Chapter 2 - The Billionaire Boss Who Suddenly Wanted the ImpossibleThe next morning, Oliver woke with better color in his face.
He finished breakfast.
He even asked for seconds.
That alone felt like a miracle.
I went through my normal routine.
Medication.
School.
Laundry.
Bills.
But my mind stayed at the mansion.
Sebastian's foot.
The reaction in his eyes.
The doctor's fear.
The mysterious phone call.
I tried to convince myself none of it had anything to do with me.
It didn't work.
At eleven thirty, a black SUV parked outside my apartment.
Gabriel stepped out.
I opened the door before he knocked.
“No.”
He looked amused.
“I haven't said anything.”
“You're here to take me to Sebastian.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“He sent me.”
“I have a job.”
“You quit yesterday.”
“I did not.”
“You did.”
“I told my landlord I could make rent.”
Gabriel sighed.
“Mr. Lombardi paid your rent.”
I froze.
“What?”
“He paid three months.”
“You don't get to do that.”
“Apparently he does.”
I wanted to slam the door.
Instead, Oliver appeared behind me.
“Mom?”
Gabriel's expression softened immediately.
“Hi, Oliver.”
My son hid behind me.
I stared at Gabriel.
“How do you know his name?”
“Sebastian told me.”
Oliver looked at him.
“Are you a bad guy?”
Gabriel blinked.
“No.”
Oliver considered him.
“You look like one.”
I almost smiled.
Gabriel sighed.
“Your son is observant.”
“He gets that from me.”
“He's right.”
Gabriel handed me an envelope.
“Mr. Lombardi wants you at noon.”
I opened it.
Inside was a contract.
One year.
One million dollars.
My hands shook.
I looked up.
“I said once a week.”
“That's the price for one session.”
“I can't accept this.”
“Then don't.”
I stared at him.
“Why offer it?”
“Because Sebastian doesn't bargain with things he considers important.”
I folded the contract.
“I won't belong to him.”
“You'd be surprised how much he knows about belonging.”
At the mansion, Sebastian was waiting in the same room.
But this time, he had pushed himself out of the wheelchair.
He stood between two parallel bars.
His legs trembled violently.
He was holding on with both hands.
I stared.
“You shouldn't be standing alone.”
“Neither should I.”
He looked at me.
“You said I might walk.”
“I said we might improve the nerve pathway.”
“Semantics.”
“You're impatient.”
“I waited twenty years.”
Fair point.
I examined his legs again.
The sensation had improved.
But something still bothered me.
“What happened immediately after the bombing?”
Sebastian's face hardened.
“My father died.”
“That isn't what I asked.”
“I woke up in the hospital.”
“Who brought you in?”
“An ambulance.”
“Who was driving the car?”
He looked at Gabriel.
“Ask him.”
Gabriel entered.
Sebastian said:
“Tell her.”
Gabriel was silent.
I looked between them.
“What?”
Gabriel finally spoke.
“There was no ambulance.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“We were told the ambulance arrived five minutes after the explosion.”
“Were they actually there?”
“No.”
“Then who took Sebastian?”
Gabriel looked at him.
“Your father’s security chief.”
“Who?”
“Marcus Vale.”
Sebastian's expression changed.
“Marcus died that night.”
“According to the official report.”
Gabriel placed a file on the table.
“His body was identified.”
I opened it.
The photograph showed a burned corpse.
But the face was barely recognizable.
I felt something cold crawl down my spine.
“This identification isn't reliable.”
“I know.”
Sebastian stared at me.
“Because?”
“The skull was fractured before the explosion.”
Silence.
Gabriel's eyes narrowed.
“How can you tell?”
“The jaw.”
I pointed.
“These fractures happened before the fire.”
Sebastian leaned forward.
“You're saying the body wasn't Marcus.”
“I'm saying whoever died wasn't the person they claimed.”
Sebastian's expression became deadly.
“Find him.”
Gabriel nodded.
Then left.
I turned to Sebastian.
“You trust him?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He saved my life.”
“Then why did he know exactly where Oliver lived?”
Sebastian's eyes sharpened.
“Because he works for me.”
“That isn't an answer.”
He smiled faintly.
“No. It isn't.”
We trained for two hours.
Sebastian stood.
Took one step.
Fell.
I caught him.
His hand grabbed my waist.
Our faces were inches apart.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then Sebastian said softly:
“Don't let me fall.”
“You have guards everywhere.”
“I wasn't talking about physically.”
I stepped away.
“You're impossible.”
“So I've been told.”
By the end of the session, he had taken seven steps.
Seven.
For the first time in twenty years.
When I left, his mood was almost peaceful.
Then I saw Gabriel outside.
He was standing beside another man.
An old man.
Gray hair.
Scar above his left eyebrow.
I couldn't hear what he said.
But I saw Gabriel hand him a photograph.
The photograph was of Sebastian.
And beneath it was another image.
Me.
I stopped.
Gabriel looked up.
Our eyes met.
The old man folded the photograph.
Then disappeared into a waiting car.
I hurried toward Gabriel.
“Who was that?”
“No one.”
“Liar.”
His face hardened.
“Go home, Claire.”
“Who is watching me?”
He didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
“Gabriel.”
His voice dropped.
“You don't want the answer.”
“Why?”
“Because once you know, you'll never be able to go back.”
I looked toward the mansion.
Then at him.
“I'm already there.”
He stared at me.
For a moment, something almost like regret crossed his face.
Then he said:
“Your son isn't sick by accident.”
I stopped breathing.
He walked away.
I stood frozen.
Oliver wasn't sick by accident.
That was impossible.
His disease was autoimmune.
Rare.
Unpredictable.
Medical.
Unless—
Someone had done something.
Someone had caused it.
That night I searched every medical file I had.
Then I found something I had ignored for years.
Oliver's symptoms had begun six months after I accepted a temporary rehabilitation job at a private facility.
A facility owned by—
Lombardi Health Systems.
My blood ran cold.
I called Sebastian.
He answered immediately.
“Claire?”
“Did your company operate a medical research facility in 2019?”
Silence.
“Yes.”
“Did I ever work there?”
Another pause.
“Yes.”
“Did Oliver receive treatment there?”
Silence.
“Yes.”
My heart pounded.
“Sebastian.”
“What?”
“Did you know my son before you met me?”
May you like
He did not answer.
And that was enough.
Related Stories
