CEO’s Secret Baby

Chapter Five: The Letter

CEO’s Secret Baby

Chapter Five: The Letter

The knock came at seven the next morning.

Ethan was still in his pajamas when he opened the door.

A man in a dark suit stood outside holding a thick envelope.

“Mr. Reyes?”

“Yes?”

“I have a legal notice for you.”

Ethan’s stomach tightened.

“From whom?”

The man handed him the envelope.

“Blackwood Technologies.”

Ethan stared at the logo stamped across the front.

For a moment, he couldn’t breathe.

“Dad?”

Noah’s sleepy voice came from behind him.

Ethan immediately stepped into the hallway and closed the door.

“Is something wrong?”

The attorney looked uncomfortable.

“I’ve been instructed to deliver this personally.”

“By Damian?”

“No.”

That single word chilled him.

Ethan tore open the envelope.

His eyes moved across the first page.

Then the second.

Then back to the first.

Petition for determination of parental rights.

His hands began to shake.

“They’re trying to take my son.”

The attorney shook his head quickly.

“That’s not exactly what this says.”

“It says custody.”

“It requests a formal determination of Mr. Blackwood’s parental rights.”

Ethan’s voice broke.

“Why?”

The attorney hesitated.

“Because the board’s legal counsel believes the current situation creates significant liability.”

Ethan laughed bitterly.

“Liability?”

He looked toward the apartment door.

“He’s a six-year-old boy.”

“I understand.”

“No. You don’t.”

The attorney lowered his voice.

“There is one more issue.”

Ethan looked up.

“The petition alleges that Mr. Blackwood’s genetic parentage was never properly documented under the current legal framework.”

Ethan went still.

“They’re saying Damian isn’t Noah’s father?”

“I’m saying they’re asking the court to establish it formally.”

“Why would they do that?”

“Because if Mr. Blackwood is legally recognized as Noah’s parent, his rights and responsibilities become clear.”

Ethan stared at the papers.

“And if he’s not?”

The attorney didn’t answer immediately.

“Then there could be complications.”

Complications.

That was a beautiful word for something that could destroy everything.

⸻

Across Manhattan, Damian was having a very different morning.

He stood at the end of the boardroom table while twelve executives watched him.

“The petition was filed without my authorization.”

The chairman folded his hands.

“Damian, this is about protecting the company.”

“You filed legal proceedings concerning my son without telling me.”

“We filed a request to establish his legal status.”

“He’s already my son.”

“Biologically, perhaps.”

Damian’s eyes hardened.

“Careful.”

The chairman continued.

“If the press discovers that a child potentially has a claim against your estate, shareholders will demand answers.”

“My estate?”

“You own controlling shares.”

“So this is about money.”

“It’s about uncertainty.”

Damian leaned forward.

“There is no uncertainty.”

He placed both hands on the table.

“Noah is my son.”

“And Mr. Reyes?”

Damian didn’t hesitate.

“Ethan is Noah’s father.”

The chairman sighed.

“You’re emotionally compromised.”

“Maybe.”

Damian straightened.

“But I’m still the CEO.”

He looked around the table.

“And I am ordering you to withdraw the petition.”

Nobody spoke.

Then the chairman said quietly,

“We already have.”

Damian frowned.

“What?”

“Your attorney contacted us twenty minutes ago.”

Damian’s expression changed.

“Who?”

“Victoria.”

⸻

Ethan sat on the edge of his bed staring at his phone.

He had called Damian six times.

No answer.

His fear grew with every minute.

Noah sat beside him.

“Why are you sad?”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

Ethan forced a smile.

“I’m just worried about something.”

“Is Damian okay?”

Ethan looked at him.

“Why do you ask?”

“Because he looked sad yesterday.”

Children noticed everything.

“He’s okay.”

Noah leaned against his shoulder.

“Do I have to go somewhere?”

Ethan’s heart broke.

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

“Will Damian still come today?”

Ethan swallowed.

“I don’t know.”

Noah’s eyes dropped.

