The Heir I Hid From My Billionaire Ex

Four Years Ago The moment she stepped inside, she saw her father standing in the middle of the room, as if he had been waiting a long time for her to return. She didn't need to ask. He already knew… a cold realization settled in her chest. For how long had she thought she could hide it? It was foolish, really. This was a man who controlled everything. He had eyes everywhere, people reporting her every move, and enough influence to make even the smallest secret impossible to keep. There was no way he wouldn’t find out. "Dad…?" Her voice came out smaller than she intended. Each step she took toward him felt heavier than the last. He stood by the wide glass window, staring out at the glittering city below, as if her existence wasn't even worth acknowledging yet. The lights outside reflected faintly against the glass, but there was nothing warm about the beautiful view. Slowly, he turned and Hazel flinched the moment she saw his eyes. "I warned you not to make any more mistakes, didn't I?" he said calmly, but there was a storm beneath that calm, one she knew too well. Her throat tightened. Was there anything she could possibly say to save herself? "Dad, I—" Before she could finish, he flung the photographs in his hand at her. She gasped, raising her arms instinctively, bracing for impact, but when nothing hit her, she lowered them slowly. The photographs scattered across the floor and her breath caught when she saw who was in them. They were all pictures of her, taken outside a gynecology and obstetrics clinic. Fear gripped her throat as she stared down at them, unable to lift her head. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out?" he asked, stepping closer. She remained frozen in place. "I got you engaged to him to secure a future, not to have you spread your legs and come back carrying a scandal." Her lips parted, but nothing came out. "You've disgraced me," he went on, his voice rising now, cracks of anger finally breaking through. "Tell me, what do you think happens when people find out? When they start talking?" She said nothing. She couldn't. Every word he spoke was cruel, but she knew exactly what he feared. Not her, not the baby, not even what would happen to her. His reputation. His carefully constructed place among people who would rather pretend their families were perfect than admit they were anything less. And she had become the imperfection he couldn’t hide. His hand came down hard across her face, her head snapped to the side as her body stumbled back, barely catching herself before she hit the floor. She clutched her cheek, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth immediately. "Or do you think Karina would still accept you?" he barked. "Do you think her son would still marry you after this?" Hazel’s heart twisted at the mention of Raven. She flinched as he raised his hand again, but this time he stopped himself. A tense silence filled the room. "I'm getting rid of it," he said coldly. "Pack your things. You're leaving tonight." He turned and walked away, leaving her standing there as the tears she had been holding back finally slipped down her face. She didn't even know what to feel. Her palm remained pressed against her cheek, but the pain there was nothing compared to the ache spreading through her chest. Her mind drifted back to that night, the beginning of everything. I'll take responsibility for anything that happens after this. He had promised her that. Yet she had called him over and over again. Sent messages he had clearly seen but never replied to. Maybe he was busy. Or maybe— No. She couldn’t let herself think that way. She had always been useless in her father’s eyes. The only time she had ever mattered was when she became useful…when she was engaged to Raven like a transaction. And now? Now she had ruined even that. She had dared to feel something for him. She had allowed herself to drown in something she was never meant to have. And that was her greatest mistake, because people like her weren't meant to be loved. They were meant to be used and discarded. Just like her mother. °°° Rain poured relentlessly. Hazel sat at the front of the hospital, completely drenched, the cold biting into her skin and clothes clung uncomfortably to her body, but she didn’t move. Maybe if she stayed long enough, the rain would wash everything away. Or maybe it would take her with it. She was only eighteen. And pregnant. Her fingers curled tightly around the edge of the bench. She had spent the entire journey here trying to convince herself that there was another way. There wasn’t. Her father’s voice still echoed inside her head. We’re going to get rid of it. Pack your things. You’re leaving tonight. Hazel lowered her eyes. She hadn’t even been given the chance to decide what kind of mother she wanted to be. She had only been given a choice between losing her child and losing everything else. "Hazel!" Her head snapped up so fast it almost hurt. She saw him running toward her, his long strides cutting through the rain, a black umbrella held over his head. "Raven…" Something