The Billionaire Who Regretted Letting Me Go

Chapter 8: He Knows

I couldn't breathe.

Adrian stood in front of me, his phone still pressed against his ear.

"It's Sophia," he said.

My blood ran cold.

Sophia Sterling.

The woman whose engagement to Adrian had shattered my life five years ago.

The woman who had been standing beside him when I walked into that ballroom.

The woman whose name I had tried desperately to forget.

"Are you sure?" I whispered.

Adrian nodded.

"Marcus confirmed it."

I stared at him.

"She's been watching me?"

"We don't know how long."

My fingers trembled.

"What does she want?"

Adrian didn't answer immediately.

His eyes moved toward Ethan's bedroom.

Then back to me.

"I don't know."

"But she knows about Ethan."

"Yes."

My heart began pounding.

"Then we have to leave."

Adrian looked at me.

"Leave where?"

"Anywhere."

I grabbed my handbag.

"We can't stay here."

"Amelia."

"She knows where I live."

"That's why you're coming with me."

I stopped.

"No."

His eyebrows pulled together.

"You can't stay here."

"I don't need your help."

"This isn't about pride."

"I know."

"Then what is it about?"

I looked toward Ethan's bedroom.

"My son."

Adrian's expression softened.

"I know."

"No, you don't."

I swallowed hard.

"You've known him for less than twenty-four hours."

Adrian's jaw tightened.

"And I've already spent five years regretting the fact that I didn't know him."

His words silenced me.

I looked away.

He continued.

"I don't want to lose another minute."

I wanted to tell him that he had no right to say things like that.

But the pain in his eyes stopped me.

Before I could respond, Ethan walked into the room.

"Mommy?"

I immediately turned.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Why are you crying?"

I touched my cheek.

I hadn't even realized I was.

"I'm fine."

Ethan looked at Adrian.

"Is Daddy making you cry?"

Adrian froze.

I froze.

The room became painfully quiet.

Ethan frowned.

"Why are you both quiet?"

Adrian slowly crouched in front of him.

"No, buddy."

"Then why is Mommy crying?"

Adrian looked at me.

Then back at Ethan.

"Sometimes grown-ups get sad."

Ethan nodded thoughtfully.

"Mommy gets sad when she remembers you."

My heart stopped.

"Ethan!"

"What?"

He looked confused.

"Remember when I asked you who Daddy was?"

I couldn't speak.

Ethan continued innocently.

"You said he was someone you used to know."

Adrian looked at me.

"You told him that?"

I nodded.

His expression changed.

Ethan walked closer to him.

"Are you really my daddy?"

Adrian's eyes filled with emotion.

"Yes."

Ethan stared at him.

For several seconds, neither moved.

Then Ethan asked the question I had feared most.

"Why didn't you come before?"

Adrian looked like someone had punched him.

"I didn't know where you were."

Ethan frowned.

"Mommy knew."

Adrian looked at me.

I lowered my eyes.

Ethan reached for Adrian's hand.

"Are you going to leave again?"

Adrian's fingers closed around his tiny hand.

"No."

His voice was firm.

"I promise."

I looked at him.

Promises.

That word had once meant everything to me.

Now it frightened me.

Because promises could be broken.

---

An hour later, we were driving away from my apartment.

Adrian insisted that we stay at one of his private properties.

I didn't want to.

But after seeing the security footage of the stranger outside my building, I knew I couldn't risk Ethan.

He sat beside me in the back seat, sleeping peacefully.

Adrian was in the front.

For the first twenty minutes, nobody spoke.

Then I noticed Adrian looking at me through the rearview mirror.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You've been staring."

He looked back at the road.

"I was thinking."

"About what?"

"Ethan."

My heart tightened.

"What about him?"

"He looks like me."

I looked down at my son.

"Yes."

A small smile touched Adrian's lips.

"He has my eyes."

"And my stubbornness."

Adrian chuckled softly.

"I can believe that."

I smiled despite myself.

Then the smile disappeared.

I shouldn't be enjoying this.

I shouldn't be sitting in a car with Adrian like nothing had happened.

I looked out the window.

Five years ago, I had imagined this exact moment.

Adrian beside me.

Our child sleeping nearby.

A family.

But back then, I hadn't imagined fear.

Secrets.

Threats.

And Sophia.

Suddenly, headlights appeared behind us.

A black SUV.

My stomach tightened.

"Adrian."

He looked at me through the mirror.

"What?"

"That car."

He looked into the side mirror.

His expression immediately changed.

"Driver."

"Yes, sir?"

"Speed up."

The vehicle accelerated.

The SUV followed.

My heart began racing.

"Is it them?"

"I don't know."

Another black car appeared behind the SUV.

I pulled Ethan closer.

"Adrian..."

"Stay calm."

"How can I stay calm?"

He turned around.

"Because I'm here."

His eyes met mine.

"Nobody is taking you or Ethan."

The second vehicle moved closer.

The driver suddenly swerved.

Adrian grabbed the handle above his door.

"Hold on!"

The car turned sharply.

Ethan woke up.

"Mommy!"

I wrapped both arms around him.

"It's okay!"

