Chapter 4 - Whispers in the Dark
By midnight, the twins were stable. Fed, bathed, and swaddled in soft organic cotton, Noah and Eli slept peacefully in twin cribs set up in the master guest suite.
Lila, however, refused to sleep.
She sat on the edge of a massive king-sized bed, wearing a pair of oversized silk pajamas a housekeeper had brought her. Her scrubbed face revealed pale skin, a light dusting of freckles across her nose, and a faint, thin scar running along her jawline—a souvenir from the falling debris of the fire.
Adrian sat in an armchair nearby, holding two mugs of warm milk mixed with honey. He set one on the nightstand beside her.
“The doctor says Noah and Eli will be fine,” Adrian said quietly. “They were severely dehydrated, but their hearts are strong. Like yours.”
Lila stared at the mug. She didn't reach for it.
“Why did Mommy run from you?” she asked again, her amber eyes locking onto his with uncompromising clarity. “She told me that the Vale name was a curse. She said if anyone found out who we were, they would take us away.”
Adrian let out a long, ragged sigh. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“Your mother and I loved each other more than anything in this world, Lila,” Adrian began, his voice heavy with memories. “But my family... my uncle Julian... they viewed people as assets. When I became chief executive of our company, I began developing affordable medical technology to give away to public hospitals. Julian wanted to monetize it, to sell it to the highest bidder for billions.”
He looked into the fireplace dancing in the corner of the room.
“Eight years ago, Julian threatened Evelyn. He told her that if I didn't step down and hand over my shares, he would destroy my life’s work and make sure I ended up in prison through fabricated fraud charges. Evelyn knew how much my work meant to me. She also knew Julian was dangerous.”
Lila’s breath hitched. “So she pretended to die?”
“She didn't tell me,” Adrian’s voice cracked. “She staged the car accident in the river to protect me and to protect you. She thought that if she vanished, Julian would have no leverage over me, and you would be safe from the corporate wars.”
Lila looked down at her hands. “She lived in a tiny cottage with no electricity. She sewed clothes for people in town. She worked in gardens. We never had much... but we were happy.”
“And the twins?” Adrian asked gently.
“They’re not her blood,” Lila whispered, a tear finally escaping her eye and tracing a clean path down her cheek. “A young woman in the village died giving birth to them twenty-six days ago. She had no family. Mommy took them in. She said every child deserves a home, no matter how small.”
Adrian felt a surge of awe and heartbreak so profound it threatened to shatter him. Evelyn had lived in poverty, hiding in the shadows, yet her heart had been so immense that she had taken in two orphaned infants while caring for their own daughter.
Suddenly, a soft knock echoed at the bedroom door. Marcus stepped inside, his face pale.
“Boss,” Marcus murmured, gesturing toward the hallway. “We have a situation. Security at the front gate just flagged an incoming vehicle.”
May you like
Adrian stood up, his posture instantly hardening. “Who is it?”
“It’s Julian,” Marcus said grimly. “He brought two corporate lawyers and a news crew. He’s claiming he received an anonymous tip that you’ve brought an unregistered child into the estate, and he’s demanding an emergency wellness check.”
