The Billionaire Who Regretted Letting Me Go

Chapter 9: The Night Everything Changed

The phone slipped from my hand.

For several seconds, I couldn't move.

I could still hear Ethan's voice in my head.

"Mommy?"

My son was afraid.

And I wasn't there to protect him.

"No."

The word escaped my lips as tears filled my eyes.

"No, no, no..."

I turned toward Adrian.

"Find him."

His face was hard, but his eyes betrayed him.

"I will."

"Don't tell me you'll try."

I grabbed his arm.

"Find my son."

"I will bring him back."

Adrian pulled out his phone.

"Marcus, trace that call."

"I'm already working on it."

"How long?"

"Give me five minutes."

"You have two."

He ended the call.

I paced across the room.

Two minutes felt like an eternity.

My mind kept replaying everything that had happened.

Sophia.

Lucas.

Margaret.

The hospital.

The threats.

And now Ethan.

I suddenly stopped.

"Adrian."

He looked at me.

"What?"

"Your mother said something."

"What?"

"She said Ethan wasn't the only thing she took from you."

His expression changed.

"You heard that too."

"Yes."

"What does it mean?"

"I don't know."

He looked toward the security monitors.

"My father."

I frowned.

"What about him?"

"He died five years ago."

"Your mother told us to ask him what happened the night he died."

Adrian's eyes narrowed.

"Maybe my father's death wasn't an accident."

A cold feeling moved through me.

"Then what was it?"

Before he could answer, Marcus called.

Adrian answered immediately.

"Talk."

"We traced the number."

"Where?"

"An abandoned warehouse near the old harbor."

Adrian grabbed his keys.

"I'm going."

I followed him.

"No."

He turned.

"You stay here."

"I'm coming."

"Amelia—"

"My son is there."

His jaw tightened.

"It's dangerous."

"I don't care."

"You could get hurt."

"So could Ethan."

That silenced him.

I stepped closer.

"If you're going, I'm going."

Adrian stared at me.

Then finally nodded.

"Stay beside me."

"I will."

"And whatever happens, don't leave my sight."

I nodded.

---

The drive to the harbor was terrifyingly quiet.

Rain began falling heavily against the windshield.

Adrian drove with both hands firmly on the steering wheel.

I stared out the window.

"What if we're too late?"

"We won't be."

"What if they hurt him?"

"They won't."

"You don't know that."

Adrian glanced at me.

"I know because whoever took Ethan wants something from us."

"What?"

"The truth."

I swallowed.

"And what happens when they get it?"

"They'll have no reason to keep him."

I shook my head.

"You don't understand people like them."

"I understand my family."

"No."

I looked at him.

"You don't."

His eyes met mine.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then he reached across the center console and took my hand.

His fingers were warm.

Steady.

"I won't let them take him."

I squeezed his hand.

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"I intend to keep this one."

---

The warehouse appeared through the rain.

Old.

Abandoned.

Surrounded by broken shipping containers.

Adrian stopped the car several hundred meters away.

"Stay here."

I immediately shook my head.

"No."

"Amelia."

"We came together."

He sighed.

"Fine."

He handed me a small device.

"Stay behind me."

We walked toward the warehouse.

The main door was slightly open.

Adrian pushed it slowly.

The hinges creaked.

Darkness greeted us.

"Ethan?"

My voice echoed.

No answer.

Adrian switched on his flashlight.

We moved deeper inside.

Then I heard something.

A child crying.

"Ethan!"

I ran forward.

Adrian caught my arm.

"Wait."

We both listened.

The crying came again.

"Mommy!"

My heart broke.

"Ethan!"

We rushed toward the sound.

A small room appeared ahead.

The door was locked.

Adrian kicked it open.

But the room was empty.

There was only a chair.

And a small toy car.

Ethan's toy car.

I picked it up.

"No."

My hands began shaking.

"They were here."

Adrian looked around.

"Recently."

Then something fell from the ceiling.

A small envelope.

Adrian caught it.

His face changed when he saw my name.

AMELIA.

He opened it.

Inside was a photograph.

I stared at it.

It showed me five years ago.

Pregnant.

Standing outside the hospital.

My face went pale.

"Where did they get that?"

Adrian turned the photograph over.

There was writing on the back.

YOU WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO KNOW THE TRUTH.

I looked at him.

Then another sound came from behind us.

Clapping.

Slow.

Deliberate.

We turned.

A man stepped out of the darkness.

Tall.

Black coat.

A scar crossed one side of his face.

Adrian froze.

"Lucas."

Lucas smiled.

"Hello, Adrian."

My heart pounded.

