The Billionaire Who Regretted Letting Me Go

Chapter 10: The Heir

The sound of the gun being c****d froze every muscle in my body.

Ethan clung to me.

Adrian stood between us and Sophia, his entire body tense.

"Put the gun down," he ordered.

Sophia smiled.

"You still think you're in control."

"Put it down."

"Or what?"

Adrian took one step forward.

Sophia's men immediately raised their weapons.

"Adrian!" I whispered.

He stopped.

Sophia looked at Ethan.

"Give me the boy."

I tightened my arms around him.

"Never."

Her smile disappeared.

"You don't understand what he is."

"He's my son."

Adrian's voice was cold.

"That's all that matters."

Sophia laughed.

"Your son?"

She shook her head.

"He's the last surviving heir to the Blackwood trust."

Adrian frowned.

"What trust?"

Sophia looked pleased.

"Finally. A question worth answering."

Lucas suddenly moved toward us.

"Don't listen to her."

Sophia turned.

"Stay where you are."

Lucas stopped.

"You don't know what you're doing."

"Oh, I know exactly what I'm doing."

She turned back to Adrian.

"Your grandfather created a private trust before he died. A fortune worth hundreds of millions, completely separate from Blackwood Enterprises."

Adrian's expression changed.

"That's impossible."

"No. What's impossible is that you never knew."

She held up her phone.

"The trust has one condition."

Adrian stared at her.

"What condition?"

Sophia smiled.

"The money can only be inherited by a direct male descendant who carries the Blackwood bloodline."

Her eyes moved toward Ethan.

"And your father made sure there would never be one."

I felt Ethan tremble in my arms.

"Why?"

Adrian's voice was barely controlled.

"Why would my father care about Ethan?"

Sophia laughed.

"Because your father knew exactly what would happen if the trust fell into the wrong hands."

Lucas interrupted.

"She's lying."

Sophia turned toward him.

"You should have stayed out of this."

"You killed people for this money."

Her expression hardened.

"And you helped them."

Lucas's jaw tightened.

I looked between them.

"What happened five years ago?"

Neither answered.

I stepped forward.

"Tell me."

Sophia stared at me.

"You really want to know?"

"Yes."

She smiled.

"Five years ago, your pregnancy changed everything."

My heart pounded.

"Adrian's father discovered you were carrying a Blackwood heir."

I held Ethan tighter.

"He ordered Margaret to make you disappear."

"I know that part."

"No."

Sophia's eyes narrowed.

"You don't."

She looked at Adrian.

"Your father didn't just want Amelia gone."

Adrian's face hardened.

"What else?"

"He wanted the baby dead."

I felt the room spin.

"No."

Adrian's eyes became dark.

"My father would never—"

"Wouldn't he?"

Sophia pulled another photograph from her bag.

She held it up.

It showed a hospital corridor.

A man was standing outside a room.

Adrian stared at the image.

"That's my father."

Sophia nodded.

"He came to the hospital that night."

Adrian's breathing became heavy.

"Why?"

"To make sure Ethan didn't survive."

I felt my legs weaken.

Adrian caught my arm.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded, though I wasn't.

Ethan was too young to understand.

He buried his face against my chest.

I whispered:

"I'm here."

Sophia continued.

"Margaret refused."

Adrian looked stunned.

"My mother protected him?"

"Yes."

"Then why did she make Amelia leave?"

"Because she was afraid your father would try again."

I looked at Lucas.

"You knew?"

He nodded.

"I helped Margaret get Amelia out."

My eyes filled with tears.

"Why didn't you tell Adrian?"

Lucas looked at him.

"Because your father had people everywhere."

Adrian stared at him.

"You could have trusted me."

"I tried."

Lucas's voice became bitter.

"You were surrounded by people who controlled everything you knew."

Sophia suddenly laughed.

"How touching."

Adrian turned toward her.

"Where is my father now?"

Sophia's smile faded.

"You still don't understand."

"What?"

"Your father didn't die five years ago."

The room went silent.

Adrian stared at her.

"What did you say?"

Sophia slowly nodded.

