The sky above Manhattan was a dull gray, matching the cold silence inside the luxury office of Sophia Carter, CEO of Carter Enterprises. Sharp heels clicked against the marble as she walked to her desk, every movement precise, every breath controlled.
Five years had passed since the divorce. And yet… she still remembered the way Adrian Blake had looked at her in the courtroom—hurt, proud, and infuriatingly calm.
"Ma'am, the investors from Tokyo are on the line," her assistant's voice interrupted.
Sophia didn't flinch. "Tell them to wait. Five minutes."
She sat down, her fingers grazing a silver-framed photo hidden in her drawer. She never let anyone see it. A boy—barely four—smiling with almond-shaped eyes. Her son. Their son.
Adrian didn't know. He never did.
Because back then, she had been too angry… too proud. And now? She was too late.
---
Across the city, in a busy hospital, Dr. Adrian Blake tossed his gloves into the bin and rubbed his temples. Another sixteen-hour shift. Another day trying to forget the woman who once ruled his life.
"She said she didn't want kids," he muttered bitterly to himself. "She wanted her company, her empire. Not a family."
"Dr. Blake!" A nurse rushed in. "We've got a young boy—car accident. Internal bleeding. He's losing blood fast."
Adrian snapped out of it instantly. "OR 2, now. Prep the team!"
When he entered the room, his eyes locked on the child's face.
Pale skin. Soft curls. And eyes… eyes that looked exactly like his own.
His breath caught.
"No… that's not possible," he whispered.
But something deep inside him already knew.