The Billionaire's Secret Baby

Chapter 1: The Secret Ella Ross stared at the old letter in her hands, her heart beating fast. The paper was yellow and torn at the edges. It had been hidden in her mother's wooden box for twenty years. She read the first line again. "If you are reading this, I am gone." Her mother had died three years ago. She had never told Ella the truth. Outside, the rain hit the small house in Pretoria. It was cold and dark. Ella sat alone at the table, the only light coming from a small lamp. The letter continued. "Your father is not who you think he is. His name is Richard Cole. He lives in Johannesburg. You must find him before your twenty-first birthday, or you will lose everything." Ella's birthday was in two days. She would be twenty-one. She dropped the letter. Her hands were shaking. All her life, her mother told her that her father died in an accident before she was born. It was a lie. Why would her mother lie? What did she mean by "you will lose everything"? Ella stood up and walked to the window. The street was empty. She felt alone and confused. She remembered her mother's last words at the hospital. "Find the box, Ella. Find the truth." At that time, Ella did not understand. Now she did. She went back to the box. Inside, there was more than just the letter. There was a small silver key and a photo. The photo showed a young woman, her mother, standing next to a tall handsome man in a suit. On the back of the photo, it said "Richard and Grace, 2004." The man was smiling. He had the same green eyes as Ella. So this was her father. Richard Cole. Ella picked up her phone and searched the name. Richard Cole Johannesburg. The first result made her gasp. Richard Cole was a billionaire. He owned Cole Industries, one of the biggest companies in South Africa. His face was on Forbes magazine. Her father was a billionaire? It did not make sense. If her father was so rich, why did her mother live in poverty? Why did they struggle to pay rent? Why did Ella work two jobs to pay for university? She felt anger rising inside her. She looked at the silver key. What did it open? There was no address, no hint. She searched again. Cole Industries had a head office in Sandton. That was two hours from Pretoria. She made a decision. Tomorrow morning, she would go to Johannesburg. She would find Richard Cole and ask him why he abandoned them. She packed a small bag. She put the letter, the photo, and the key inside. She could not sleep that night. She kept thinking about her mother. Her mother was a kind woman who worked as a cleaner. She never complained. She raised Ella alone and gave her love. But she also kept this huge secret. In the morning, Ella took the first taxi to Johannesburg. The journey was long. She watched the buildings pass by. Her mind was full of questions. What if Richard Cole did not want to see her? What if he denied that she was his daughter? What if he had another family? When she arrived in Sandton, she felt small. The buildings were huge and made of glass. People walked fast in expensive suits. Cars were expensive. She stood in front of the Cole Industries building. It was sixty floors high. The logo was shining in gold. She took a deep breath and walked inside. The reception was luxurious. A beautiful woman at the desk looked at her. Ella was wearing old jeans and a simple t-shirt. She felt out of place. "How can I help you?" the receptionist asked, with a polite but cold voice. "I want to see Richard Cole," Ella said. Her voice was shaking. "Do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked. "No, but it is very important. I am his... I am his daughter." The receptionist raised her eyebrow. "Many girls say that. Do you have proof?" Ella showed her the photo. The receptionist looked at it, then at Ella. Her eyes widened a little because the resemblance was clear, but she still shook her head. "Mr. Cole is in a meeting all day. You cannot see him without an appointment. You need to leave." Ella felt her heart break. She had traveled so far for nothing. "Please," she said. "Just give him this photo. Tell him Grace Ross's daughter is here." The receptionist sighed. "Wait here." She made a phone call. Ella could not hear what she said. After five minutes, a tall man in a black suit came down. He looked like security. "Miss, you need to leave now," he said firmly. Ella held the letter tight. "I am not leaving until I see him." Just then, the elevator doors opened. A man in his late forties stepped out. He was tall, handsome, with grey hair and green eyes, exactly like the man in the photo, but older. He was wearing a very expensive suit. Everyone in the lobby became quiet and respectful. It was Richard Cole. Ella knew it instantly. She felt a strange connection. Richard was talking to another man, but then he looked at Ella. He stopped walking. He stared at her face. His face changed. He looked shocked, as if he had seen a ghost. "Grace?" he whispered. Then he walked quickly towards her. The security man stepped aside. "What is your name?" Richard asked, his voice low and serious. "Ella," she said, tears in her eyes. "Ella Ross. My mother was Grace Ross." Richard's hands trembled. He took the photo from her hands. He looked at it for a long time. "Where is Grace?" he asked. "She died three years ago," Ella said. Richard closed his eyes. Pain crossed his face. When he opened them again, his eyes were wet. "Come with me," he said. "We need to talk in private. Now." He put his hand on her shoulder and led her to the private elevator. The whole lobby was staring at them. Inside the elevator, Ella clutched the silver key in her pocket. She had found her father, but she knew this was only the beginning. The secret about the key and what she would lose on her twenty-first birthday was still unsolved. The elevator doors closed, taking them up to the top floor, and to a truth that would change her life forever.