"He's alive."

My heart stopped.

Adrian took a step backward.

"That's impossible."

"I saw him last month."

Adrian's face went pale.

"Where?"

Sophia smiled.

"Ask your mother."

---

Suddenly, the lights went out.

Someone screamed.

A gunshot exploded through the darkness.

I dropped to the floor, shielding Ethan with my body.

"Amelia!"

Adrian's voice came from somewhere nearby.

"I'm here!"

Another gunshot.

Glass shattered.

Men shouted.

Someone grabbed my arm.

I screamed.

"Let go!"

"Amelia, it's me!"

Lucas.

He pulled me behind a large metal container.

"Ethan?"

"He's with me."

I held him tighter.

"Where's Adrian?"

Lucas pointed.

"He went after Sophia."

I shook my head.

"No."

"I'm going to get him."

Lucas grabbed my wrist.

"Stay here."

"I can't."

"Amelia, listen to me."

His expression was deadly serious.

"Those men aren't Sophia's normal security."

"What?"

"They're professionals."

A scream echoed from across the warehouse.

Adrian.

I immediately ran.

Lucas followed.

We found Adrian on the floor.

Blood covered his shirt.

"Adrian!"

I dropped beside him.

He opened his eyes.

"I'm fine."

"You've been shot!"

"It's only my shoulder."

I looked at the wound.

He was bleeding heavily.

"You're not fine."

He grabbed my hand.

"Where's Ethan?"

"He's safe."

He closed his eyes briefly.

"Thank God."

Then we heard footsteps.

Lucas looked toward the entrance.

"We need to leave."

Adrian tried to stand.

I helped him.

"Where's Sophia?"

"She escaped."

Lucas looked furious.

"But she left something behind."

He picked up a small black folder.

Adrian opened it.

His expression changed.

"What?"

I looked at the papers.

There was a photograph.

A birth certificate.

And a handwritten note.

Adrian read it silently.

Then his face went completely white.

"What does it say?"

He handed me the paper.

My hands trembled.

I read the words.

THE BOY IS NOT THE ONLY HEIR.

I looked at Adrian.

"What does that mean?"

He shook his head.

"I don't know."

Lucas suddenly looked terrified.

"I do."

We turned toward him.

"What?"

He stared at Ethan.

"Your father had another child."

Adrian's eyes widened.

"That's impossible."

Lucas shook his head.

"No."

He pointed to the birth certificate.

"The other child was born six months before Ethan."

Adrian took the paper.

His eyes scanned the details.

Then he froze.

"Who is it?"

Lucas didn't answer.

"Who?"

Lucas looked at me.

Then at Adrian.

"His name is Daniel."

Adrian's expression changed.

"Daniel Blackwood?"

Lucas nodded.

"But Daniel died as a baby."

Lucas shook his head.

"That's what everyone was told."

A cold silence filled the warehouse.

I looked down at Ethan.

He was asleep in my arms.

Completely unaware that his existence had just reopened a war inside one of the most powerful families in the city.

Adrian looked at the birth certificate again.

"If Daniel is alive..."

Lucas finished his sentence.

"Then Ethan isn't the only person fighting for the Blackwood inheritance."

A distant siren sounded.

We all looked toward the entrance.

Police.

But Lucas suddenly grabbed Adrian's arm.

"Don't let them take you."

Adrian frowned.

"Why?"

"Because the police were paid to come here."

My heart stopped.

"What?"

Lucas looked toward the flashing lights outside.

"They aren't here to save us."

"Then who sent them?"

Lucas's eyes darkened.

"The person who has been controlling everything from the beginning."

Adrian stared at him.

"Who?"

Lucas whispered:

"Your father."

Adrian went completely still.

Then a voice came from the warehouse entrance.

"Adrian."

We turned.

A man stood in the doorway.

Older.

Tall.

Calm.

Alive.

Adrian's breath caught.

I felt Ethan stir in my arms.

The man slowly stepped into the light.

Adrian whispered the only word he could manage.

"Father?"

The man smiled.

"Hello, son."

And behind him stood Margaret.

Crying.