Chapter 2 UNFINISHED BUSINESS

The following morning brought no peace-only tension thick enough to choke on.

Amelia stood in front of the office mirror, straightening the soft blue blouse she had borrowed from a friend. It wasn't fancy, but it was neat, professional-perfect for a woman trying to blend in. She tied her hair back, leaving a few strands to fall against her cheeks. She barely recognized her own reflection anymore.

Today was her second day at Blackwood Corp.

Her second day breathing the same air as Adrian Blackwood.

She clutched the edge of the sink and closed her eyes. You can do this. Her pulse thudded in her throat. You have to do this.

Not just for closure.

Not for herself.

But for Liam.

The image of her five-year-old son flashed in her mind-his hazel eyes, his laugh, his stubborn little chin that mirrored his father's. Adrian had no idea he existed. And Amelia didn't know whether that made her a coward... or a protector.

She had promised herself she wouldn't tell him. Not yet.

Not until she knew the truth about why he betrayed her.

Not until she was sure he deserved to know.

The office was already alive when she arrived. Phones ringing. Heels clicking. The scent of roasted espresso drifted through the air. She passed other employees with nods and half-smiles, her presence barely noticed. That was how she liked it-under the radar, in control of her secrets.

But her calm shattered the moment his voice echoed across the floor.

"Miss Grey, in my office. Now."

Amelia's breath caught.

She stood and walked steadily toward his door, every step a silent war between pride and fear.

The door closed behind her with a soft click. The office was sleek, all glass and steel, with a view that made the city look like a miniature painting. Adrian stood near the windows, hands in his pockets, his back to her.

"Is something wrong, sir?" she asked.

He turned slowly. His eyes were colder than yesterday. Suspicious. Analytical.

"What's your real name?"

Her stomach flipped.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." He took a step forward, eyes never leaving hers. "You walked in here yesterday with a name that rang every alarm in my gut. Your face-it's different. Your voice... your walk... I know it." Another step. "So, I'll ask again. What is your real name?"

Amelia's pulse thundered.

For a moment, she said nothing.

Then: "I am Amelia Grey. That's the name on my birth certificate. That's who I am."

A flicker of frustration crossed his face. "You're lying."

She lifted her chin. "And you're paranoid."

He moved fast-one moment across the room, the next just inches from her. "Where are you from?"

"Boston," she answered coolly.

"Married?"

"No."

"Children?"

Her breath hitched.

"No," she lied.

He stared at her, searching for something. Recognition. Proof. Weakness.

"You remind me of someone I once knew," he said finally, voice low.

Amelia didn't flinch. "That's not uncommon. People often see what they want to see."

There was silence.

Tension thick as smoke hung between them.

Then Adrian turned away, grabbing a file from his desk. "Your job is to organize these reports by Friday. You'll be assisting with the board presentation next week. Any questions?"

"No, sir."

She turned to leave.

"And, Miss Grey..." His voice stopped her at the door. "If I find out you're hiding something from me-anything-you're gone."

Amelia didn't respond.

She walked out, closing the door softly behind her.

Back at her desk, her hands trembled. She clenched them in her lap. That was too close. She had underestimated him. Adrian had always been sharp, observant, cold when he needed to be.

But he wasn't just suspicious.

He was dangerous-especially now.

And she had secrets far more fragile than he realized.

That evening, Adrian stood in the private lounge of his penthouse suite, fingers wrapped around a tumbler of scotch, but the drink remained untouched.

He couldn't stop thinking about her.

Amelia Grey.

She wasn't Amelia Hart. She couldn't be. He had searched for her for years. Investigators. Lawyers. Even friends in the media. She was gone. No trail. No signs. No body. Just... gone.

But something about this woman stirred a storm inside him. Her eyes... the way she flinched when he stepped too close. She looked at him like she knew him. Like she hated him.

It was impossible.

Unless...

He pulled out his phone and dialed a number he hadn't used in years.

"Connor, I need you to do a full background check on one of my employees," he said the moment the line connected. "Name: Amelia Grey. I want everything."

