CHAPTERTWO
1182 Words
CHAPTER TWO: STRANGER FROM THAT NIGHT
Ava stared at Andrian like she’d never seen him before.
The emergency stairway was crowded.
People rushed past them.
Alarms continued screaming through the building.
But Ava heard none of it.
All she could see was him.
The scar on his hand.
The dark eyes.
The slight line near his mouth.
Four years had changed him.
Or perhaps she had simply never known the real man behind the face she remembered.
“Ethan.”
The name left her lips quietly.
Adrian’s expression hardened.
Ava’s heart sank.
It was confirmation.
“You remember,” she whispered.
Adrian grabbed her arm.
“Not here.”
She pulled away.
“Get your hands off me!”
“Ava.”
“Don’t you say my name!”
People began staring.
Ava didn’t care.
Her son was missing.
And standing in front of her was the man who had disappeared after one night and never looked back.
The man who could possibly be Noah’s father.
“Tell me the truth.”
Adrian looked toward the security team approaching them.
“We need to leave.”
“Tell me!”
“Ava.”
“Were you Ethan?”
For one second, Adrian said nothing.
Then he answered.
“Yes.”
The world seemed to tilt.
Ava laughed.
It wasn’t a happy sound.
“You’re joking.”
“I wish I was.”
“You left.”
“Yes.”
“You disappeared.”
His jaw tightened.
“Yes.”
“You lied to me about your name.”
“Yes.”
Ava stepped backward.
Every memory she had protected for four years suddenly felt dirty.
“You knew.”
“No.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“What?”
“I didn’t know you were pregnant.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
Adrian understood.
She meant her identity.
Her father.
The investigation.
He looked away.
And Ava’s stomach twisted.
“You knew who I was.”
“Ava—”
“You knew who I was!”
“Not that night.”
“But afterward?”
Adrian remained silent.
That was enough.
Ava wanted to slap him.
She wanted to scream.
But Noah’s photograph flashed through her mind.
Her son was somewhere alone.
Scared.
She swallowed everything.
“Find Noah.”
Adrian’s eyes returned to hers.
“I will.”
“No secrets.”
His expression darkened.
“Ava—”
“No more lies. No fake names. No pretending.”
For the first time, Adrian looked almost ashamed.
Then Marcus approached.
“Sir, we found the vehicle.”
Ava turned sharply.
“Where?”
“Three blocks from the daycare. Abandoned.”
“Was Noah inside?”
Marcus hesitated.
“No.”
Ava’s knees weakened.
Adrian immediately placed a hand against her elbow.
She didn’t pull away this time.
Marcus continued.
“We recovered fingerprints.”
“Whose?” Adrian demanded.
“We’re running them.”
Ava looked at Adrian.
“You have to find him.”
His voice softened.
“I will.”
This time, she believed him.
And that terrified her.
The next two hours were the longest of Ava’s life.
Adrian brought her to a private security command center inside Vale Corporation.
Screens covered one wall.
Maps.
Traffic cameras.
Security footage.
Ava sat in the center of the room, staring at every image that appeared.
She couldn’t sit still.
She couldn’t breathe properly.
Every time a door opened, she stood.
Every time someone’s phone rang, her heart jumped.
Adrian watched her from across the room.
He had seen Ava once as a carefree young woman.
Now she was a mother.
A frightened mother.
And somehow, he was responsible for the fear in her eyes.
Marcus approached Adrian quietly.
“Sir.”
Adrian stepped aside.
“What?”
“The man who took the child wasn’t random.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
“Explain.”
“We found evidence of surveillance around the daycare.”
“For how long?”
“At least two weeks.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
Someone had been watching Ava.
Watching Noah.
Perhaps watching him too.
“Find out who.”
Marcus nodded.
Then another security officer rushed inside.
“Mr. Vale.”
Everyone turned.
“We found the boy.”
Ava shot to her feet.
“Where?”
“An old maintenance building near West Forty-Second Street.”
She didn’t wait.
She ran.
“Ava!” Adrian called.
She ignored him.
Adrian followed.
By the time they arrived, police vehicles surrounded the abandoned building.
Ava jumped out of Adrian’s car before it completely stopped.
“Noah!”
An officer blocked her.
“Ma’am, you can’t go inside.”
“My son is in there!”
“Ava.”
Adrian caught her.
“Let them do their job.”
“That’s my child!”
“I know.”
“You don’t know anything!”
Her voice cracked.
Adrian loosened his grip.
For a second , Ava seemed to regret what she’d said.
Then a door opened.
A small figure appeared.
“Mommy!”
Ava’s entire body collapsed with relief.
“Noah!”
She ran toward him.
Noah started crying as soon as he saw her.
She dropped to her knees and pulled him into a hug.
“Mommy,” he cried”.
“I’ve got you.”
Ava held him so tightly Noah complained.
“Mommy, you’re squeezing too tight.”
She laughed, crying.
“Doesn’t matter.”
A few feet away, Adrian stood completely still.
Noah looked over Ava’s shoulder.
Their eyes met.
The little boy studied him.
Then tilted his head.
“You look angry.”
Ava wiped her face.
“Noah.”
“What?”
Adrian almost smiled.
Almost.
Noah continued staring at him.
“Are you rich?”
Ava covered her face.
“Oh God.”
Adrian crouched slightly.
“Yes.”
Noah’s eyes widened.
“Like really rich?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have a swimming pool?”
“Yes.”
“A big one?”
“Yes.”
Noah looked impressed.
Then his eyes narrowed.
“Why do you look like me?”
Silence.
Ava froze.
Adrian didn’t move.
Noah looked between them.
“Mommy?”
Ava quickly stood.
“Come on, baby.”
But Adrian couldn’t stop staring.
The resemblance wasn’t only in the eyes.
There was something else.
Something undeniable.
Later that night, Adrian received a call from Marcus.
“A sample was recovered from Noah’s medical examination,” Marcus said.
Adrian’s expression changed.
“Did you get authorization?”
“The mother signed the hospital forms.”
“Good.”
Marcus hesitated.
“You want me to proceed?”
Adrian looked through the glass wall of his office.
Ava was sitting beside Noah’s hospital bed.
Her hand was wrapped around her son’s.
“Yes.”
“DNA?”
“Yes.”
Adrian ended the call.
He told himself he needed answers.
That was all.
But somewhere deep inside, he already knew.
Three hours later the result came in, Adrian couldn’t breath.
HE IS THE FATHER WITH: 99.99% PROBABILITY.
Noah Carter was his son.
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