in her chest broke at the sight of him. He reached her in seconds, pulling her up and into his arms without hesitation, without care that she was drenched. His embrace was tight, protective and that was what made it unbearable. It was the kind of hug she hadn't realized she needed until now. For one dangerous second, Hazel wanted to forget everything. She wanted to bury her face against his chest and tell him everything. Tell him about the baby, tell him what her father had done, tell him she was terrified and that she didn’t want to lose him. But she couldn’t. "Raven. You weren't replying to my calls and texts, I…" she whispered, her voice breaking as her fingers clutched his shirt desperately, like he was the only thing keeping her from collapsing. But then her father's words echoed in her mind again. He pulled back slightly, looking at her face. “I told you I’d take responsibility for anything that happens right?” Her lips trembled. “How?” she finds herself asking, her voice barely above a whisper. “How, Raven?” He froze. "Tell me," she pushed, her eyes locking onto his. "Will you carry the child yourself? Or convince your mother to accept me… an eighteen-years-old who's already pregnant?" He fell silent, and that silence hurt more than an answer could have. Hazel searched his face desperately. She knew Raven. She knew the way his eyes softened when he looked at her. She knew the way he held her hand when they walked together, the way he used to promise her that nothing would happen to her as long as he was around. But she also knew Karina. His mother didn’t ask, she commanded. And Raven had spent his entire life obeying her. "Hazel, I—" "It's too late," she cut in. Her voice was steady, but her chest ached. "I already got rid of it." The words hit him like a bomb. He staggered back slightly, like the ground had shifted beneath him. The umbrella slipped from his hand, hitting the wet pavement with a dull sound. "What…?" His voice broke. "What do you mean?" "There's no baby anymore. I ended it." She forced herself to keep looking at him. "I won't bring a child into your world," she continued, her voice trembling now despite her efforts. "A world where you can't even make your own choices." His eyes searched hers, something inside him was breaking. “You’re a coward, Raven.” She hated herself for saying it.“You only do what you’re told. Tell me…are you really ready to go against your mother for this?” He didn't answer, and that was all she needed. "You see?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "You couldn't even say it." Pain flashed across his face. “Why would you do that to the child?” he demanded, frustration finally breaking through. “I told you I would keep my promise. You should have trusted me.” Hazel’s nails dug into her palms. If she didn’t hurt herself, she was afraid she would break down and tell him the truth. “And who would suffer the humiliation when people find out?” she shot back. “Me. Not you.” Tears mixed with the rain running down her face as she spoke. “When people talk, they won’t point at you. They’ll point at me.” She swallowed hard. "What power do you have to protect us?" He had no answer. Or perhaps he did. Perhaps he simply didn’t know how to give it. "You're nothing but your mother's puppet," she continued, quieter now. "And I refuse to let her control my child's life too." A pause. "So it ends here." Her fingers trembled as she slipped the ring off her finger. The ring he had given her on her birthday, the one she had once believed she would wear forever. She looked down at it for one final second, then she threw it to the ground between them. “I’m breaking off the engagement.” She turned and began to walk away, holding back the tears threatening to spill. Every step felt like she was tearing something out of her chest. It was the hardest thing she had ever done. “Hazel!” She stopped. “Everything that happened that night…did it mean nothing to you?” Her throat tightened as the memories of that night flooded back, every detail. For one second, she almost turned around, almost. But then she remembered her father’s hand against her cheek, Karina’s cold eyes. The photographs scattered across the floor. And the future she knew would never allow her child to belong to her. She couldn’t turn around. "Don't ask," she said coldly, her voice nearly broke, "I was drunk. That's all it was." The lie burned as it left her lips. He stood there, watching helplessly as she walked toward a waiting car. Before getting inside, she allowed herself one final glance over her shoulder. Raven stood in the rain completely still, his eyes remained fixed on her, watching her like it had all been a dream. She wanted to run back to him. Instead, she got into the car. The door close and the car drove off. That was the last time Raven saw Hazel Cox for four years. He remained standing in the rain long after the car disappeared from sight, and when his gaze slowly dropped to the ring lying on the wet ground. He stared at it for a long time, slowly his fingers curled into fists. He didn’t cry, but something inside him died that night.