Chapter 3

Leo pressed his back against a massive marble pillar outside the VIP security corridor. He peeked his head around the edge.

At the far end of the corridor, Everette Baird was walking toward him.

Everette wore a custom Tom Ford suit, pitch black. He moved with a predatory grace, his aura so cold it felt like a physical wall pushing people out of his way.

Joshua walked half a step behind him, speaking rapidly. "The hostile takeover of the Silicon Valley tech firm is in motion, sir."

Everette's brow furrowed. "Clean them out. Every executive on their board is gone by tomorrow."

Leo watched them approach. He calculated the distance and Everette's walking speed in his head.

He turned and walked over to the counter of a nearby Starbucks. He stood on his tiptoes and grabbed a Venti hot Americano that someone had just ordered.

The barista was looking down at the cash register, completely missing the theft.

Leo walked back to his pillar, holding the scalding cup in both hands. He took a deep breath.

When Everette's leather shoes stepped onto the third marble tile from the pillar, Leo launched himself forward.

He intentionally let his foot slide on the polished marble. He lost his balance and fell straight toward Everette's long legs.

With a dull thud, Leo's head collided with the hard muscle of Everette's thigh.

The Venti Americano flew out of Leo's hands. The dark liquid arched through the air and splashed directly onto Everette's custom suit jacket and crisp white shirt.

The dark brown stain ruined the fifty-thousand-dollar suit instantly. Steam rose from the fabric.

Joshua gasped, stepping forward. "Where did this stray kid come from?"

Four men in black suits materialized instantly. The bodyguards surrounded Leo, dropping the temperature in the corridor to absolute zero.

Everette stopped moving. He looked down at his ruined clothes. A flash of pure, violent rage ignited in his eyes.

He slowly lowered his head, his gaze slicing down like a blade toward the boy sitting on the floor.

Leo sat on the marble, rubbing his forehead. He didn't cry. Instead, he tilted his head up and met Everette's terrifying stare without flinching.

When Everette saw the boy's amber eyes, his heart physically stuttered in his chest.

The breath was knocked out of his lungs. Those eyes. They were exactly like Deliah's.

The rage in Everette's throat vanished, replaced by a sudden, suffocating tightness. He raised a hand, signaling the bodyguards to back off.

Leo dusted off his pants and stood up. He looked up at the giant of a man.

"Sir," Leo said, his voice clear and serious. "Your suit is ruined. But my mom can pay for it."

Joshua stared at the boy in absolute shock, his professional composure cracking for a fraction of a second, though he wisely kept his mouth shut.

Everette shot Joshua a look so cold it made the assistant snap his mouth shut.

Everette slowly crouched down until he was eye-level with the boy. "What is your name? Where are your parents?"

Leo crossed his arms over his chest. A sly smile touched his lips. "I'm Leo. My mom is super pretty. And she's single."

A harsh, breathless sound escaped Everette's chest. He was actually amused. The corner of his mouth twitched upward.

"I see you have a lot of money," Leo continued, his tone completely business-like. "If you agree to be my stepdad, you don't even have to give me change for the coffee."

Joshua stared at the boy in absolute horror. No one spoke to the tyrant of Wall Street like this.

Everette stared at Leo's face. It was the eyes-amber, intelligent, and carrying a stubborn light that was an exact echo of Deliah's. The sight struck a deep, buried chord inside him.

Everette stood up. He pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the coffee from his hand.

"Fine," Everette said, his voice a low rumble. "Take me to this single mother of yours."