The Billionare’s Dirty Secret

Chapter 15

Emily’s POV

I froze the moment Adrian’s picture appeared on my phone screen. My heart stopped.

No. No, no, no.

I looked up quickly, and the confused look on Liam’s face nearly made my knees weak. My chest tightened painfully as he bent down slightly and picked up my phone from the floor.

Please don’t look too closely. Please.

But he already was. His eyes stayed on the screen longer than they should have, his brows slowly pulling together as he stared at Adrian’s smiling picture.

My heart slammed violently against my ribs.

Emily, think fast. Think fast.

I couldn't let him find out the truth. I couldn't. What if he took Adrian away from me? Liam Hayes was rich, powerful, and influential. And me? I was just Emily—a broke single mother who had spent years struggling to survive. People like him always won. Always.

“Whose child is this?” Liam finally asked quietly.

I swallowed hard. My mouth suddenly felt dry. My brain raced wildly for an answer while panic clawed at my chest.

Emily. Say something.

“Emily?” His voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Ermm…” I forced out quickly. “Oh. Adrian?” I tried to laugh lightly, even though it sounded fake to my own ears. “He’s my godson. His mother is my best friend.”

Liam stared at me silently. For one horrible second, I thought he knew I was lying. His eyes searched my face carefully, like he was trying to see right through me. Then finally, he gave a small nod and handed the phone back to me.

Relief nearly made me dizzy.

“You should be more careful next time,” he said coldly, as if the strange moment between us had never happened. “I hate clumsy people.”

I quickly grabbed the phone from him. “I’m sorry, sir.”

“And your phone should remain on silent at all times during work hours.” His tone was sharp again-professional and distant.

The sudden switch almost surprised me. A few seconds ago, he had looked genuinely curious. Now, his expression was unreadable again.

“I understand,” I murmured quickly.

He simply looked back down at the documents on his desk, as if I were already dismissed. I turned immediately and walked out of his office before my nerves completely gave out.

The moment I stepped into my small office space, I released a shaky breath.

God. That had been too close. Way too close.

I sat down slowly, gripping my phone tightly in my hands. My fingers were still trembling slightly. I looked down at Adrian’s smiling picture on the screen, and my chest softened instantly.

My baby. The only good thing that had come out of the mess my life had become.

A lump rose painfully in my throat. I had spent years protecting him, making sure nobody could hurt him. Especially Liam. Because if Liam ever found out Adrian was his son… I honestly didn’t know what would happen.

Before I could think further, my phone suddenly started ringing again. I sighed heavily in frustration. But the moment I looked at the caller ID, my stomach dropped.

Mrs. Elvis. Adrian’s preschool teacher.

Fear instantly crept into my chest. Why was she calling now? I still had a few hours before pickup time.

I answered immediately. “Hello, Mrs. Elvis.”

“Good afternoon, Emily,” she replied warmly.

“Good afternoon, ma.” My voice already sounded

nervous. “I hope there’s no problem? It’s not Adrian’s closing time yet.”

There was a small pause. Then, Mrs. Elvis cleared her throat softly.

“Well… the reason I’m calling is that there’s a man here claiming to be your fiancé.”

My brows pulled together instantly. What?

“He said you asked him to pick Adrian up early today because you have a family event to attend.”

Confusion spread across my face immediately. “My what?” My heart started beating faster again. “What’s the man’s name?”

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the line. I could hear faint voices in the background before Mrs. Elvis finally came back.

“His name is Vincent Montague.”

The blood drained from my face instantly. No. My eyes widened in horror.

“No,” I said sharply, standing up from my chair so fast it nearly fell backward. “I don’t know any man like that.” My hands started shaking violently. “Please don’t let Adrian out of your sight. Please.”

“Emily…”.

“I’m on my way right now.”

I ended the call immediately.

“Arrogant bastard,” I muttered angrily under my breath. Fear and rage mixed inside me as I grabbed my bag quickly. What the hell was Vincent doing at Adrian’s school?

I rushed toward Liam’s office, stopping just outside his door. My hand hovered in the air for a second. I had literally just started working here today, and now I was already asking to leave early. Perfect.

I closed my eyes briefly before knocking.

“Come in.”

I pushed the door open carefully. Liam barely looked up from his laptop.

“I didn’t ask for you.” His cold tone made my stomach tighten nervously.

