Chapter 5 Shattered Glass

The morning after Liam's first visit felt strangely... calm.

Too calm.

Adrian stood in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, pouring fresh orange juice into a glass while bacon sizzled in the pan behind him. He glanced at the living room every few seconds, watching Liam draw dinosaurs on the coffee table with crayons he'd bought at 6 a.m.

A man like Adrian Blackwood didn't cook. He commanded kitchens, hired private chefs, and never touched a frying pan.

But today was different.

Today, he was a father.

He had missed five years of breakfasts, five years of silly questions and Sunday cartoons. He wasn't missing another one. Not if he could help it.

Liam peeked over the couch

"Are you gonna burn it?"

Adrian turned. "Burn what?"

"The bacon," Liam said, raising an eyebrow that was identical to Adrian's. "You keep staring at me instead of cooking."

Adrian chuckled. "You're too smart for your age."

"I know," Liam said matter-of-factly.

Amelia stepped out of the guest room at that moment, her hair messy from sleep, wearing one of Adrian's oversized shirts. She froze briefly when she saw the domestic scene before her-the billionaire at the stove, the little boy on the rug, the scent of breakfast.

A picture that didn't belong in their reality.

Not yet.

Maybe not ever.

Adrian noticed the pause in her eyes.

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded slowly. "Just... not used to seeing you like this."

"I'm not used to being like this," he said softly, turning off the burner. "But I could get used to it."

Amelia glanced at Liam, then back at Adrian. "Let's not make promises before we know how to keep them."

They sat at the kitchen island, Liam munching noisily while Adrian listened to his stories about space monsters and T-Rex battles. Amelia mostly stayed quiet, content to observe the easy bond forming between the two.

But in the back of her mind, unease brewed.

Adrian's world wasn't just wealth and skyscrapers-it was secrets, power, enemies in silk suits, and press that fed off blood.

Sooner or later, the truth would come crashing in.

And when it did, their fragile peace would shatter.

Later that afternoon, Amelia and Liam packed to return to Boston. It was a temporary trip-she had agreed to give Adrian time with Liam regularly, but she needed space. She needed to breathe.

Adrian walked them to the car personally.

Liam hugged him tightly around the waist before climbing into the backseat. Adrian held that moment longer than he meant to.

"Be good," he said, crouching to eye-level.

"I always am," Liam said. "Mom says I'm her superhero."

Adrian's lips twitched. "She's not wrong."

As the car pulled away, Adrian stood on the curb, hands in his pockets, eyes lingering on the taillights until they vanished.

For the first time in years, his penthouse felt empty.

And he hated it.

Back upstairs, Adrian walked into his office, poured a scotch, then tossed it back without tasting it. His mind was already spinning with possibilities.

He needed to prepare. His son wasn't just a boy-he was now heir to the Blackwood legacy.

And that meant enemies would come.

He picked up his phone and dialed his most trusted associate.

"Isaac. I need full legal custody protocols. I want to make sure Liam is protected in every way. Financially. Legally. Discreetly."

There was a pause. "Of course, Mr. Blackwood. Should I alert the board?"

"No," Adrian snapped. "Not yet. This stays between us."

But someone else was already listening.

Across the city, in a plush leather chair inside a rival corporation, Vanessa Langford leaned back, swirling wine in a crystal glass. Her assistant, Max, handed her a file.

"You were right," Max said. "She's back. Amelia Hart. And she has a son."

Vanessa smiled coldly. "Blackwood's secret wife. Now his secret child.

Max looked uneasy. "This could blow up the company."

Vanessa tapped the file thoughtfully. "Oh, it will."

She had always known Adrian's biggest weakness wasn't greed. It wasn't pride. It was her-the woman he loved in silence. The one he buried in shadows.

Now she was back.

And Vanessa had waited five long years to destroy them both.

The next day, Amelia was back in Boston, trying to pretend her world wasn't teetering on the edge of another disaster.

Liam was safe.

For now.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming.

Something dangerous

Her phone buzzed. It was Adrian.

Adrian: "I need you to come back to New York. Today. Something's happened."

Her heart dropped.

When she arrived at Adrian's office that evening, chaos greeted her.

The receptionist avoided eye contact. People whispered. Cameras flashed outside the building. Amelia pulled her cap lower and walked straight into the executive elevator.

