Chapter 4 Crossing Lines

The city looked different when Lina returned to it for good.

Three years had changed her-not just in the obvious ways, like the faint lines of fatigue beneath her eyes or the way her posture carried quiet authority now. The city felt sharper too, Louder, Less forgiving, but it no longer frightened her.

Fear required energy she didn't have time to spare.

Ethan, Noah, and Elena walked beside her, each holding one of her hands as they crossed the street. Ethan watched the traffic with serious concentration. Noah hopped from crack to crack in the sidewalk, tugging her arm with impatience. Elena glanced up at Lina every few seconds, as if checking to make sure she was still there.

Lina squeezed their hands gently. "Slow down."

They obeyed-mostly.

The apartment she'd found was small but bright, tucked above a closed tailor shop. It wasn't much, but it was hers. The windows faced east, filling the living space with morning light. There was just enough room for three small beds pushed close together and a narrow couch that doubled as Lina's bed.

Stability mattered more than space.

The first week passed in a blur of unpacking, preschool registration, and job applications. Lina filled out forms late into the night, careful and precise. She'd learned the hard way that mistakes had consequences.

One application stood out.

Westvale Group.

The name carried weight even to someone who avoided business news. A powerful corporation. Excellent pay. Entry-level administrative position. Long hours, but benefits included childcare assistance.

Lina stared at the screen for a long time before submitting it.

She didn't believe in miracles.

But she believed in effort.

The interview came faster than she expected.

Lina dressed carefully that morning, choosing neutral colors and tying her hair back neatly. She dropped the children off at preschool, kissing each forehead before forcing herself to let go.

"You'll be right here," she reminded them-and herself.

Westvale Group's headquarters towered over the street like a statement rather than a building. Glass. Steel. Controlled perfection. Lina paused outside, steadying her breath.

Just another door, she told herself. You've walked through worse.

Inside, everything gleamed.

She was led into a quiet conference room where two interviewers waited. The questions were sharp but fair. They asked about her experience, her reliability, her availability.

They did not ask about her past.

Lina answered calmly, confidently. Years of survival had taught her composure.

When it was over, she didn't let herself hope.

Three days later, her phone rang.

"We'd like to offer you the position," the voice said.

Lina sat down hard on the edge of the couch.

"Yes," she said, barely breathing. "Yes, thank you."

When she hung up, she covered her mouth with her hand and cried silently, the kind of tears that came from relief rather than pain.

She had done it.

Adrian Hale didn't notice the new hire.

He noticed very little that didn't demand his attention.

His world ran on precision-schedules mapped to the minute, meetings stacked back-to-back, decisions made with ruthless efficiency. He arrived before sunrise and often left long after the city lights blurred into abstract shapes outside his office windows.

Children had never been part of the equation.

Or so he believed.

The file arrived on a Thursday morning.

Surrogacy Program - Audit Review.

Adrian frowned. He hadn't requested an audit.

"Why is this on my desk?" he asked his assistant.

"Compliance review," she said. "Routine."

Adrian skimmed the first page, irritation flickering across his expression. Everything appeared in order. Dates. Signatures. Medical clearance.

He signed and pushed it aside.

He didn't see the discrepancy buried in the subfile.

Not yet.

Lina's first day at Westvale was overwhelming.

The pace was relentless. The expectations unspoken but clear. She learned quickly, taking notes, memorizing schedules, anticipating needs before they were voiced.

Her supervisor noticed.

"You're efficient," she said. "Quiet too. I like that."

Lina smiled politely. She had learned long ago that being quiet could be an advantage.

She kept her personal life carefully contained. No photos on her desk. No stories shared over lunch. She arrived on time and left on time, every day, to pick up her children.

Still, small things began to surface.

A name on a document.

Hale.

A photo in a company magazine.

The cold, composed face of the man who owned the building she worked in.

Something about him unsettled her, though she couldn't say why.

The first time Lina saw Adrian Hale in person, it was by accident.

She was exiting an elevator, distracted by a phone call from the preschool, when she nearly collided with someone stepping in.

Strong hands caught her arms, steadying her instantly.

"Watch where you're going," a deep voice said.

Lina looked up.

The man's expression was cool, unreadable. His presence filled the space effortlessly, like the air shifted around him.

"I'm sorry," Lina said quickly.

Their eyes met for a brief, electric moment.

Adrian frowned slightly, something unfamiliar tightening in his chest. There was nothing special about her-no recognition, no memory.

And yet-

"Are you new?" he asked, surprising himself.

"Yes," Lina replied.

He nodded once and stepped into the elevator.

The doors closed.

Lina stood frozen for a second longer than necessary.

Her heart raced.

She didn't know why.

That evening, Adrian sat alone in his office, the city stretching endlessly below.

A strange unease lingered with him, sharp and unwelcome.

He pulled the audit file back toward him, flipping through pages he'd already signed off on.

His eyes caught on something this time.

A name.

Lina Moore.

Adrian's brow furrowed.

That wasn't the surrogate's name.

He turned the page.

Then another.

His jaw tightened.

Three implanted embryos.

Three successful heartbeats.

The room went very still.

Adrian reached for his phone.

"Get me the full surrogacy file," he said coldly. "Every page. Immediately."

Miles away, Lina tucked her children into bed, unaware that the man she'd brushed past that morning was now staring at the first crack in the life he thought he controlled.

The past had found them both.

And it wasn't finished.