The Billionaire Believed He Was Sterile—Until My 5-Year-Old Asked Him, "Why Do You Have My Face?"

Richard Brooks stumbled backward as if he had been struck across the chest with an iron bar.

"You... you monster," Richard gasped, his fingers trembling as he pointed at Ethan. "Your father built this company! I helped him build it! You can't strip my shares!"

"My father built this company on lies that destroyed six years of my family's life," Ethan replied coldly. "You helped him cover up the medical fraud that kept me from my son. You are lucky I am allowing you to keep your retirement pension, Richard. Get out of my house."

The sheriff quickly grabbed Richard’s arm. "Mr. Brooks, we're leaving. Now."

The legal team scrambled out the front doors, dragging the sputtering, defeated old man behind them. The heavy iron doors slammed shut, sealing the compound once again in absolute, peaceful quiet.

Ethan stood in the foyer for a long moment, staring at the torn court papers on the floor. His shoulders were tense, his breathing heavy.

I stepped out from behind the oak doors and walked over to him. Without saying a word, I reached out and took his hand, sliding my fingers between his.

Ethan looked down at our joined hands, his face softening as he pulled me into his side, resting his head against mine.

"It's over, Emily," Ethan whispered. "He can't touch him. No one can."

"I know," I said softly, looking up at him. "Thank you, Ethan."

"Don't thank me," he said, turning to face me fully, his thumb gently tracing my lower lip. "Thank you for surviving. Thank you for taking care of our boy when I wasn't there to protect you."

Just then, a tiny pair of footsteps came pitter-pattering down the marble hallway.

Theo ran into the foyer holding a large sheet of paper covered in messy blue and yellow finger paint. He stopped near our feet, looking up at us with bright, wide gray eyes.

"Look, Dad!" Theo cheered, holding up the paper. "I drew a picture of our house! And I drew the big telescope!"

Ethan immediately dropped to his knees on the marble floor, taking the wet painting with extreme care, as if it were a rare museum artifact worth millions.

"This is the best painting I have ever seen in my life, Theo," Ethan said, his voice thick with genuine emotion. "We're going to frame this and hang it in my office at the top of the tower."