Chained by our past

Chapter 5

Isla Calloway was used to being in control.

For years, she had built her empire with precision and discipline, outmaneuvering every competitor, shutting down threats before they could rise. But now, she sat in her glass-walled office, staring at the skyline of New York City, knowing she was seconds away from losing control completely.

Lucas Reyes knew about Leo.

And she had no idea what his next move would be.

Her heart pounded with frustration and something dangerously close to fear. Lucas had made himself clear at the gala—this wasn’t over. He was coming for answers. And Lucas Reyes? He wasn’t the kind of man who let things go.

A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts.

Samantha stepped in, her expression tense. "He’s here."

Isla exhaled slowly, her nails pressing into the armrest of her chair. "Send him in."

Samantha hesitated. "Are you sure? You know he’s not here to talk politely."

Isla’s jaw tightened. "I don’t care what he’s here for. I won’t be intimidated in my own office."

Samantha gave her a pointed look, then stepped aside as the door swung open.

Lucas walked in like he owned the place.

His tailored charcoal suit fit him like a second skin, his movements calm and calculated as if he wasn’t about to rip her world apart. His green eyes were sharp, locked onto her with an intensity that sent a wave of heat and fury crashing through her.

He closed the door behind him with a slow, deliberate motion.

Neither of them spoke.

The silence between them was thick, charged with years of secrets and unspoken words.

Lucas broke it first.

"Four years, Isla." His voice was quiet, but there was no mistaking the edge beneath it. "You kept my son from me for four years."

Isla met his gaze head-on, refusing to flinch. "I did what I thought was best."

Lucas let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Best for who? You? Because it sure as hell wasn’t best for me. And it sure as hell wasn’t best for Leo."

She stood, placing both palms flat on her desk. "Don’t you dare stand there and act like you were cheated out of something you never even knew existed. You walked away, Lucas. You left without a word."

Lucas’s jaw ticked, his fists clenching at his sides. "I didn’t leave, Isla. You left. You disappeared before I could find out who you were."

Her breath caught, but she pushed forward. "You never tried to find me."

"How could I?" His voice was rough now, frustration seeping through. "I didn’t even know your last name. You were just gone. And now, I find out that while I was spending years rebuilding my life, you were raising my son without me."

His words hit like a slap.

She had expected anger from him. But she hadn’t been prepared for the hurt beneath it.

Isla inhaled slowly, trying to push down the guilt creeping in. She had made a choice—a choice to protect Leo, to keep their lives uncomplicated. She had never thought she’d have to justify that choice to Lucas Reyes.

But now?

Now, he wasn’t giving her a choice.

She lifted her chin. "What do you want, Lucas?"

His green eyes burned into hers.

"I want time with my son."

A spike of fear shot through her. "Leo doesn’t know you."

"Whose fault is that?" Lucas shot back, his voice like ice. "He should have known me from day one."

Isla clenched her jaw, refusing to let the guilt win. "And if I say no?"

Lucas took a slow step forward. "Then I take you to court."

The air in the room thickened.

Isla’s hands curled into fists, her entire body tensing at the unspoken threat. She knew Lucas had the resources to drag this into a legal battle—one that could turn ugly, public, and irreversible.

"You wouldn’t."

Lucas tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "Try me."

She knew this wasn’t an empty threat. Lucas Reyes didn’t bluff.

A long, suffocating silence stretched between them.

Finally, Isla exhaled sharply. "What exactly are you asking for?"

Lucas’s expression didn’t change, but his voice softened just enough to make her heart ache.

"I’m not here to take him from you, Isla," he said. "But he’s my son, too. And I’ll be damned if I let another day go by without knowing him."

Her defenses wavered for a split second.

She had always imagined this moment—the moment Lucas found out the truth. But she had never expected this.

The fire, yes. The rage, absolutely. But the undeniable, unrelenting protectiveness in his voice? That, she hadn’t prepared for.

"Leo doesn’t know you," she said again, softer this time.

"Then let me change that," Lucas said. "Let me meet him. No lawyers. No fights. Just you, me, and Leo."

Isla hesitated. Every instinct in her screamed to say no, to keep her son safe from the potential disaster this could bring.

But Leo deserved the truth.

And so did Lucas.

Finally, she nodded. "Fine."

Lucas’s expression didn’t change, but she saw something shift in his eyes.

Relief.

Determination.

Something else she couldn’t name.

She straightened her spine, her voice firm. "But on my terms. We do this slowly. We take our time. If I see any sign that this is hurting Leo, it’s over."

Lucas held her gaze for a long moment. Then, he gave a slow nod.

"Agreed."

A heavy silence settled between them.

This was just the beginning.

And Isla knew—once she let Lucas Reyes into their lives, there would be no turning back.