CHAPTER SIX — THE DNA TEST
966 Words
Ariana’s phone buzzed on the nightstand.
She froze, staring at the screen.
UNKNOWN NUMBER: We have a test scheduled. Be prepared.
Her stomach dropped.
She didn’t need a second to know what it meant.
Damian.
She wasn’t ready. She could barely control the secret she had been guarding for two years. And now… it was about to be exposed.
Liam stirred in his sleep beside her. She touched his hair gently, heart hammering. “Not now, not yet,” she whispered.
Damian strode into the penthouse office, black blazer perfectly fitted, presence overwhelming.
“I’ve scheduled the test for this afternoon,” he said, voice calm but firm.
Ariana backed away. “You can’t do this. You have no right—”
“I do,” he interrupted. “When it comes to protecting a child, I’ll bend every rule necessary.”
Her pulse raced. “Protecting him… or controlling me?”
Damian’s eyes darkened. “Both,” he admitted quietly.
She swallowed hard, unsure if he meant it as a warning—or a truth.
The lab was quiet, sterile, intimidating.
Ariana held Liam’s small hand in hers, wishing she could disappear. Damian followed close behind, his gaze fixed on them both like a hawk.
The nurse spoke gently, but Ariana barely heard her.
“We just need a small sample from each of you,” she explained.
Liam looked up at Damian with innocent curiosity. “Are we going to play a game?”
Damian crouched to his level, voice low but soft. “No game, little man. Just a little test to make sure everything’s okay.”
Ariana’s chest tightened. He didn’t say “my son” or “our son.” But even without words, the possessiveness radiating from him was impossible to ignore.
She pressed a hand to Liam’s back, whispering, “Stay still, okay?”
When it was over, the nurse smiled and handed Ariana a small folder.
“We’ll call with results soon,” she said kindly.
Ariana’s stomach turned.
“Soon?” she repeated, voice barely above a whisper.
“Yes,” the nurse confirmed. “It usually takes a few hours, depending on the lab.”
Damian didn’t move. His eyes never left the folder.
Ariana glanced at him. “You’re not leaving?”
“I’m not letting anyone threaten him,” he said simply. “Not you. Not me. Not anyone.”
Her pulse raced.
He’s already claiming him…
Back at the penthouse, silence fell.
Damian paced slowly. Ariana sat on the couch, Liam between her legs, drawing with crayons Damian had insisted on keeping in the suite.
“Why are you doing this?” she finally asked, her voice shaking.
“Because I know my child when I see him,” Damian said quietly. “And I see him every time I look at Liam.”
Her heart slammed painfully.
“You don’t even know for sure,” she whispered.
“I don’t need to,” he replied, voice low. “I feel it.”
Ariana’s hands shook as Liam handed her a crayon drawing.
“Look, Mommy!” Liam exclaimed. “This is our family!”
She glanced at the picture: a stick-figure mom, a little boy, and… a towering man beside them.
Her jaw dropped.
“Liam…” she whispered. “Who told you that?”
“Everyone says you belong together,” he said innocently.
Damian’s gaze darkened.
The call came just after dinner.
Ariana had been tucking Liam into bed when her phone buzzed.
She answered on instinct.
“Ms. Hale?” a nurse’s voice asked. “We have the results. It’s… urgent you speak with Mr. Sterling immediately.”
Her blood ran cold.
Before she could react, Damian was at her side, phone pressed to his ear.
“What?” he asked sharply.
“They confirmed… the child,” the nurse said slowly. “It is… biologically yours, Mr. Sterling.”
Silence.
Ariana felt like the floor had vanished beneath her.
Damian didn’t speak. His eyes locked on hers—cold, sharp, consuming.
And then he did something she didn’t expect.
He stepped forward, closing the distance.
“You’ve been hiding him from me,” he said quietly, almost a growl.
“I—” Ariana began, panic twisting her chest.
“You’re not allowed to lie to me,” Damian said firmly.
“Not anymore.”
Her voice failed her.
“I trusted you,” he said, voice low and dangerous,
“and I’ll protect him—whether you like it or not.”
Ariana’s knees went weak.
He isn’t just claiming Liam… he’s claiming everything.
Then the phone buzzed again—Damian’s tablet this time.
A new alert: UNKNOWN NUMBER — “He’s not safe. They’re coming.”
Damian’s gaze snapped to the screen.
Ariana froze. “What does that mean?”
Damian didn’t answer. He moved instantly, collecting Liam in his arms.
“Pack a bag,” he said sharply. “We’re leaving. Now.”
Her heart thumped violently.
“Leaving? Where?”
“Anywhere safe. Out of this city if we have to.”
Ariana’s mind raced.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not now. Not like this.
Damian’s hand was steady around Liam, but his eyes were storm clouds.
“They’re coming for him,” he said quietly, almost to himself.
“And I won’t let anyone take what’s mine.”
Ariana swallowed hard, staring at the man who had vanished from her life two years ago and now ruled it completely.
This is bigger than I ever imagined.
Her gaze drifted to Liam, asleep against Damian’s chest, safe for the moment.
But she knew, with a sinking certainty, that danger had already found them.
And nothing—nothing—would ever be the same again.
- Writer
