His Questions, My Secrets
1105 Words
Natalie woke up before sunrise.
The city was quiet, but her mind wasn’t. Every sound—the ticking clock, the hum of the fridge, even Ethan’s soft breathing from the bedroom—felt louder than usual. She hadn’t really slept; she’d replayed yesterday in her head until the line between memory and fear blurred.
Adrian Cole.
Back.
Real.
And standing inches from her.
She tried to convince herself that he’d forget about her again, that his company had hundreds of employees, that she’d blend into the background like she always did.
But deep down, she knew Adrian wasn’t the kind of man who let things go.
By seven, she was at work—early, sharp, pretending. Her reflection in the glass door whispered: Keep it together.
The office was buzzing. People were whispering again, sharing glances, fixing their ties. The CEO was returning for a follow-up meeting.
Of course he was.
When the elevator doors opened, she didn’t have to look up to know he was there. The air changed. It always did around him.
Adrian moved with quiet authority—the kind that didn’t need to be announced. He scanned the room, and this time, his gaze found her instantly.
A faint smile curved his lips.
It wasn’t kind.
“Miss Rivers,” he said. “You’ll walk me through the site plans.”
Her heart sank. “Me?”
“Unless you’re suddenly unqualified.”
She gritted her teeth and nodded, gathering her tablet. He fell into step beside her, his scent filling the narrow hallway—dark, expensive, distracting. She hated that her body still remembered him.
They reached the meeting room. She turned on the projector, keeping her tone professional.
“These are the revised layouts for the hotel expansion. We’ve adjusted the atrium curve to maximize—”
“You still talk too fast when you’re nervous,” he interrupted softly.
Her breath caught. The others in the room didn’t notice—too busy adjusting files—but she did. Every word was deliberate, aimed straight at her composure.
“Mr. Cole, this is a professional environment,” she said tightly.
He smirked. “So it is.”
The meeting went on for an hour. Every time she tried to focus on the presentation, she felt his gaze trace her movements. Not overtly. Just enough to remind her he was there. Watching. Remembering.
When it ended, she escaped again—but he was faster this time.
“Lunch,” he said, following her into the corridor.
“I don’t do lunch with clients.”
“Then consider it business.”
She stopped, exhaled. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because,” he said quietly, “you vanished without a word. I want to know why.”
She met his eyes, steel clashing with fire. “You wouldn’t have understood.”
“Try me.”
“I tried once, Adrian. You didn’t listen.”
That silenced him. For a heartbeat, his expression softened. The man she used to know—warm, reckless, endlessly alive—flashed through the armor. But then it was gone, replaced by the CEO mask again.
He leaned closer, voice low. “I always listen now.”
And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving her pulse racing and her knees weak.
---
That evening, at home, Ethan ran to her with open arms.
“Mommy! Miss Helen said my drawing was the best today!”
Natalie smiled, crouching to hug him. “Of course it was. You’re amazing.”
He grinned up at her—those same gray eyes shining. She kissed his forehead, ignoring the ache in her chest. She’d built her entire world around protecting him. And she’d do it again, even if it meant lying.
She tucked him into bed and whispered, “You’ll never know pain like I did, okay? I’ll make sure of it.”
But fate had its own plans.
---
The Next Day
Adrian stood by the window of his office, scrolling through the project portfolio. His assistant entered quietly.
“Sir, you asked for background information on Miss Rivers.”
He didn’t look up. “Yes. What did you find?”
“She’s been with the firm for three years. No public records before that—at least, nothing recent. No social media, no family details. She’s… private.”
“Private,” he repeated, amused. “Interesting word.”
“There’s something else,” the assistant hesitated. “She lives in the lower district. Small apartment complex. Single parent. One child—boy, age three.”
Adrian froze.
For a moment, the city vanished. He only heard one thing:
Boy. Age three.
His jaw tightened. “Did you say… three?”
“Yes, sir.”
He dismissed the assistant with a curt nod, then sat down, hands trembling slightly—a rare crack in his control.
Three years.
The exact amount of time since she disappeared.
Memories flooded back—her last words, the way she’d left in the middle of the night, no goodbye, no trace. And now, suddenly, she reappears… with a son.
A son who could easily be—
He stood abruptly. No. Don’t assume. Not yet.
But somewhere deep inside, a truth he wasn’t ready to face was already whispering:
You have a child, Adrian.
---
That night, Natalie felt the shift in the air long before the knock came.
She opened the door to find him standing there—rain-soaked again, eyes burning, jaw set.
“Adrian—what are you doing here?”
“I have questions,” he said, stepping inside before she could stop him.
“This isn’t the place—”
“Then make it the place.”
His gaze darted around the living room—small, neat, warm. Then it stopped.
On the toy car sitting by the window.
For a long second, neither of them spoke.
Finally, he looked at her, voice low. “Tell me the truth, Natalie. That boy—he’s mine, isn’t he?”
Her heart stopped.
Lightning flashed behind him, painting the room in white fire. She didn’t move. Couldn’t.
“Adrian…” Her voice cracked. “Please don’t.”
He stepped closer, pain cutting through his anger. “You left me without a word. You think I deserve to find out like this?”
She swallowed hard, tears gathering. “I did what I had to do.”
“By keeping my son from me?”
The words hit like thunder. And for the first time in years, Natalie couldn’t find a single lie strong enough to stand behind.
- Writer
