CHAPTER 2 – The Truth That Stopped the Divorce
CHAPTER 2 – The Truth That Stopped the Divorce
No one spoke.
The silence inside the courtroom became almost unbearable as Ethan Blackwood, billionaire CEO of Blackwood Holdings, stared at the little girl in Amelia's arms.
His attorney cleared his throat.
"Mr. Blackwood... should we continue?"
Ethan didn't answer.
His eyes never left the child.
The baby blinked once, studying the stranger in the expensive tailored suit with innocent curiosity. Then she smiled—a tiny, effortless smile that made something inside Ethan crack.
She had his eyes.
The same steel-blue color.
The same small dimple that appeared whenever she smiled.
Impossible.
His hands slowly lowered from the divorce papers lying on the conference table.
"How old is she?" he asked quietly.
Amelia met his gaze for the first time in over a year.
"Nine months."
The number hit him like a punch.
Nine months.
Exactly nine months after the night they had spent together before he disappeared overseas to finalize the biggest acquisition of his career.
The same trip that eventually destroyed their marriage.
"You..." His voice failed. "You were pregnant."
"I found out two weeks after you left."
The room remained frozen.
Every attorney suddenly understood why the divorce hearing had stopped.
Ethan stood.
"When were you planning to tell me?"
Amelia laughed softly.
Not because anything was funny.
Because she no longer had tears left.
"I tried."
She reached into her purse and placed a thick envelope on the table.
Hospital records.
Ultrasound photos.
Thirty-seven unanswered emails.
Forty-two text messages.
A copy of every voicemail she had left.
"I contacted every assistant you hired."
She slid another folder toward him.
"They all told me the same thing."
Mr. Blackwood doesn't wish to be disturbed.
Ethan slowly opened the folder.
Every message had been intercepted.
None had ever reached him.
His head turned toward his executive assistant, Daniel, who suddenly looked terrified.
Daniel lowered his eyes.
"I... I was following instructions."
"Whose instructions?"
No answer.
Then another voice echoed across the room.
"My instructions."
Everyone turned.
Standing near the doorway was Victoria Blackwood.
Ethan's mother.
Elegant.
Perfect.
Cold.
She walked inside as though she owned the building.
"I couldn't allow some ordinary girl to trap my son with a pregnancy."
Amelia closed her eyes.
May you like
Finally.
The truth.
