “No one’s taking my sons. No one’s touching you. I don’t care what it costs—I’ll protect you all.”
Later that night, after the boys were tucked in, Liam received a call from Vanessa herself.
He put her on speaker so Anna could hear.
“Well, well,” Vanessa purred. “So this is what you left me for. A nobody with twins? How poetic.”
“She is the mother of my children,” Liam said, steel in his voice. “And they are the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“I could ruin you,” she sneered. “You know I can. One call to the board, and you’ll be too busy dealing with legal hell to enjoy your little fairy tale.”
“You do that,” Liam growled, “and I’ll make sure every detail of our broken engagement—including your little affair with my CFO—goes public.”
There was silence. Then a scoff. “You’ve changed.”
“No. I just woke up.”
He hung up.
Anna blinked. “You knew about her affair?”
“I did. I just didn’t care enough to fight for something already broken. But I’ll fight for this,” he said, taking her hand. “For you. For them.”
And in that moment, with the city spinning outside, Liam and Anna stood united. Against the world. Against their pasts. Against anyone who dared threaten what they were building.
The next few days passed in a whirlwind. The media had caught wind of the story—Billionaire CEO Liam Grayson’s secret twins with an unknown woman—and reporters swarmed outside Liam’s building like bees to honey.
Anna couldn’t step outside without being bombarded with flashing cameras and shouted questions.
“Is it true you trapped him with a pregnancy?”
“Are you after his money?”
“Why did you hide the twins for so long?”
Liam tried to shield her from the worst of it. Security was tightened, legal teams dispatched cease-and-desist letters, and public relations experts crafted statements that painted the truth without revealing too much.
But Anna… she was exhausted.
Her boys were frightened by the flashing lights and the noise. And she could see it in Liam too—the way his shoulders tensed every time his phone rang. He was fighting for all of them, but the weight was crushing him.
One night, after the twins had gone to bed, Anna sat with Liam on the balcony.
City lights twinkled below them, a stark contrast to the storm inside her heart.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to drag you into chaos.”
Liam turned to her, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “You didn’t drag me. I walked in, eyes wide open.”
“But they’re saying such awful things about you. About me. The boys…”
He cupped her cheek. “Anna, I don’t care what they say. I care that I found you. That I found them. And I won’t let this world twist what we have into something ugly.”
She blinked away tears. “Do you ever regret that night?”
He smiled softly. “No. That night gave me my future. Even if I didn’t remember it right away.”
He kissed her—slow, deep, and full of promise.
As they stood in the quiet, Anna whispered, “What if the court sides with Vanessa? What if she actually tries to take the boys?”
“She has no legal standing,” Liam assured her. “But just in case, I’m already filing full paternity and custody claims—with you as the primary guardian. We’re building our case. Solid and airtight.”
“Will we win?”
“We already have. We have each other. And soon… if you’ll let me, I want to make this official.”
Anna’s breath caught. “Official?”
Liam knelt before her, pulling out a small velvet box. Inside, a sparkling ring caught the moonlight.
“I don’t just want to be their father. I want to be your partner. Your home. Marry me, Anna.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “You’re serious?”
“Dead serious.”
She dropped to her knees beside him, cupped his face in her hands, and whispered, “Yes.”
Their kiss that followed wasn’t just of love—it was of victory.
Because no matter what came next… they would face it together.
- Writer
