Chained by our past

Chapter 2

New York City was bathed in golden morning light as Isla stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows of her penthouse, watching the city she had conquered. In the five years since that night in Paris, she had expanded Calloway Tech’s empire, making it a dominant force in the cybersecurity industry.

But for all the billions in her bank account, her greatest accomplishment stood behind her, giggling as he tried to balance a spoon on his tiny nose.

"Leo," she said, turning around with an amused smile. "Eat your breakfast, sweetheart."

Leo Calloway—four years old, mischievous and brilliant, with a mop of dark hair and green eyes that mirrored the one man she had tried to forget.

Her heart clenched, as it always did when she looked at him for too long. Lucas Reyes might have vanished from her life, but he had left his mark in their son.

Leo grinned, his spoon clattering onto the table. "Mama, do I have to go to school today?"

"Yes," Isla said, ruffling his hair. "And if you behave, maybe I’ll take you to the park afterward."

Leo cheered, stuffing a piece of toast into his mouth. Isla watched him with quiet devotion, her fierce businesswoman exterior softening in these rare, private moments.

A buzzing noise interrupted her thoughts. Her phone.

She picked it up and scanned the message from Samantha. Urgent meeting. Calloway Tech is under attack.

Isla’s heart lurched.

She was used to competition—dominating rivals was what she did best—but something about this felt… different.

Determined, she kissed Leo on the forehead. "Be good for Ms. Nora, okay?"

"Okay, Mama!"

With one last glance at her son, Isla grabbed her purse and strode out the door, ready to face whatever threat awaited her.

Calloway Tech’s conference room was a hive of tension as Isla entered, her heels clicking against the polished floor. Samantha, already seated at the head of the table, wasted no time.

"You need to see this."

She slid a file across the table. Isla picked it up and felt her stomach drop.

Reyes Innovations Poised to Dethrone Calloway Tech.

Isla’s pulse pounded as she scanned the article. The company was unveiling a cutting-edge cybersecurity AI—one eerily similar to Calloway Tech’s latest development.

But that wasn’t what made her blood run cold.

It was the name beneath the headline.

Lucas Reyes.

For a moment, everything around her disappeared.

Lucas Reyes. The man from Paris. The father of her child.

The man who was now her greatest business rival.

"Isla?" Samantha’s voice pulled her back to the present.

She inhaled sharply, shoving the file shut. "Set a meeting with Reyes Innovations."

Samantha raised a brow. "You’re not going to let this slide?"

Isla’s expression hardened into the same steely resolve that had built her empire.

"Absolutely not."

Lucas might have walked away once, but this time? He wasn’t going anywhere.