Untitled Episode
1477 Words
THE WOMAN FROM HIS PAST
CHAPTER ONE: WHO IS HIS FATHER?
“Find the boy.”
Adrian Vale’s voice cut through the private boardroom like a blade.
The six men seated around the table went silent.
At the center of the polished black table lay a photograph.
A little boy.
Four years old.
Dark brown hair.
Round cheeks.
A bright, mischievous smile.
And eyes that looked disturbingly familiar.
Adrian didn’t look away from the photograph.
His fingers rested against the edge of the table.
“Sir?” Marcus Reed, his head of security, finally asked.
Adrian slowly pushed the photograph toward him.
“I said find him.”
Marcus picked it up.
Behind the photograph was a small white card.
Five words had been printed across it.
ASK AVA CARTER WHO THE FATHER IS.
Marcus looked up.
“Do you know Ava Carter?”
Adrian’s expression didn’t change.
But something inside him did.
Four years disappeared in an instant.
Snow.
Christmas lights.
A quiet resort bar.
A woman sitting alone with a glass of wine she barely touched.
Ava.
He remembered her smile.
Her laugh.
The way she had looked at him that night as if he wasn’t one of the most feared businessmen in New York.
Because he hadn’t been Adrian Vale then.
He had been Ethan.
A lie.
A name created for an investigation.
He had been following Daniel Carter, the disgraced businessman Adrian believed had destroyed his family fourteen years ago.
Meeting Ava was never in the plan.
But for one night, Adrian let himself forget it..
By morning, he had remembered exactly who he was.
And he had left.
His phone vibrated.
The sound pulled him back to the boardroom.
Another unknown message.
Adrian opened it.
SHE KNOWS WHO MURDARED YOUR MOTHER.
He ground his teeth..
Fourteen years back , they said his mother died in an accident.
Adrian had never believed it was an accident.
And he had spent fourteen years believing Daniel Carter was responsible.
“Find Ava Carter,” he ordered.
Marcus was already reaching for his phone.
Then he stopped.
Adrian looked at him.
“What?”
“There is something you should know.”
“I don’t like pauses, Marcus.”
“She is already in the building.”
Adrian went still.
“What?”
“She arrived thirty minutes ago.”
“Why?”
Marcus looked uncomfortable.
“Human Resources hired her.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
“For what position?”
“Your new executive assistant.”
Silence filled the boardroom.
Adrian looked once more at the photograph.
The little boy smiled back at him.
Those eyes.
His phone.
The message.
Ava Carter.
Nothing about this was a coincidence.
“Which floor?”
“Thirty-second.”
Adrian stood.
“Cancel my meetings.”
Marcus followed him toward the door.
“Should I bring Miss Carter to you?”
Adrian slipped the photograph into his jacket.
“No.”
His voice dropped.
“I want to see her myself.”
Ava Carter had never felt this scared.
She sat outside the office of Adrian Vale, gripping a folder against her chest.
The folder was empty.
She had already organized everything inside it three times.
She held it just to keep her hands busy..
This job mattered too much.
She needed it.
Noah needed it.
Her son was four years old and already growing faster than her savings account could survive.
Rent was due.
His school fees were approaching.
And her landlord had reminded her twice this week that kindness was not an acceptable form of payment.
So Ava needed this job.
Desperately.
She stared at her feet.
Cheap black heels.
One had a small c***k near the side.
She tucked her foot beneath the chair.
Please don’t let him notice.
A shadow fell across the floor.
Ava looked up.
Her breath caught.
Adrian Vale was walking toward her.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
He wore an expensive black suit.
His features were sharper than the magazines showed.
His eyes were darker.
Colder.
But something about them made Ava’s heart stumble strangely.
She had seen him before.
Not in person.
At least, she didn’t think so.
He stopped directly in front of her.
“Miss Carter?”
His voice was deep.
Ava stood quickly.
“Yes, sir.”
His eyes moved over her face.
Slowly.
Carefully.
As though he were looking for something.
Ava suddenly felt uncomfortable.
“Come inside.”
