THE HIDDEN SUCCESSOR: A Billionaire Secret Baby

Jessica Monroe was on the verge of a heart attack while she was wiping the countertop at the café and trying to ignore the noise of the lunchtime crowd. The loud ring of the doorbell announced one more customer, yet she barely lifted her gaze. Her thoughts were somewhere else, deep in the peace she had made for herself and her son, Lucas. It was a cozy town, a secluded place, the spot to forget the past. She cared for everything she could every day and was comforted by the regularity of everything. Today was not like that. The uneasy atmosphere appeared to be hovering over her as a storm on the horizon. There was even a vague hint of change as if it was to come right in the middle of her life. All her fears were realized when she heard a familiar voice behind her. "Jessica Monroe," she exclaimed. Her heart was beating a drum when she got trapped in the air. Then, with a slow pace, she turned to see the unfamiliar man. And yet, there was the man of her dreams, Cole Kingston, who never in her wildest dreams she'd have thought to be standing before her, let alone in this scenario. The blue, sharp eyes of hers meet his and what once was a confused face turned into a recognizing one. "Jessica," his voice was filled with painful surprise and hurt, "I cannot just believe it is the real you." Jessica's mind was like a hurricane. She had not seen Cole since she left him some years ago and now, here he is in her cafe as if he owned it or something. Her whole body was trembling but, she held the cloth tightly around her hand and lifted it to the counter. "Cole, what's the reason for your visit?" "I followed you," he spoke, taking the next step toward her. "I've been looking for you for years now. I need to know the reason why you disappeared," Jessica felt the floor under her feet give way. The past that she put so much effort into hiding is now uncovered and standing in front of her. She sought to maintain her voice even. "This isn't the right time or place to talk about it. "Cole's eyes relented a bit." You owe me an explanation. I want to know why you left, why you took off without a word. And I want to know about Lucas. "Her son's name felt like someone hit her in the abdomen. Jessica's skin was blanched”. "How did you know about Lucas? His eyes quickly went ablaze with rage and inquisitiveness." I've watched him. His striking resemblance to myself can never be mistaken. The chips are down, tell me all I need to know. A thousand thoughts flashed through Jessica's head. The secret that she had meticulously preserved was coming undone at a rate that she could not govern. She understood that she had to make sure that Lucas was safe. "We are not safe to talk at this place," she said, her voice a little bit shaky. "Please, leave me to complete my shift. We can have a private talk about it in some place away from people." Standing in silence yet longing for answers, Lucas weighed his options; of course, he had waited for years before getting to this point. A little more wait will surely do no harm, he thought to himself. As such, he calmly retorted, "Fine, I'll wait". After Jessica saw him walk toward the table, she felt anxiety seep into her veins. She slowly turned to the café in an attempt to distract herself from the ongoing activity of her mind. The months spent conceiving a life of such precision and careful calculations were scattered all over the place, with no chance to escape the oncoming dark clouds. Henceforth, the rest of her duty passed in a state of vertigo. She was roaming in a trance, serving the customers, while her inner self was getting ready for the unavoidable. A face-off with Cole. Jessica knew she was supposed to be thinking of a plan, but all that was going on in her mind was Lucas and how this chance meeting could turn everything topsy-turvy. She waited and waited, then she did the final walk toward Cole, her steps filled with anxiety that deliberately left a sound on the floor. "Let's go," she tried to sound confident but her voice was shaky. After this, Cole went after her into the cool night air. They walked in silence for the first couple of blocks until they reached the place where her little apartment building was. The burden of last night was still with them. She gave the key to Cole and then they went in. Jessica's heart kept beating faster with the realization that this was the last time she was going to be with him. Nevertheless, it was a tight fit, so Jessica took another breath to prepare herself for the truth before the pair could see each other again. "I was sure that you would not come for me," she said, a low trembling voice. "But now that you are here, there are some things you must know." Cole's gaze was like a burning sun, with a mix of resolution and hurt. "I'm all ears. She was stopped in her path by the child's laughter that came from the room next to theirs. Cole's eyes were wide open in astonishment. "Is that from the stillness in the air came a tremor, like the rumbling of the thunderstorm anticipates the disastrous moment. At the same time, in her head was the makings of such a storm. Fearfulness and wrong perceptions of the worst-case scenario were lurking inside her whole being at the same time. She was not surprised by her nervous reactions as she had made every effort to conceal Lucas from Cole, though she felt incompetent in the current scenario. Confusion swept throughout Jessica's entire body when she saw the door to Lucas's room open.