Billionaire's Hidden Heir

Five Years Later The rain came down in sheets, slicing through the New York skyline like a gray curtain, but Lena Carter didn’t flinch. She stood under the awning of a building that scraped the clouds—Knight Industries. The logo gleamed on the glass like it knew her secret. Five years. That’s how long she had kept Liam hidden. And now, she was willingly walking into the lion’s den. She tightened her grip on her umbrella with one hand and smoothed her coat with the other. Her palms were clammy, her stomach churning, but her face? Still. Controlled. She’d mastered that look. She had to. Behind her, a small voice piped up. “Mommy, is the man who lives here mean?” Lena looked down. Liam’s big brown eyes blinked up at her, filled with curiosity and mischief. Her heart twisted. So much of Ares was in that face—those sharp cheekbones, that stubborn jaw, the way his brows furrowed when he was confused. But the warmth? That was all hers. She crouched, cupping his small cheeks. “No, sweetheart. He’s just… busy. Important.” “Like Batman?” She smiled. “Exactly like Batman.” That satisfied him. Liam looked up at the glass tower with a kind of reverence. He didn’t know that inside was the man who’d unknowingly given him life. The man Lena had once loved—once hated—and had never quite gotten over. She stood and inhaled slowly. Time to face the billionaire. --- The lobby of Knight Industries was all chrome and cold elegance. Men in dark suits strode across polished floors, talking into earpieces. Women tapped away at tablets with perfect manicures. The front desk was shaped like a half-moon, manned by two receptionists who looked like models in corporate drag. Lena walked up, Liam’s small hand in hers. “I have an appointment. Lena Carter, 10:30.” The receptionist typed, barely glancing up. “Interview for investigative lead with Mr. Mason. Floor seventy-two.” A security badge was handed to her. No fuss, no delay. She was just another name on the list. But as she stepped into the elevator, her breath hitched. Because seventy-two wasn’t just any floor. It was the executive wing. And Ares Knight ruled it like a fortress. The elevator hummed upward. Liam tugged her coat. “Are we going to see the Batman man?” Lena’s lips twitched. “Maybe, baby. But remember what I said—stay close, stay quiet, and let Mommy do the talking.” He nodded solemnly. --- By the time the doors opened, Lena had put her armor on. Her heels clicked on the marble as she stepped into the corridor, Liam still glued to her side. She was early—intentionally. She needed time to settle. Maybe peek around. Maybe— The door at the end of the hall opened. And Ares Knight stepped out. She froze. He hadn’t changed. Still tall, still broad-shouldered, still exuding that ice-cold, untouchable power. His jet-black hair was slicked back, jaw clenched like he was mid-war. He looked up from the tablet in his hand—and saw her. For a second, nothing moved. Then his eyes narrowed, recognition slicing through his stoic expression like a blade. “Lena?” he said, voice low and dangerous. She wanted to vanish. Crawl back into the elevator and ride it to hell. But Liam was watching. She straightened her spine and gave a tight smile. “Hello, Ares.” His eyes flicked to the boy beside her. Stared. Flicked back. Stared again. Liam tilted his head. “You look like me,” he said, like it was just an observation. Ares’s face paled. Lena’s blood ran cold. And just like that, the secret she’d guarded for five long years began to unravel. "My office. Now." Ares’s voice was like steel wrapped in velvet. Controlled fury. Cold curiosity. Lena hesitated, glancing at Liam. "He stays." Ares’s eyes narrowed. "Lena, either you walk in there with him, or I call security. Your choice." So much for the charming billionaire. She pushed the door open, leading Liam inside. The office was just like she remembered—floor-to-ceiling windows, a sleek black desk, and a skyline that screamed power. But the energy in the room? Tense. Electric. Liam ran to the windows. "We’re so high up!" Lena stayed standing. "Why are you here?" Ares asked. "I came for the job." His laugh was hollow. "You brought him to a job interview?" "I had no choice." He leaned on the desk, staring at her. "You disappeared. No calls. No explanation." "You were the one who pushed me away, Ares." His jaw ticked. "You left." "I was pregnant." Silence. She watched the realization bloom behind his eyes, slow and devastating. He turned toward Liam, who was still peering out the window. "How old is he?" "Five." He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, the fire was back. "You hid him from me." "I protected him from you. From this life. From the chaos." "You don’t get to make that choice alone." She stepped forward. "I did. And I’d do it again." They stared at each other, old wounds bleeding fresh. Liam turned, oblivious to the war happening in the room. "Mr. Batman? Can I have some juice?" Ares blinked. Lena sighed, finally softening. "His name is Liam." Ares nodded slowly. "And he’s mine." "Yes." The silence that followed was louder than any scream. Ares stepped away from the desk, toward Liam. His voice, when he spoke again, was softer. "What do you like, Liam?" "Dinosaurs. And cookies. And flying." Ares managed a ghost of a smile. "We might have something in common." Lena’s chest tightened. The storm she’d feared had just begun—but so had something else. A reckoning. And maybe… a second chance.