my mate is the powerful ceo

My Mate Is the Powerful CEO Chapter 1 — The Boy Nobody Wanted Leo had grown up believing that his existence was a mistake. He was six years old when his mother died in a car crash. He remembered very little about that night. The flashing lights. The rain against the windows. His mother's voice telling him not to be afraid. Then darkness. When Leo woke up in the hospital, his mother was gone. His father was sitting beside his bed. Leo reached for him. “Daddy… where's Mommy?” His father's face changed. For a moment, there was pain in his eyes. Then it disappeared. “She died.” Leo's little face crumpled. “Can we go see her?” His father looked away. “No.” From that day forward, everything changed. His father never looked at him the same way again. “You should have been with her.” “You caused this.” “If you hadn't been there…” Leo never understood what those words meant. He had been six years old. How could a six-year-old cause a car crash? But whenever he asked questions, his father became angry. So eventually, Leo stopped asking. Years passed. At twenty-one, Leo had learned to keep his feelings to himself. He lived quietly, worked hard, and tried not to attract attention. But there was something strange about Leo that he had never understood. Sometimes, he could hear things other people couldn't. A heartbeat from across a room. A whisper through a closed door. And occasionally, when he became frightened or angry, his eyes seemed to change color in the mirror. He had convinced himself that he was imagining it. Until the morning everything changed. Leo was walking through the city when a strange sensation suddenly passed through him. His entire body went still. A scent he couldn't describe filled the air. It was unfamiliar. Yet somehow, it felt like something he had been searching for his entire life. Leo turned around. Across the street stood a tall man surrounded by several people in expensive suits. Everyone seemed to move aside for him. The man had a cold, commanding presence. People knew who he was. Adrian Blackwood. The youngest CEO of Blackwood Corporation. Powerful. Wealthy. Untouchable. Adrian was known for never allowing anyone close to him. But the moment his eyes met Leo's, he stopped walking. For the first time in years, Adrian's expression changed. His eyes widened slightly. A strange pull passed between them. Neither of them understood it. Leo quickly looked away. He didn't know why his heart was suddenly beating so fast. Adrian's assistant leaned toward him. “Sir, is something wrong?” Adrian didn't answer. His attention remained on Leo. Then Leo suddenly heard a voice inside his head. Mate. He froze. “What…?” He looked around. Nobody had spoken. Across the street, Adrian was staring directly at him. Leo's hands began to tremble. He had no idea what the word meant. But deep inside, something told him that meeting Adrian Blackwood was not an accident. And for the first time since his mother's death, Leo felt that his life was about to change. He just didn't know yet that the powerful CEO standing across the street was connected to a secret his family had hidden from him for years. Chapter 2 — The Woman Who Knew His Mother The rest of the day felt strangely long. Leo sat through his university classes, but he barely heard a word. His mind kept returning to the phone call. “There are things about her death that your father never told you.” What could that mean? For years, Leo had believed that his mother died because of an accident involving him. His father had repeated the same accusation so many times that Leo had eventually stopped questioning it. But now, a stranger was telling him there was another story. At exactly 5:30 p.m., Leo left campus. He checked the address again. It was a small café on a quiet street about thirty minutes away. When he arrived, he stood outside for a moment. People were laughing inside. Music played softly in the background. Leo took a deep breath and walked in. He looked around. Then he saw her. A woman in her early fifties was sitting alone near the window. The moment she saw Leo, she stood. “Leo?” He nodded. “Maria?” She gave him a nervous smile. “Yes.” Leo sat across from her. “You said you knew my mother.” “I did.” “How?” Maria looked down at her hands. “Your mother and I worked together many years ago.” Leo leaned forward. “What was she like?” Maria smiled sadly. “She was kind. She was stubborn sometimes.” Leo almost smiled. “That sounds like her.” “You remember her?” “Not much.” Maria studied his face. “You look exactly like her.” Leo looked away. He wasn't used to hearing people talk about his mother. “Tell me what happened,” he said. Maria became serious. “Leo, I need you to understand something before I tell you this.” “What?” “I wasn't there when the accident happened.” Leo frowned. “Then how do you know something was wrong?” “Because your mother told me something the day before.” Leo's heart began beating faster. “What did she tell you?” Maria hesitated. “She was afraid.” “Of what?” “Your father.” Leo froze. “My father?” Maria nodded. “She told me she was planning to leave him.” Leo stared at her. “Why?” “She said she had discovered something.” “What?” Maria shook her head. “She never told me exactly what it was. She only said that your father had been hiding something from her.” Leo's hands became cold. “Then why didn't you tell anyone?” “I tried.” “What happened?” Maria looked toward the window. “After the accident, I went to your father's house. But he told me never to contact you again.” Leo swallowed. “And you listened?” “I was scared.” Leo sat back. For the first time, the pieces in his head began to feel different. His mother's death. His father's anger. The accusations. The secret. He suddenly remembered something from the night before the accident. A memory he hadn't thought about in years. His mother had been arguing with someone. He couldn't remember the person's face. But he remembered her voice. “You can't keep lying to him.” Leo looked at Maria. “I remember something.” “What?” “My mother was arguing with someone.” Maria's eyes widened. “Do you remember who?” Leo closed his eyes. “No.” Then another memory appeared. A man's voice. Angry. Threatening. And then his mother's voice saying his name. “Leo, stay here.” His eyes opened. “I think…” Maria reached across the table. “What?” “I think I was awake that night.” Maria stared at him. “Then maybe you remember more than you think.” Leo looked at her. “What are you saying?” Maria lowered her voice. “I'm saying that your mother's death may not have been the simple accident you've been told it was.” Leo's heart pounded. Before he could respond, his phone began ringing. He looked at the screen. Dad. Leo didn't answer. The phone stopped. Seconds later, it rang again. Maria looked worried. “You should answer.” Leo shook his head. “No.” The phone stopped again. Then a message appeared. Leo opened it. Where are you? A second message arrived. Come home. Now. Leo stared at the screen. His father's timing was strange. Almost as if he knew where Leo was. Leo looked up at Maria. “Did you tell anyone you were meeting me?” “No.” “Are you sure?” “Yes.” Leo stood. “I need to go.” Maria grabbed his arm gently. “Leo, wait.” He turned. “There is one more thing.” “What?” Maria reached into her handbag and pulled out a small envelope. She placed it on the table. “This belonged to your mother.” Leo stared at it. His name was written across the front. For Leo. His hands trembled as he picked it up. “Why are you giving me this now?” “Because I think you're finally old enough to know the truth.” Leo looked at the envelope. Then at Maria. “What's inside?” “I don't know.” “You've never opened it?” “No.” “Why?” “Because your mother told me that if anything happened to her, I should give it to you when you were old enough to understand.” Leo slowly opened the envelope. Inside was a single photograph. His mother. His father. And another man standing beside them. Leo stared at the stranger. Something about him felt familiar. Then he noticed the date written on the back. The day before the accident. Leo's blood ran cold. He turned the photograph over. There was a message written underneath. Leo, if you're reading this, don't trust your father. Leo stopped breathing. And for the first time in twenty-one years, he realized— His mother's death might have been hiding a secret much bigger than he had ever imagined.