A loud crash sounded behind us.

One of the pursuing cars had hit a barrier.

The other continued.

Adrian's phone rang.

Marcus.

He answered.

"Talk."

"Sir, we've got a problem."

"What?"

"We traced the vehicle."

Adrian's eyes narrowed.

"Who owns it?"

There was a pause.

Then Marcus answered.

"The company is registered to Sterling Holdings."

Adrian's face became cold.

Sophia.

I whispered her name.

"She's doing this."

Adrian ended the call.

"We're going somewhere else."

"Where?"

"My private estate."

"Can we trust it?"

He looked at me.

"You can trust me."

I wanted to.

God help me.

I wanted to.

---

We arrived at the estate shortly after midnight.

The gates opened automatically.

Security guards surrounded the vehicle.

Adrian immediately ordered them to double the security.

Inside the mansion, Ethan was taken to a guest bedroom.

I followed him and tucked him into bed.

Adrian stood at the doorway.

For a moment, he simply watched.

"He's beautiful," he whispered.

I smiled faintly.

"He is."

"Thank you."

I turned.

"For what?"

"For giving me a son."

My eyes filled with tears.

"I didn't give him to you."

Adrian looked at me.

"I know."

"You didn't even know he existed."

"I know."

"So don't thank me."

He nodded.

"Then I'll thank you for keeping him safe."

I looked away.

"I had no choice."

"You always have a choice."

I stared at him.

He stepped closer.

"And you chose him."

His voice softened.

"That's what matters."

My heart ached.

For a moment, I wanted to tell him everything.

Every detail.

Every night I cried.

Every time Ethan asked about his father.

Every birthday when I wondered whether Adrian would have remembered his son.

But then I remembered the threat.

LET'S SEE HOW LONG YOU CAN KEEP YOUR SON.

I couldn't risk it.

I turned away.

"You should sleep."

"Amelia."

I stopped.

"If you knew what happened five years ago..."

He paused.

"...would you forgive me?"

I closed my eyes.

"I don't know."

"Would you ever give me another chance?"

I looked at him.

His eyes were filled with hope.

And fear.

I whispered:

"I don't know."

Then I walked out.

---

I woke up at 3:17 a.m.

Something felt wrong.

I sat up.

The room was dark.

Too dark.

I reached for my phone.

No signal.

My heart began racing.

Then I heard footsteps outside my bedroom.

Slow.

Careful.

I froze.

Someone was inside the mansion.

I quietly got out of bed.

I opened the door.

The hallway was empty.

"Ethan?"

No answer.

I ran toward his room.

The door was open.

The bed was empty.

My blood froze.

"Ethan!"

I searched the bathroom.

Closet.

Hallway.

Nothing.

Then I heard a noise downstairs.

I ran down the staircase.

"Where is my son?"

Security guards rushed toward me.

"Ma'am, please remain calm."

"Where is Ethan?"

Nobody answered.

Then Adrian appeared.

His face was pale.

"He's gone."

I stared at him.

"What?"

"We're checking the cameras."

"No."

My knees weakened.

"No, no, no."

I grabbed his shirt.

"Find him."

"We will."

"Adrian, find my son!"

"I will!"

His voice echoed through the mansion.

The guards scattered.

I covered my mouth to stop myself from screaming.

Then one of the security officers shouted.

"Sir!"

We turned.

"Come here."

Adrian ran toward the security room.

I followed.

The monitor showed the hallway.

A masked figure had entered Ethan's room.

They had picked him up.

Then walked straight through a service entrance.

I couldn't breathe.

"Who is that?"

"We don't know."

Adrian stared at the screen.

Then he noticed something.

The figure turned toward the camera before leaving.

For one second, the mask shifted.

Adrian's eyes widened.

"No."

"What?"

He leaned closer to the screen.

"That's impossible."

"What is it?"

He didn't answer.

The guard paused the footage.

Adrian pointed at the person's hand.

There was a distinctive silver ring.

I recognized it immediately.

My blood ran cold.

"Adrian..."

He looked at me.

"That's your mother's ring."

Silence.

Then Adrian's phone rang.

Unknown number.

He answered.

Nobody spoke.

Then a child's frightened voice came through the phone.

"Mommy?"

I screamed.

"Ethan!"

Adrian's face went white.

A woman's voice followed.

"Hello, Amelia."

I knew that voice.

Margaret.

"Where is my son?"

She laughed softly.

"Your son?"

My heart shattered.

"Please..."

"You should have stayed away from my family."

"Give him back!"

"Not until Adrian learns the truth."

Adrian stepped forward.

"What truth?"

Margaret laughed.

"Ask your father what happened the night he died."

Adrian froze.

His father had died five years ago.

A supposed accident.

The line went silent.

Then Margaret whispered:

"Your son isn't the only thing I took from you."

The call ended.

Adrian stared at the phone.

I grabbed his arm.

"Find Ethan."

His eyes met mine.

And for the first time since I had known Adrian Blackwood...

I saw pure fear in his eyes.

Not for himself.

For his son.

He picked up his jacket.

"I'm bringing him home."

Then he looked at me.

"And this time, I'm bringing the truth with him."