The Billionaire’s Hidden Heir

Chapter 2: The Warning

Leila stared at the message on her phone, her pulse quickening. The words seemed to pulse on the screen, filling her with a strange mix of fear and curiosity. Who would send something like this? And why? She glanced around her small apartment as if expecting someone to jump out of the shadows. But it was just her, alone in the quiet space.

She quickly typed a reply.

“Who is this?”

Her thumb hovered over the send button for a moment before pressing it. She waited, her phone clutched tightly in her hand, but no response came. Five minutes passed, ten, and finally, with a frustrated sigh, she tossed her phone onto the bed. Maybe it was a prank. Maybe someone in the office thought it would be funny to scare the new girl.

But something about the tone of the message felt too real to be a joke.

Her mind raced back to her strange encounter with Ethan Blackwood earlier that day. His warning about staying out of his private studies had seemed odd at the time, but now it felt even more unsettling. What exactly was he hiding?

Leila tried to push the thoughts from her mind as she unpacked her bags, but the feeling of unease stayed with her. She couldn’t shake the sense that she had walked into something far more complicated than just a high-profile job.

By the time she finished unpacking, it was late, and she decided to get some sleep. Tomorrow would be her first full day at Blackwood Enterprises, and she needed to be sharp. But as she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her thoughts kept drifting back to the message. Stay away from him, or you’ll regret it.

Whoever had sent that text knew something about Ethan that she didn’t. But what? And more importantly—why did they think she was in danger?

The next morning, Leila arrived at the Blackwood Enterprises building early, determined to put the strange message behind her. She had a job to do, and she couldn’t afford to get distracted by cryptic warnings. Still, as she walked into the towering office building, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her.

The day passed in a blur of meetings and paperwork. Ethan had given her several tasks to complete, but true to his word, there were no questions allowed. She was expected to do what she was told, but no explanations were given.

It was late afternoon when Ethan finally called her into his office. She knocked lightly on the door, and his deep voice answered from the other side.

“Come in.”

Leila entered, finding him standing by the large windows once again, his back to her as he stared out at the city skyline. For a moment, she wondered what went on in his mind when he looked out at the world from his lofty perch. Did he feel lonely up here, so far removed from everyone else?

“Miss Moore,” Ethan said without turning. “I trust your first day has gone well?”

“Yes, Mr. Blackwood. Everything is running smoothly.” She paused, debating whether to bring up the message she had received. But something about the cold way he had dismissed her questions earlier made her hesitate. Would he even care?

“Good,” he replied. “I have another task for you.”

He turned to face her, his expression as unreadable as ever. But there was something in his eyes—a flicker of hesitation, maybe even concern. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

“I’ll need you to arrange a meeting with a client of mine. It’s delicate, so keep the details to yourself.”

Leila nodded, scribbling down the details as he spoke. She was about to leave when she remembered his cryptic warning from yesterday. Stay out of my private study.

Without thinking, she blurted out, “Is there a reason your study is off-limits?”

The question hung in the air between them, the room suddenly feeling much colder.

Ethan’s gaze hardened. “You like to ask questions, don’t you?”

“I—I didn’t mean—” Leila stammered, but Ethan cut her off.

“My private life is none of your concern,” he said, his voice like ice. “If you want to keep this job, you’ll stay out of things that don’t involve you.”

Leila’s heart sank, and she quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, Mr. Blackwood. I didn’t mean to overstep.”

For a moment, Ethan didn’t respond. His eyes lingered on her as if weighing whether she was a threat or just another employee trying to survive in his world.

Then, with a dismissive wave, he turned back to the window. “You can go.”

Leila hurried out of the office, her pulse racing. She hadn’t meant to push, but something about the way he had reacted left her even more suspicious. What was he hiding?

As she was leaving the building that evening, Leila felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She pulled it out, expecting to see a work email, but her heart stopped when she saw the message:

“You’ve been warned. If you don’t leave now, you’ll be sorry.”

Leila’s hands trembled as she stared at the text. This was no prank. Someone was watching her, and they didn’t want her anywhere near Ethan Blackwood. But the real question was—why?