My dearest CEO

Spark and shadow

The luxury of Black Industries' top floor was usually a sanctuary of quiet efficiency, but by Thursday morning, that peace was shattered.

Lila sat at her desk, her fingers flying across her keyboard as she organized Adrian's chaotic schedule for the upcoming European merger. She was finally starting to find a rhythm, but the constant pressure of being mere feet away from the father of her child kept her on edge.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and the sharp, rhythmic click of designer heels echoed across the marble floor.

Lila looked up, her professional smile firmly in place, but it faltered when she saw the woman walking toward her.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, but her expression was dripping with cold condescension. Dressed in a head-to-toe Chanel tweed suit, her platinum blonde hair perfectly blown out, she carried herself like she owned the building. This was **Chloe Davenport**, a wealthy shipping heiress and the woman Adrian’s grandmother had been desperately pushing him to marry.

"Where is Adrian?" Chloe demanded without greeting Lila. She tossed her pristine white Birkin bag onto Lila's desk, right over the files Lila had spent the morning organizing.

"Good morning," Lila said, keeping her voice incredibly polite. She carefully moved the heavy designer bag to the side. "Mr. Kane is currently in a closed-door meeting with the legal team. He should be finished in about twenty minutes. If you have an appointment—"

"An appointment?" Chloe let out a sharp, mocking laugh, looking at Lila as if she were a speck of dust on her expensive shoes. "I don't need an appointment to see my future fiancé, sweetheart. And don't touch my bag. Your cheap hands might stain the leather."

Lila’s chest tightened, but she forced herself to keep her composure. She had dealt with worse than Chloe Davenport to protect her son. "I apologize, Ms. Davenport. However, Mr. Kane’s instructions are very strict. No interruptions."

"Do you know who I am?" Chloe stepped closer, leaning over the desk, her eyes narrowing into venomous slits. "I could have you fired with a single phone call to Adrian. You're just a glorified paper-pusher. Learn your place and go get me a matcha latte. Now."

Before Lila could respond, another voice, older but dripping with absolute authority, rang out from the elevator lobby.

"Chloe, dear, must you always screech like a hawk before noon?"

---

An elegant, silver-haired woman stepped into the reception area. At fifty-seven, **Eleanor Kane**—Adrian’s formidable grandmother—carried the weight of the Kane legacy in her posture. She wore a tailored navy dress, her sharp gray eyes—the exact shade of Adrian’s—scanning the room.

"Grandmother!" Chloe’s face transformed instantly. The snobbish curl of her lips vanished, replaced by a sweet, angelic smile. She rushed over to Eleanor, kissing both of her cheeks. "I was just checking in on Adrian. He works so hard, and his new staff seems... a bit incompetent."

Eleanor didn't look at Chloe. Her sharp eyes were locked onto Lila.

Lila felt a cold sweat break out on her neck. She stood up immediately, bowing her head slightly. "Good morning, Mrs. Kane."

"You must be the new secretary, Lila," Eleanor said, walking past Chloe toward the desk. Her gaze was analytical, assessing Lila’s simple clothes, her glasses, and her defensive posture. "Adrian spoke of you. He said you were... efficient."

"I do my best, ma'am," Lila replied.

Just then, Lila’s personal phone—which was sitting face-up on the corner of her desk—buzzed. The screen lit up.

It was a text from her mother: *Leo just ate his entire breakfast! He asks when Mommy is coming home.*

But it wasn't the text that caught Eleanor's eye. It was the lock screen wallpaper.

It was a candid photo of three-year-old Leo laughing in a park. His head was tilted back, his messy dark curls falling over his forehead, and his bright, piercing gray eyes crinkled at the corners. The dimple on his left cheek was fully visible.

Lila realized a second too late. She quickly reached out and flipped the phone face down, but the damage was done.

Eleanor’s breath caught in her throat. She stared at the blank back of the phone, her hands tightening on her designer cane. For a split second, the older woman looked as if she had seen a ghost. The resemblance was striking—too striking. That dimple, those eyes, the structure of the jaw... it was a carbon copy of a young Adrian Kane.

"Is something wrong, Mrs. Kane?" Chloe asked, her voice laced with annoyance at being ignored.

Eleanor slowly looked up from the phone, her sharp eyes boring into Lila’s soul, searching for the truth behind her oversized glasses.

"No," Eleanor murmured, her voice suddenly trembling slightly, though she quickly masked it with her usual icy composure. "Nothing is wrong. Chloe, let us go inside. I believe Adrian's meeting is about to end."

As Chloe strutted toward Adrian's double doors, shooting a smug, victorious look over her shoulder at Lila, Eleanor paused at the threshold. She turned back to look at Lila one last time, a calculating, deeply suspicious glint in her eyes.

Lila gripped the edge of her desk, her heart hammering against her ribs.

*She knows,* Lila thought in sheer panic. *Or she’s starting to.*