Adrian met her at the door, his jaw tight.

"Someone leaked it."

Her heart stopped. "Leaked what?"

"Everything," he said. "Us. Liam. The marriage. The child."

Amelia's knees buckled slightly.

Adrian caught her arm.

"It's all over the internet," he said. "The press. The blogs. They're calling him the 'bastard heir.' They're calling you a gold-digger. A ghost. A liar."

Amelia couldn't breathe.

"How... who..."

"Vanessa," Adrian said darkly. "It has her fingerprints."

Amelia's heart pounded. "Why would she do this?"

"She's always wanted my seat. Now she has fuel to start a fire."

He guided her into his office, away from the curious eyes of his employees.

"They've already contacted your old boss in Boston," he continued. "Paparazzi are surrounding your apartment. Emma had to take Liam to a hotel."

Amelia covered her mouth. "Oh my God..."

Adrian's voice was steel. "I'm flying you both here. Tonight. I'll hire security. We'll handle this."

"I never should've come back," she whispered, tears threatening. "I should've stayed gone."

"No." He turned her to face him. "You did what was right-for Liam. Now I will do what's right."

She met his eyes.

And for the first time since returning, she believed him.

That night, as the plane landed in New York with Emma and Liam aboard, Amelia stood beside Adrian in the private hangar, her hand trembling slightly in his.

Cameras lurked just beyond the fences, flashes blinking like lightning bugs in the dark.

"This is just the beginning," she said.

"I know."

"They're going to dig up everything. They'll rip us apart."

Adrian looked at her then, a fire in his eyes. "Then let them. But they won't touch Liam."

Inside the penthouse, Liam ran into his mother's arms, confused but brave.

Adrian crouched beside him.

"Hey, buddy."

Liam looked up. "Why are all those people with cameras outside?"

"Because they just found out how special you are," Adrian said softly.

"I don't like it," Liam said, frowning.

Adrian looked at Amelia. "Neither do we. But we're going to keep you safe. I promise."

Emma pulled Amelia aside later that evening.

"You okay?" she asked.

"No," Amelia said honestly. "But I think we're in this now. Whether we like it or not."

"Do you trust him?"

Amelia paused.

Then nodded.

"For the first time in a long time... yes."

The next morning, headlines exploded.

"Billionaire's Hidden Wife and Child Revealed: Amelia Hart Returns with 5-Year-Old Heir"

Blackwood's Hidden Past Could Destroy His Empire

"Illegitimate Son or Hidden Legacy?"

Public divided over child's future in Blackwood family

"Vanessa Langford Speaks: 'We Deserve Honesty From Our Leaders'"

Langford publicly calls for Adrian Blackwood to step down

Inside the boardroom of Blackwood Corp, tension was at its peak.

Adrian stood at the head of the table, flanked by senior executives, all whispering, some glaring.

"You've put the company at risk," one of the board members said coldly. "What else are you hiding, Mr. Blackwood?"

Adrian's voice cut through the room. "I've hidden nothing more than any of you. I protected my family-something every man here would do."

Vanessa, seated across the table in a sleek crimson suit, leaned forward.

"Then prove it. Step down until the storm settles."

Adrian smirked. "I won't step down. And if anyone else here thinks I'm not fit to lead this company, feel free to vote. But understand this-removing me won't save you. Because I built this empire."

Vanessa's smile didn't reach her eyes.

"This isn't personal, Adrian. It's business."

Adrian leaned forward. "For me? It's war."

That evening, back at the penthouse, Amelia stood on the balcony, watching the city buzz below like a beehive set on fire.

Adrian joined her, two glasses in hand.

"You're trending on Twitter," he said. "Again."

"Wonderful," she muttered.

He handed her a glass. "To surviving."

She clinked her glass lightly with his. "Barely."

He turned serious. "They want me to step down."

"Will you?

"No," he said. "Because now I have something to fight for. Someone to protect."

He looked at her then. Really looked.

And for the first time in year, Amelia didn't feel invisible.

She felt seen.

Cherished.

Real.

"I lost you once," Adrian said. "I'm not doing it again."

She blinked, tears rising.

"Then don't make me regret this."

He took her hand.

"You won't.