Chapter 2 - The Ex-Wife Had Raised His Son AloneEthan found Maya outside the ballroom.
She stood near the university garden with Noah sitting on a stone bench beside her.
The boy was holding a small paper airplane.
When he saw Ethan, he looked immediately at Maya.
“Is that my dad?”
Maya swallowed.
“Yes.”
Noah looked at Ethan again.
Then he smiled.
Ethan hadn't expected that.
He approached slowly.
“Hi.”
Noah tilted his head.
“Are you really my dad?”
Ethan knelt.
“Yes.”
“How old are you?”
“Thirty-eight.”
Noah thought.
“That's old.”
Ethan laughed.
For the first time that night, the pressure in his chest loosened.
“You're probably right.”
Noah held up his paper airplane.
“I made this.”
“It's good.”
“It doesn't fly.”
“Maybe it's too heavy.”
Noah looked at it.
“Mom said airplanes need balance.”
“She’s right.”
Noah smiled.
“You know airplanes?”
“A little.”
“What else do you know?”
Ethan smiled.
“A lot of things.”
Noah thought for a second.
“Do you know dinosaurs?”
Ethan laughed.
“Not enough.”
That was when Maya turned away.
Her face softened.
Ethan noticed.
She had missed something.
Not him.
This.
The father he could have been.
The first bedtime story.
The first tooth.
The first fever.
The first birthday.
All of it had happened without him.
“Why didn't you tell me?” he asked quietly.
Maya stared at the lake.
“I already explained.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“You gave me the answer you could live with.”
Her jaw tightened.
“I don't owe you more.”
“You're right.”
He paused.
“But Noah deserves more.”
Maya looked at him.
“I know.”
“So let me be his father.”
She didn't answer.
“Maya.”
“He needs stability.”
“I can give him that.”
“You work twelve-hour days.”
“I'll change.”
“You travel.”
“I'll stop.”
“You've never even been to one of his doctor's appointments.”
The words hurt.
“I didn't know.”
“I know.”
“Then don't punish me for something I didn't know.”
“I've spent three years protecting him.”
“And I can spend the rest of my life making up for the time I missed.”
She looked at him.
For the first time, Ethan saw uncertainty.
Then Noah interrupted.
“Dad?”
Ethan turned.
“Yeah?”
“Can I call you that?”
The question destroyed him.
He smiled.
“You can call me anything you want.”
Noah thought.
“Dad.”
Ethan looked down.
“Okay.”
Maya closed her eyes briefly.
A small crack in the wall.
Then Ethan noticed Noah's right hand.
A thin scar ran across his palm.
“What happened?”
Maya immediately moved his hand away.
“Old injury.”
“How?”
“He cut it on glass.”
“When?”
“Two years ago.”
Ethan frowned.
“You weren't there.”
“No.”
“Who was?”
Maya didn't answer.
Ethan looked at the scar again.
“What happened?”
Her face hardened.
“That's not tonight's conversation.”
He nodded.
“But there will be a conversation.”
“Yes.”
They left the gala separately.
Ethan spent the drive home staring through the window.
His life had changed in an hour.
His assistant called.
“Mr. Caldwell, your nine o'clock tomorrow has been confirmed.”
“Cancel it.”
“The board meeting?”
“Move it.”
“Which one?”
“All of them.”
“Mr. Caldwell—”
“I said all of them.”
He hung up.
When he entered his penthouse, Victoria was waiting.
She had changed into pajamas.
Her makeup was gone.
For the first time, Ethan saw how frightened she was.
“I need answers,” she said.
“So do I.”
“How long?”
“How long what?”
“How long were you married to Maya?”
“Four years.”
“And you didn't know she was pregnant?”
“No.”
“You believe her?”
“Yes.”
Victoria's expression changed.
“You trust her?”
“I don't know.”
“She lied to you.”
“She was scared.”
“You're defending her.”
“No.”
He loosened his tie.
“I'm trying to understand.”
Victoria walked toward him.
“What about us?”
He looked at her.
“What about us?”
“Our wedding.”
“I don't know.”
Her face crumbled.
“You said you loved me.”
“I did.”
“Did?”
He closed his eyes.
“I need time.”
“You can't do this to me.”
He looked at her.
“You're asking me to plan a wedding while I just discovered I have a three-year-old son.”
“What do you want?”
“I don't know.”
Victoria wiped a tear.
“It's her, isn't it?”
“No.”
“You're looking at her differently.”
Ethan didn't answer.
Victoria nodded.
“I see.”
She went upstairs.
Ethan stayed alone.
Then his phone rang.
His head of security.
“Sir.”
“What?”
“We have a problem.”
“What kind?”
“A car followed Ms. Kane after the gala.”
Ethan froze.
“Maya?”
“Yes.”
“Where is she now?”
“Home.”
“Send two men.”
“They're already there.”
Ethan grabbed his coat.
He drove to Maya's house.
A small brick home.
Quiet.
Private.
Lights on upstairs.
He approached the front door.
Maya opened it before he knocked.
“You shouldn't be here.”
“I know.”
“What happened?”
“Someone followed you.”
She froze.
Then glanced upstairs.
“Noah.”
“He's safe.”
She closed the door.
For a moment neither spoke.
Then Ethan asked:
“Who is after you?”
“I don't know.”
“You do.”
She stared.
“I know they wanted something.”
“What?”
She hesitated.
“My old files.”
“What files?”
“Documents from Caldwell Holdings.”
Ethan's expression changed.
“What documents?”
“Your father’s accounts.”
Ethan went still.
His father had died seven years earlier.
Officially, of a heart attack.
“What about his accounts?”
Maya looked toward the staircase.
“He wasn't clean.”
Ethan's jaw tightened.
“My father was investigated.”
“Not enough.”
“What did you find?”
“That money was being moved through shell companies.”
“To whom?”
“I never found out.”
“How did you get the documents?”
“By accident.”
“When?”
“While we were married.”
Ethan stared.
“You knew this before the divorce.”
“Yes.”
“And you never told me.”
“I was afraid.”
“Of my father?”
“Of everyone.”
Then a noise sounded upstairs.
Maya froze.
Ethan drew his phone.
“What was that?”
She whispered:
“Noah.”
They ran upstairs.
His bedroom was empty.
The window was open.
The curtains moved in the wind.
Maya screamed his name.
Ethan looked outside.
A black SUV sped away.
He grabbed the nearest chair and shattered the window latch.
“Call the police.”
Maya was already dialing.
Then she stopped.
A small voice came from beneath the bed.
“Mommy?”
Maya dropped to her knees.
“Noah!”
He crawled out.
Terrified.
Ethan knelt beside him.
“Are you okay?”
Noah nodded.
“A man came.”
Maya's face went white.
“What man?”
“He asked where Dad was.”
Ethan's blood ran cold.
“What did you tell him?”
Noah looked at him.
“I said you were at the party.”
Maya hugged him.
Ethan stood.
The danger was no longer theoretical.
Someone knew about Noah.
Someone had known before Ethan did.
May you like
And whoever it was had just made one mistake.
They had given Ethan a reason to fight.
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