THE BILLIONAIRE'S SECRET HEIR

Elena Why do the best memories always come back at the worst times? I had my brush in hand, staring at the painting in front of me. The colors shining in an almost chaotic dance, yet the image remained unclear. It was a painting I had started months ago, but it was still unfinished, just like me, I guess. I wiped a smear of paint off my forehead and sighed, trying to push away the thought that was creeping back into my mind, the thought of him. Sebastian Hart. His name echoed in my mind, just like the memory of that night, a night that felt both like a lifetime ago and as if it had just happened yesterday. I hadn't thought about him in so long. Well, I hadn’t allowed myself to think about him. But tonight, as I stood in my small studio, the world outside my window buzzing with the hum of late-night traffic, the memory of him was impossible to ignore. That night was supposed to be a simple escape, a moment of indulgence before returning to my messy, complicated life. He was a distraction, a beautiful, arrogant distraction. A man who looked like he belonged in the pages of a magazine, and I, just a woman with nothing to lose, took him up on the offer of one night. Just one night. It had been two years since that night, that night. The night that changed everything. But what happens when that one night changes everything? I glanced over at the crib where my son, Liam, slept soundly, his tiny chest rising and falling in peaceful rhythm. The sight of him made the ache in my chest feel heavier, more real. Liam was my everything, but he was also the result of a night I couldn’t undo. The night I had spent with Sebastian Hart. And now? Now, he is back. The doorbell rang, pulling me from my thoughts. I frowned, glancing at the clock. Who could be here this late? My heart fluttered uncomfortably as I wiped my hands on a rag, trying to steady my breath. My mind immediately went to Sebastian, though I told myself it was impossible. He wouldn’t show up at my door after all this time. But as I opened the door, there he was. Sebastian. He looked the same, yet different. His once meticulously styled hair was a little longer, and there was something about his eyes, something that made me feel like he wasn’t the man I remembered. But his presence was still as overwhelming as ever. I took a step back instinctively, but he didn’t wait for an invitation. He stepped inside, his gaze moving immediately to the crib. I froze. “What are you doing here?” He didn’t look at me at first. He was staring at Liam, his eyes darkening as he studied him. My stomach twisted. It was clear that the resemblance was undeniable. The same dark hair, the same shape of his chin. He turned to me, his voice low. “I need to know. Is he mine?” I swallowed hard, the words stuck in my throat. “I didn’t want you to know,” I finally managed, my voice shaking. His eyes softened, but only for a second. Then they hardened. “You didn’t want me to know? You thought I wouldn’t care?” I didn’t know what to say. The truth was, I didn’t want him involved. I had tried to protect Liam from this life, from the complications that came with a man like Sebastian. His world was one of privilege, power, and expectations. Mine? Mine was just... me. I wasn’t part of his world. I never had been. “I thought you’d leave,” I whispered. “I thought you’d disappear like you did before.” Sebastian’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of guilt in his eyes. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by something colder. “I won't disappear. I didn’t then, and I won’t now.” I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to throw him out of my apartment and slam the door behind him. But I couldn’t. There was a part of me that was still drawn to him, still aching for him in ways I didn’t fully understand. “You don’t get to just walk in here and act like nothing happened,” I said, my voice rising despite myself. “You left. You chose to leave.” His expression faltered, and for the briefest moment, I thought I saw regret. But then he stepped closer to me, his voice softening. “I made a mistake, Elena. A huge mistake. I should’ve stayed. I should’ve been there.” I shook my head, stepping back. “It’s too late for that. You can’t just show up and pretend you’re part of this now.” He didn’t say anything at first. Instead, he looked at Liam again, his eyes filled with a mix of emotions I couldn’t quite read. “I don’t know what to do with this. With him. But I want to try. I want to be a part of his life.” My heart hammered in my chest. “You can’t just decide that. It’s not that simple.” “I’m not asking for your permission, Elena. I’m telling you I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” I took a step back, the room suddenly feeling smaller, more suffocating. “Why now, Sebastian? Why now, after all this time?” His eyes softened, and for the first time since he’d walked in, I saw something vulnerable in him. “Because I’ve spent the last two years trying to forget you. Trying to forget him. But I can’t. I’ve made mistakes, Elena, but I’m not going to make the mistake of walking away from this. From you.” I shook my head, my mind spinning. “I don’t need you to fix things. I’ve done fine on my own.” “Have you?” he asked quietly, his gaze piercing. “Are you really fine?” I didn’t know how to answer. The truth was, I wasn’t fine. I had spent the last two years building a life for Liam and me, keeping him away from the chaos that was Sebastian’s world. But now, standing here, it felt like everything I had built was crumbling. Like all the walls I had put up around my heart were starting to crack. “You don’t know what you’re asking,” I whispered. He reached out, his hand brushing against my cheek. “I know exactly what I’m asking. I’m asking for a chance.” My heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, I was lost in the heat of his touch, the pull of his presence. But then reality slammed into me. I couldn’t just forget everything. I couldn’t just pretend that things would be simple. “I don’t know if I can trust you,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. He looked at me for a long moment, as if weighing his words. “I don’t expect you to trust me right away. But I need you to believe me when I say I’m not going anywhere.” I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what to do. All I knew was that my world had just been turned upside down. And as I looked at Sebastian, standing in front of me, I realized that this was only the beginning. Because the truth was, I had never truly gotten over him. And now, I wasn’t sure I wanted to. But what would happen if I let him back in? As the silence stretched between us, I heard a soft cry from the crib. Liam. My heart clenched in my chest, and I turned to him, my mind racing. This was my son, my responsibility. But Sebastian was here, and he wasn’t leaving. I had to make a choice. And that choice? It would change everything.