“I know,” I said quickly. “And I know I just started working today and shouldn’t already be coming up with excuses, but… I have an emergency I need to attend to.”

That got his attention. His fingers paused above the keyboard before he slowly looked up at me.

“What emergency?”

My chest tightened painfully. Our son is in danger. The words screamed inside my head.

But instead, I forced out, “It’s something personal.”

Silence filled the office. Liam stared at me for a few long seconds. His expression remained unreadable, but something about his eyes made me feel like he was trying to figure me out again.

Finally, he leaned back slightly in his chair. “It’s almost closing hours anyway,” he said nonchalantly. “You can leave.”

Relief flooded through me instantly.

“But don’t make this a habit,” he added coldly. “I detest excuses and incompetent people.”

Even though irritation flickered through me at his harsh tone, I swallowed it quickly. “I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”

He gave a short nod before returning his attention to his laptop.

I turned quickly and hurried out of the office.

***

The entire drive to Adrian’s school felt endless. My fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly while my mind spiraled with horrible thoughts. What if Vincent had already taken him? What if Mrs. Elvis hadn’t called me in time? My breathing became uneven just thinking about it.

I hated Vincent Montague. God, I hated him.

At first, he had seemed charming—helpful, even. After I lost everything years ago, Vincent had appeared during one of the darkest periods of my life. Aside from his late father employing and accommodating me, Vincent had also helped me financially a few times when Adrian got sick. At first, I thought he was simply kind. Then the gifts started coming. Then the expensive favors. Then the obsession.

And when I refused to date him, things became worse. Because Vincent wasn’t the kind of man who accepted rejection easily, he liked control, and he always found ways to remind me of that.

By the time I finally arrived at Adrian’s school, my nerves were completely wrecked. I hurried through the gates quickly before suddenly stopping. My stomach dropped immediately.

Vincent’s black car was parked right outside the school building.

Rage flashed through me instantly. I turned sharply and walked toward it without hesitation. The windows were rolled up dark, but I could still see his silhouette inside. I knocked hard against the glass.

A second later, the window slowly rolled down. Vincent leaned slightly toward the opening with a lazy smile on his face.

“Hey, princess.”

I nearly exploded. “What sick game are you playing?” I snapped angrily.

His smile widened slightly. Then, he opened the car door and stepped out smoothly. The moment he stood fully in front of me, the familiar intimidation settled heavily in the air.

Vincent was tall, well-dressed, and handsome, even. But there was something cold hiding underneath his charm that always made my skin crawl. He stepped closer until only a small space remained between us.

“You refused to come see me since you left the house,” he said calmly. “Even after I specifically told you not to disappear on me. So, I decided to come see you and Adrian instead.”

“Stop this,” I hissed angrily. “What is wrong with you?”

He tilted his head slightly, amused.

“I thought we already had this conversation,” I continued. “You promised to give me more time to think about your proposal, so why are you trying to threaten me now?”

“Hey, princess,” he said softly. “Calm down. I’m not trying to scare you.” His hand slowly lifted toward my face. “I just want to make sure you haven't forgotten all about us.”

I immediately moved my face away before he could touch me. “There is no us,” I snapped with irritation.

“Yet,” he corrected smoothly.

I exhaled shakily and rubbed my forehead. “Please stop playing these games,” I said tiredly. “You know how much I love and cherish my child.”

His expression changed instantly. And somehow, that scared me more.

“That’s exactly why you should give me a chance,” he said quietly. A chill slowly crawled down my spine. “So I can protect you and your child.”

The way he said protect sounded more like own. My stomach twisted uneasily.

“You’d rather have me on your side than as an enemy, Emily.” His voice remained calm, but something about it sent pure fear rushing through my body.

For a second, neither of us spoke. Then suddenly, Vincent smiled again, like he hadn’t just threatened me indirectly.

“See you around, princess.”

Before I could move away, he leaned forward and planted a quick kiss against my cheek. Disgust slammed through me instantly. I jerked back immediately, but he simply smirked and stepped away.

A second later, he got into his car calmly. The engine started, and then he drove off, leaving me standing there frozen outside Adrian’s school.

Fear and disgust twisted painfully inside my chest as I stared after the disappearing car. Because deep down… I knew Vincent Montague wasn’t going to stop.