She followed him into his office.
The doors closed.
Adrian walked behind his desk but didn’t sit.
Ava remained standing.
He looked at her.
She looked back.
Neither spoke.
Finally, Adrian reached inside his suit jacket.
He placed something on the desk.
A photograph.
Ava looked down.
Her entire body froze.
Noah.
Her son.
She looked back at Adrian.
“Where did you get that?”
He didn’t answer.
“Who is his father?”
For a second, Ava thought she had misunderstood him.
“What?”
“Your son’s father.”
Fear immediately became anger.
“What does my son have to do with my job?”
“Answer me.”
Ava stepped closer to the desk.
“Why do you have a photograph of my child?”
Adrian’s expression remained controlled.
“Who is his father?”
“That is none of your business.”
His eyes darkened.
“I asked you a question.”
“And I asked you one first.”
The silence that followed was dangerous.
Ava immediately regretted raising her voice.
This was Adrian Vale.
Her boss.
She could lose her job before officially starting.
But Adrian didn’t fire her.
Instead, he stared at her.
“What is his name?”
Ava hesitated.
“Noah.”
Something flickered in his expression.
“Noah.”
The way he repeated the name made her uneasy.
“Where did you get his picture?”
Before Adrian could answer—
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The fire alarm exploded through the building.
Ava jumped.
Employees started shouting outside.
Smoke in the hallway , the hall was filling with smoke.
Adrian immediately moved toward the door.
“Stay here.”
Ava stared at him.
“There’s a fire!”
“I said stay here.”
“I need to call my son’s daycare.”
“Do it while we’re leaving.”
Andrian held her hands.
Ava pulled free.
“Don’t touch me.”
His eyes flashed.
“Then stay beside me.”
They entered the emergency stairwell with dozens of employees.
Ava called Noah’s daycare.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Her heart began beating faster.
“Why aren’t they answering?”
Adrian glanced at her.
“They’re probably evacuating.”
Ava’s phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
She opened the message.
And stopped walking.
Adrian noticed.
“What?”
Ava turned the phone toward him.
LEAVE THE BUILDING WITH YOUR SON’S FATHER BEFORE THEY FIND YOU.
Adrian stared at the words.
For the first time, Ava saw his expression c***k.
“What does that mean?” she asked.
He didn’t answer.
“Who is my son’s father?”
Adrian looked away.
A strange memory suddenly flashed through Ava’s mind.
Snow outside a window.
A man’s hand holding a coffee cup.
A scar near his thumb.
She looked down at Adrian’s hand.
The same scar.
Her heart stopped.
No.
It couldn’t be.
Before she could speak, Adrian’s phone rang.
He answered immediately.
“Marcus.”
His expression changed.
“What do you mean he’s missing?”
Ava froze.
Adrian slowly looked at her.
Her voice came out as a whisper.
“Who?”
He ended the call.
“Miss Carter—”
“Who is missing?”
“The daycare was evacuated.”
Ava swallowed.
“Okay.”
“And Noah wasn’t with the other children.”
The world disappeared.
“No.”
“Ava—”
“No!”
Her phone slipped from her hand.
“Noah!”
She pushed past Adrian.
He caught her arm.
“Let me go!”
“We’re going to find him.”
“Find my son!”
Adrian’s voice dropped.
“I will.”
Ava looked at him desperately.
He pulled out his phone.
“Marcus. Lock down every road surrounding that daycare.”
“Already working on it.”
“Get every camera.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And Marcus?”
A pause.
“Find my son.”
Ava went completely still.
Her eyes slowly turned toward Adrian.
My son.
Why had he said that?
Her phone vibrated again.
A new photograph.
Noah.
He was sitting alone in the dark.
His small hands were on his laps.
And there was a note under him..
NOW ASK ADRIAN VALE WHY HE LEFT YOU FOUR YEARS AGO.
Ava’s blood turned cold.
She raised her eyes toward Adrian.
And suddenly, she knew.
She had met him before.
Four years ago.
His name hadn’t been Adrian.
It had been—
Ethan.
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