Ethan pulled him into his arms.

“Hey. Look at me.”

Noah did.

“Nobody is taking you away from me.”

“But what if they take me from Damian?”

Ethan had no answer.

So he hugged his son tighter.

⸻

The elevator doors opened on the fiftieth floor.

Damian walked directly into the executive suite.

Victoria was waiting.

“You filed the petition.”

“Yes.”

“Without my permission.”

“I know.”

“You had no right.”

“No,” she agreed. “But neither did the board.”

Damian stared at her.

“What did you do?”

“I withdrew it.”

He blinked.

“Why?”

“Because I realized something.”

Victoria walked toward the windows.

“When we were engaged, I thought I understood you.”

She gave a small, sad smile.

“I didn’t.”

Damian said nothing.

“You don’t care about the company the way you used to.”

“I care about it.”

“Yes. But it’s no longer first.”

She turned toward him.

“That boy is.”

Damian looked away.

Victoria continued.

“And Ethan.”

His jaw tightened.

“Don’t.”

“You still love him.”

Damian’s silence answered for him.

Victoria smiled faintly.

“I thought so.”

“Why are you helping me?”

“Because once upon a time, I loved you.”

She picked up her handbag.

“And because I don’t want to marry a man who doesn’t love me.”

The words landed harder than Damian expected.

“Our engagement was a mistake.”

“Yes.”

“I owe you an apology.”

“You do.”

“I’m sorry.”

Victoria nodded.

“Accepted.”

She walked toward the door.

Then stopped.

“One piece of advice.”

Damian looked at her.

“If Ethan doesn’t trust you yet, don’t demand that he does.”

She opened the door.

“Earn it.”

⸻

Rain began falling before Damian reached Ethan’s apartment.

He stood outside the door for nearly a minute before knocking.

Ethan opened it.

His face was tired.

“You finally came.”

Damian saw the fear in his eyes.

He immediately understood.

“You got the letter.”

Ethan stepped aside.

“Come in.”

Noah was asleep on the couch.

Damian’s expression softened.

He approached quietly and pulled the blanket higher around the boy.

Ethan watched him.

“They scared him.”

Damian closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t do it.”

“My company did.”

“Your board.”

“Yes.”

“And you?”

Damian turned.

“I told them to withdraw it.”

Ethan stared at him.

“They did?”

“I made sure of it.”

A long silence followed.

Then Ethan asked the question he’d been afraid to ask.

“Do you really want this?”

Damian stepped closer.

“I want him.”

Ethan’s eyes filled with tears.

“And me?”

Damian’s breath caught.

For years he’d imagined this moment.

He had imagined saying a hundred different things.

Instead, the truth came simply.

“I never stopped.”

Ethan looked away.

“Damian…”

“I know you don’t trust me.”

“Not yet.”

“I know.”

“I don’t know if I can forgive you for the years we lost.”

“I don’t expect you to.”

Damian reached for his hand, then stopped before touching him.

“But I’d like to spend the rest of my life giving you a reason to.”

Ethan finally looked at him.

Their eyes met.

Neither moved.

Then Noah stirred.

“Dad?”

Ethan turned immediately.

Noah sat up sleepily.

“Is Damian here?”

“Yes.”

Noah smiled.

“Good.”

He held out his arms.

Damian looked at Ethan.

Ethan nodded.

Damian picked up his son.

Noah rested his head against Damian’s shoulder and immediately fell back asleep.

Damian held him carefully.

Ethan watched.

And something inside him finally began to loosen.

Not completely.

Not yet.

But enough.

Outside, the rain continued to fall.

Inside, three people stood together beneath the same roof.

For the first time, it felt less like an accident.

And more like a family.

Neither Damian nor Ethan noticed the black sedan parked across the street.

Inside it, a man lowered his phone after taking a photograph through the rain-streaked window.

He stared at the image on his screen.

Damian Blackwood.

Ethan Reyes.

And the boy between them.

He smiled.

“Interesting.”

Then he sent the photograph to an unknown number.

I found them.