Chapter 5

Alycia stood on her tiptoes, gripping the metal railing at the Terminal 4 international arrivals gate. Her heart pounded against her ribs.

The sliding frosted doors opened.

A six-year-old boy pushed a luggage cart out into the hall. He wore a tiny beige trench coat. His messy black hair framed a face that looked like it was sculpted from marble, but it was his eyes that caught everyone's attention-a piercing, unnatural shade of deep blue.

Julian spotted her. He let go of the cart and sprinted across the polished floor like a tiny missile.

"Mommy!"

Alycia dropped to her knees. Julian crashed into her arms. She buried her face in his neck, inhaling the scent of baby shampoo and airplane cabin air. Her eyes burned, and a hot tear slipped down her cheek.

Julian wrapped his little arms around her neck and patted her back. "Don't cry, Mommy. I'm right here."

Alycia laughed, a wet, breathless sound. She kissed his forehead, stood up, and grabbed his small hand. "Let's go get you something to eat. My car is in the short-term lot."

They walked hand-in-hand out through the sliding glass doors and onto the wide curbside walkway outside the terminal. The afternoon sun glinted off the rows of parked vehicles.

Up ahead, the heavy tinted door of a black Rolls-Royce Phantom swung open. Hiram Houston stepped out. His merger meeting had been pushed back by forty minutes, and his driver had circled back to the terminal so Hiram could retrieve a misplaced portfolio from the VIP lounge.

He was staring down at his phone, typing a rapid email, his long legs eating up the distance along the curb.

Julian saw a shiny metal toy car drop from another kid's stroller near the crosswalk. He yanked his hand out of Alycia's grip and darted right into the middle of the walkway to grab it.

Hiram didn't look up in time.

His kneecap collided hard with the solid mass of the running child.

Julian lost his balance, spun around, and fell hard onto the concrete pavement. He let out a sharp cry of pain, grabbing his elbow.

Hiram stopped. His jaw tightened in annoyance. He took a step back and instinctively brushed his hand against his suit pants, as if dusting off dirt.

Alycia gasped. Her stomach dropped to the floor. She lunged forward, grabbed Julian by the waist, and hauled him up, pulling him entirely behind her legs.

She snapped her head up to glare at the person who hit her son.

Her eyes met Hiram's.

The air in Alycia's lungs completely evaporated. Her blood turned to ice water.

Hiram looked at her. His eyes narrowed slightly. He recognized the suit. The clumsy woman from the curb earlier.

Then, his gaze drifted downward.

He looked past Alycia's hip, straight at the little boy hiding behind her.

Hiram's heart physically skipped a beat. A strange, heavy sensation hit the center of his chest. He stared at the boy's face. The sharp jawline. The messy black hair. And those eyes.

Alycia saw Hiram's pupils dilate. She saw his eyes lock onto Julian.

Panic, raw and violent, exploded in her brain. Cold sweat instantly broke out across her lower back.

She shifted her body violently to the right, using her entire frame as a physical shield, completely blocking Hiram's line of sight to Julian. She pressed her hand against Julian's head, holding him tight against the back of her thighs.

Hiram blinked, snapping out of the weird trance. He straightened his posture, his face returning to its usual cold, emotionless mask.

"My apologies, ma'am," Hiram said. His voice was flat, a standard corporate response.

Alycia's jaw was locked so tight her teeth ached. She stared at his chest, refusing to look into his eyes. "It's fine, sir." Her voice was completely hollow.

They stood there for two seconds, playing the fake, polite game of New York high society. Two strangers.

Hiram turned away. He gestured to his bodyguard, and they walked briskly toward the VIP lounge entrance.

Alycia didn't move until his broad shoulders disappeared through the glass doors. When he was gone, she let out a massive, shaky exhale. Her knees felt weak.

Julian tugged on the hem of her jacket. He looked up at her, his head tilted. "Mommy, his eyes... they look just like mine!"

Alycia's heart slammed against her ribs. She forced a bright, fake smile onto her face. "It's just genetics, baby. A coincidence. Lots of people have blue eyes."

She didn't wait for him to answer. She scooped Julian up into her arms, completely abandoning the luggage cart. She practically ran toward the parking structure. She needed to get her son out of here right now.