The man who was supposed to be dead stood in front of us.

Alive.

And smiling.

Adrian stepped forward.

"Where is my son?"

Lucas laughed.

"Still the same Adrian."

"Where is Ethan?"

"Safe."

"Bring him out."

"Not yet."

Adrian's fists tightened.

"What do you want?"

Lucas looked at me.

Then smiled.

"I want her to remember."

I frowned.

"Remember what?"

Lucas walked closer.

"The night you left."

My blood ran cold.

"I remember."

"No."

He shook his head.

"You remember what they wanted you to remember."

Adrian looked at him.

"What are you talking about?"

Lucas smiled.

"Your mother told you Amelia abandoned you."

"She did."

"No."

Lucas looked at me.

"She was forced to leave."

Adrian's face changed.

"I know."

Lucas laughed.

"No, you don't."

He pulled a phone from his pocket.

"Because you still don't know who ordered it."

Adrian stared at him.

"Who?"

Lucas looked at me.

Then back at Adrian.

"Your father."

Silence.

Adrian's face became expressionless.

"My father?"

"Yes."

I shook my head.

"That's impossible."

Lucas smiled.

"Is it?"

He pressed a button.

A recording began playing.

A man's voice filled the room.

I recognized it immediately.

Adrian's father.

"Get Amelia away from my son."

Adrian stepped backward.

"No."

The recording continued.

"If Adrian marries her, he loses his position in the company."

Another voice answered.

Margaret.

"And the child?"

His father replied:

"The child must never carry the Blackwood name."

Adrian's breathing became uneven.

I covered my mouth.

No.

It couldn't be true.

The recording ended.

Lucas put the phone away.

Adrian stared at him.

"Where did you get that?"

"Your father's private recordings."

"My father is dead."

"Exactly."

Lucas smiled.

"Which means he can't tell you what really happened."

Adrian stepped closer.

"You knew all along."

"I knew enough."

"You were there."

"Yes."

"At the hospital."

Lucas nodded.

"I was there."

My heart raced.

"Why?"

He looked directly at me.

"Because your life was in danger."

I stepped back.

"From whom?"

Lucas's expression changed.

"From the people you trusted."

Suddenly, a noise came from somewhere behind him.

A child crying.

"Ethan!"

I ran forward.

Lucas moved aside.

A door opened.

Ethan appeared.

His cheeks were wet with tears.

"Mommy!"

I rushed toward him.

I pulled him into my arms.

"My baby!"

He clung to me.

"I was scared."

"I'm here."

I kissed his hair repeatedly.

"I'm here."

Adrian knelt beside us.

He touched Ethan's shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

Ethan nodded.

Then looked at Lucas.

"That man didn't hurt me."

Adrian stood.

"Why did you take him?"

Lucas looked at him.

"Because I needed you to come."

"You could have called."

"You wouldn't have listened."

Adrian stepped forward.

"You've destroyed five years of my life."

Lucas's expression softened.

"No, Adrian."

He shook his head.

"Your family did."

Suddenly, headlights appeared outside.

Lucas looked toward the warehouse entrance.

His expression changed.

"They found us."

"Who?"

He looked at Adrian.

"Sophia."

My heart stopped.

"She's here?"

Lucas nodded.

"She's not working with us."

Adrian frowned.

"What?"

Lucas lowered his voice.

"She has her own plan."

A loud crash came from outside.

Then another.

Someone shouted.

Lucas immediately moved toward the back exit.

Adrian grabbed his arm.

"You're not leaving."

Lucas looked at him.

"Let me go."

"No."

"You don't understand."

"Then explain."

Lucas stared at Adrian.

"Sophia isn't after Amelia."

His eyes moved toward Ethan.

"She's after the boy."

I pulled Ethan closer.

"Why?"

Lucas looked at me.

"Because Ethan is the legal heir to something your family has been hiding."

Adrian froze.

"What?"

Before Lucas could answer, the warehouse doors exploded open.

Sophia stood in the rain.

Behind her were several armed men.

She smiled.

"Thank you, Lucas."

Lucas's face turned pale.

"You betrayed me."

Sophia laughed.

"I never promised you anything."

Her eyes moved toward Ethan.

"There he is."

I tightened my arms around my son.

Adrian stepped in front of us.

"You will not touch him."

Sophia smiled.

"Adrian..."

She slowly raised her phone.

"You still don't understand who your son really is."

Adrian's eyes narrowed.

"What does that mean?"

Sophia smiled.

"It means Ethan isn't just your son."

She paused.

"He's the reason your father was murdered."

The warehouse fell silent.

And somewhere behind Sophia, a gun was c****d.