Elena woke to the sharp buzz of her phone vibrating against the nightstand. The room was still dark, the quiet of early morning barely settled—but the flood of notifications told her something was very wrong.
She grabbed the phone.
Missed calls. Messages. Alerts.
Her chest tightened as she opened the first headline.
BREAKING: Kingsley Heir’s Secret Child Revealed
Her breath caught.
“No… no…”
The phone rang again—Lucas.
“You’ve seen it?” he asked immediately.
“Yes.”
“It’s everywhere. News channels, blogs, even international outlets. They’re tearing it apart already.”
Elena sat up, pulse racing. “Ethan—”
“He’s safe,” Lucas cut in. “Security is doubled. No one’s getting close.”
Elena exhaled, but the tension didn’t ease.
“Victor did this,” she said quietly.
“He wants Adrian exp
