The Billionaire's Forgotten Heir

A RANDOM MAN.

"What?"

Damon's glance was fleeting.

"Got a place to go?" he asked, c*****g a brow.

If he remembered correctly, this woman was standing right under a shade with all her belongings.

"No, I was going to say a hotel," Skyler retorted.

Damon turned; even with those glasses on, his gaze seemed to bore into her soul. The air grew thinner, and the distance she'd managed to create felt smaller.

Damon suppressed the scoff in his throat and calmly looked away.

"You left the office four hours ago. Couldn't find a hotel in those few hours?"

Skyler could see the slight raise of his left brow. She clenched her fist, her lips parting to say something when Ellis's voice broke in.

"Ms. Thompson, the Carters' old mansion is very spacious. It'll help you save up more."

Did they think she couldn't afford a simple hotel?

Damn them!

Victoria, Damon, and the so-called Ellis!

But looking back at the sleeping Liam, she swallowed the words that were just at the tip of her tongue and thought about the benefits instead.

Staying in the Carters' old mansion meant she could keep an eye on Damon and wouldn't have to find him when Liam's illness flared.

So, she nodded.

The car drove through the quiet street, the trees passing so fast they looked like a blur. Rain hit against the car's window, sending tiny splatters everywhere.

Damon subtly glanced at the woman beside him. Seated at the far end of her seat, he worried she might fall off the moment the door opened.

His gaze moved further, resting on the little bundle in her arms. The boy had his face buried in her chest; he could see the gentle rise and fall of his back.

This child had called him "Dad" the other day, and for some reason, the voice still echoed in his head.

Liam suddenly stirred in his sleep, adjusting his position so he was now facing Damon. His cheeks looked so soft that all Damon wanted to do was reach out and pinch them...

"Mr. Carter..."

"What are you doing?"

Damon blinked.

He cleared his throat and gently redirected his outstretched hand, grabbing his jacket from Skyler's back. He said, "Look where you're sitting next time."

Saying that, he patted down his jacket, dusting off invisible dust while Skyler glared daggers at him, oblivious to the light flush on the man's ears.

Damon carefully pulled his hands together. Just now he managed to get away; he couldn't afford a next time.

Still, he couldn't help glancing back.

If he didn't know better, he would have believed he had a child at some point. All hope isn't lost, is it?

He tried to think positively but couldn't shake the dull feeling rising in his chest. He clenched his jaw as memories from many years ago flooded his mind.

Curse them.

Curse all of them.

The car pulled up in the driveway, and Skyler got out after Damon, holding Liam tightly in her arms.

Damon couldn't help but glance over again. The little boy was asleep. He must weigh a bit. Thinking this, he gave Ellis a subtle look. The latter met his gaze with wide eyes but quickly obliged.

"Ms. Thompson, you must be tired; here, let him help you with him."

Skyler was indeed a bit tired, so she allowed Ellis to take Liam from her. She glanced at Damon, wanting to thank him again, but he was already striding inside.

She let out a sigh and followed suit.

*

The moment the door slid open, Edward's voice bounced off the thick walls. He looked up at his grandson; his brows drew tight.

"Finally, someone decided to visit the old man, huh?"

"How are you doing, Grandpa?"

Damon asked, stepping in fully. He approached Edward's bed and gently took a seat beside him, reaching for Edward's hand and squeezing it tight.

"Brat!"

Edward huffed, but his hands loosened, and he held Damon tightly.

A gentle smile spread across Damon's face, the warmth and relief enveloping him. Just now, when he entered, he feared the old man might not remember him.

For years, he thought he was strong. He believed he could face everything head-on, but what he couldn't face was having another loved one leave.

He had faced too many losses over the years; most of them he could never get back.

"Had dinner yet?" he asked.

"Yes. I thought you wouldn't return. I can't starve because of you." Damon's smile grew brighter.

"Don't," he whispered.

Saying that, he leaned down and rested his head on the old man's lap. The latter patted his head like his grandma always did.

Damon stayed there, not knowing how much time had passed because in those minutes, he wasn't the young lad forced into a world too big for him. He didn't have to read the meaning of every smile thrown his way or keep his guard up while also watching his back.

Instead, he was just a grandson resting on his grandfather's blossom, oblivious to whatever danger the world might bring.

Minutes passed until Edward felt sleepy. Damon tugged him into the quilt and kissed him goodnight. He held his hand and watched him sleep.

"Don't worry, Grandpa, I'll get the antidote; I promise."

He stepped out of the room, careful not to wake the old man. Once he was out of earshot, he held his phone up to his ear.

"How long will it take until the cure is made?"

The person on the other end said something that made his brow narrow and then loosen.

"Keep an eye on the research team. Once the antidote drops, make sure we are among the first batch."

"Yes, Mr. Carter."

Damon hung up.

He walked quietly through the dimly lit hallway, heading toward the master's bedroom when his gaze caught a slightly open door of the guest room.

Inside was Skyler, arms wrapped around Liam. Damon's brows furrowed tightly.

How could she sleep with the lights on?

He stepped in and quietly went for the nightstand. Just as he was about to switch it off, Skyler stirred in her sleep, mumbling incoherent words.

The stir wasn't what jolted him, nor were the words. The reason was that she was rolling off the bed!

Damon acted quickly; in a minute, he was right beside her, arms stretched out, and she landed perfectly in them.

Her skin was soft, her body melting into him as if she belonged there. Damon watched as she furrowed her brows, then relaxed, and finally, her eyes fluttered open.

She blinked twice, her eyes drowsy as they stared into his, then a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Damon..." she whispered, her voice soft, drowsy, and mixed with something else that sent shockwaves down his spine.

Damon put her back on the bed as if she had burned him, his hands moving quickly into his pocket.

She curled in her sleep, arms wrapping around herself.

Damon watched this action with a small frown.

If she was cold, why wear something so light?

He draped a blanket over them, cursing himself in his head before heading for his study.

The moment he settled down, Ellis walked in.

"Mr. Carter, I got the report," he said, placing the information on the desk before him.

Ms. Thompson was at a bar that night.

Damon looked through the report, his brows furrowing, every ounce of hope shattering into a million pieces.

Beside him, Ellis continued.

"She had no hidden date outside and was very drunk at that moment." He paused, then carried on again.

"She hit it off with a random man."