******
The file sat unopened on Damian’s desk, but its weight was unbearable. It wasn’t the paper, the ink, or the glossy photographs that burdened him. It was the truth inside — a truth he had denied, ignored, lost, and now rediscovered.
Adrian. His son.
He hadn’t slept in days. Whenever he closed his eyes, all he saw was a small boy’s smile, a boy who carried his face. His heir. His blood.
Tonight, the city outside glittered under moonlight, but Damian sat in darkness, his whiskey untouched. He had spent years building walls around his emotions, but now every stone had been torn down by the image of one child.
A knock at the door broke through his thoughts.
“Enter,” his voice came out sharp.
Marcus stepped in. “They left the house an hour ago. Emery, Ethan, and Adrian. She took hi