He ended the call and leaned against the window.

If she was who he feared... then why had she come back now?

What was she hiding?

Two days passed.

Amelia stayed silent. Distant. Careful.

She worked late hours, made no personal calls, left no trace of herself behind. But each day, it grew harder. Adrian kept watching her. Testing her. Asking the kind of questions meant to corner a liar.

She had once known him better than anyone. And now, she was lying to his face every day.

She hated it.

But she couldn't risk the truth-not yet.

Not when Liam's safety depended on it.

That night, she called home.

A sleepy voice answered.

"Hi, sweetheart," she whispered, her eyes stinging.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, baby. Did you have a good day?"

"Mmhmm... Miss Emma said I drew the best rocket ship."

Amelia smiled. "Of course you did."

"When are you coming home?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Soon. I promise. Just a few more days, okay?"

"Okay. Love you, Mommy."

"I love you more, Liam."

She hung up and pressed the phone to her chest. Her body ached with guilt.

He deserved a father. But what if Adrian didn't want to be one? What if he tried to take him away? What if... what if...

She shook the thoughts away. Focus. She had returned for one reason: to find the documents proving Adrian's betrayal. The ones he buried years ago. The ones that cost her everything.

Friday morning.

Adrian's investigator called.

"Boss. You need to see this."

Adrian's grip tightened on his phone.

"Talk."

"There's no Amelia Grey born in Boston with her credentials. Her records before 2020 are sealed. And her social traces start just five years ago-with a fake ID trail and multiple addresses, all low-profile."

Adrian's heart dropped.

"Send me a photo of her with her previous appearance. Anything before she changed her name."

A pause.

Then a photo appeared on his screen.

His blood ran cold.

Amelia Hart.

Smiling.

Younger. Softer. Happier.

But undeniably her.

His hidden wife.

The woman who disappeared.

The woman who lied.

The woman who was now sitting outside his door... pretending to be someone else.

He stood up slowly, a storm building in his eyes.

She came back.

After all these years, she came back.

And she thought he wouldn't notice.

He didn't call her into his office immediately. No. He waited.

He watched.

He studied her every move.

The way she typed without looking. The way she curled her hair behind her ear when she was nervous. The way she bit her lip when she was thinking. Every small detail screamed the truth.

She was his.

His wife.

The woman who walked away with his heart-and apparently, his trust.

But now, he had the power again.

And this time, she would answer for everything.

Later that night, after the office emptied, Adrian walked out of his office and leaned against her desk. "Still working?"

Amelia startled. "I'm just finishing the presentation for Monday."

He nodded, voice deceptively calm. "Come with me. We need to talk."

She hesitated.

Then stood.

He led her to the private elevator. The one only executives used. No one spoke. The silence between them was loud with tension. The doors opened to the rooftop garden-an exclusive space most employees didn't even know existed.

New York glittered below them.

And for a moment, it was just them. The past. The secrets. The pain.

"I know who you are," he said at last, turning to face her.

Amelia froze.

"I know, Amelia."

Her face paled.

"Why?" His voice cracked, just slightly. "Why come back now?"

Her lips parted, but nothing came out.

"Why the lies? Why disappear without a word? Why pretend to be someone else?"

Amelia's voice trembled. "You lied first."

"What are you talking about?"

She stepped closer, tears in her eyes. "You promised me everything. Love. Trust. A future. But then you chose your empire. Your secrets. You shut me out. You made me invisible."

"I was trying to protect you!" he shouted.

"No, Adrian. You were protecting yourself." Her voice broke. "You buried our marriage. You let your family believe I was a mistake. You turned me into a secret."

Silence.

Painful. Unforgiving.

"I needed you," she whispered. "And you weren't there."

Adrian's fists clenched. "So you ran?"

"I had no choice."

"You always had a choice."

"No." She turned away, her shoulders shaking. "Not when I found out I was pregnant."

The words slammed into him like a tidal wave.

Adrian's heart stopped.

"What?"

She looked at him now, eyes burning with truth.

"I was carrying your child, Adrian."