…Say it," Ethan ordered into the phone.
The line was quiet for half a second.
Then—
"The child is not a match, Mr. Blackwell."
The words didn't just land.
They cut.
Ethan didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
Didn't speak.
Behind him, Lila's grip on Leo tightened so suddenly that the boy winced slightly.
"No…" she whispered under her breath.
It wasn't relief.It wasn't victory.
It sounded like fear.
Ethan slowly lowered the phone from his ear, his mind replaying the words over and over again.
Not a match.
His eyes lifted—first to Lila… then to Leo.
The resemblance was still there.
Too strong.
Too precise.
And yet—
The result said otherwise.
A muscle ticked in his jaw.
"Say that again," he said into the phone, his voice dangerously calm.
"Sir, the DNA analysis shows no biological relation between you and the child."
Silence.
Then the call ended.
Leo looked up at Lila, confused. "Mommy… what does that mean?"
Lila couldn't answer.
Her lips trembled, but no sound came out.
Because something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
Ethan slipped his phone into his pocketslowly.
Too slowly.
Then he let out a short, humorless laugh.
"…So that's it," he said.
Lila's head snapped up. "Ethan—"
"You lied."
The accusation was sharp.
Cold.
But beneath it—
Something cracked.
"I didn't lie!" she shot back instantly, panic breaking through. "I would never lie about something like that!"Then explain this!" he barked, his voice rising for the first time.
Leo flinched.
Ethan noticed—and immediately forced himself to step back, dragging a hand through his hair.
Control.
He needed control.
But it was slipping.
Fast.
"I know what I saw," he muttered. "I know what I felt the moment I looked at him."
Lila shook her head, tears streaming now. "Then trust that!"
"Trust?" he repeated, almost laughing again. "You disappeared for five years, Lila. You built a whole life without a word. And now you want me to trust you?"
"Oh shut up,you made me leave,why acting like you care huh?.That child is yours!" she cried.
The room fell silent.
Even Leo looked up at her, startled.
Ethan's eyes locked onto hers.
"Then the test is wrong?"
"Yes!"
Her answer came without hesitation.
Without doubt.
And that—
That shook him.
A slow clap echoed through the room.
All heads turned.
The intruder.
He leaned casually against the wall, a twisted smile spreading across his face.
"Beautiful," he said mockingly. "Absolutely beautiful."
Ethan's gaze snapped to him, lethal. "You find this funny?"
"Oh, I find it predictable," the man replied.
Lila's breath hitched.
"No…" she whispered, shaking her head.
The man's eyes gleamed. "What's wrong, Lila? You thought truth would save you?"
"Shut up," she said sharply, her voice trembling.
But he didn't.He stepped forward slowly.
"Tell me, Mr. Blackwell," he said, tilting his head. "Do you really believe that result?"
Ethan didn't answer.
Didn't look away.
But something in his expression shifted.
Just slightly.
The intruder noticed—and smiled wider.
"Because I don't."
Silence.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
"What do you mean?" Ethan asked, his voice low.
The man chuckled. "I mean… you're asking the wrong question."
"And what's the right one?"
The man's eyes flicked to Lila.
Then back to Ethan.
"Not whose child is he…"
A pause.
"…but who made sure you'd never find out."
That changed everything.
Ethan went completely still.
Lila's knees felt weak.
"No…" she whispered again, but this time it wasn't denial.
It was realization.
Ethan turned slowly toward her.
"You knew this could happen."
It wasn't a question.
Lila swallowed hard, shaking her head. "I didn't know—but I was afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
Her voice broke.
"Of exactly this."
Leo tugged her sleeve again, his small voice shaking now.Mommy… why is everyone fighting?"
Lila dropped to her knees instantly, pulling him into her arms.
"It's okay," she whispered, even as tears fell freely. "It's okay…"
But it wasn't.
Not anymore.
Ethan turned away abruptly, pacing once before stopping near his desk.
His mind was racing.
Fast.
Too fast.
The resemblance.Lila's reaction.
The intruder's confidence.
The result.
None of it lined up.
And Ethan Blackwell didn't believe in coincidences.
He turned back sharply.
"Who has access to that lab?"
The intruder smirked.
"Now you're thinking."
Ethan ignored him, his eyes fixed on Lila.
"Think carefully. Anyone from your past. Anyone who would want to interfere."
Lila's breathing became uneven.Lila's breathing became uneven.
Faces flashed in her mind.
Memories.
Fear.
Then—
Her eyes widened.
Ethan noticed instantly.
"You remembered something."
She shook her head, stepping back. "No… no, it can't be…"
"Who?"
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"…If it's him…"
"WHO, LILA?".Tears streamed down her face as she looked up at Ethan—really looked at him.
And for the first time—
There was no running left.
"No one could escape him," she said, her voice trembling.
The same words.
The same fear.
The same past.
The intruder smiled slowly.
Because now—
The real story was finally beginning.
No one could escape him."
The words still hung in the air when Ethan moved.
Fast.
In one sharp motion, he grabbed the intruder by the collar and slammed him hard against the wall.
"Who. Is. He?" Ethan's voice was low, lethal.
The man only laughed, even as his back hit the wall.
"You always were quick to anger," he said, smirking. "No wonder she ran."
That was enough.
Ethan's fist connected with his jaw.A solid, brutal punch.
The man's head snapped to the side, but he didn't fall. Instead—he smiled wider, tasting the blood at the corner of his lip.
"Good," he muttered. "I was hoping for a fight."
Lila gasped. "Ethan, stop!"
But it was too late.
The man struck back.
Quick. Precise.
His fist drove straight into Ethan's ribs, forcing a grunt out of him. Then he twisted, breaking Ethan's grip and shoving him backward into the desk.
Glass shattered.The room erupted.
Leo screamed. "Mommy!"
Lila dropped immediately, shielding him with her body. "Don't look, baby! Don't look!"
Across the room—
The fight turned savage.
Ethan recovered fast, charging forward again. This time, he didn't hesitate—he tackled the man to the ground.
They crashed hard.
A chair flipped.
The desk shifted.
The man rolled, trying to get on top, but Ethan drove his elbow into his shoulder, pinning him down.
"You broke into my company," Ethan growled, landing another punch. "You threatened her—"
The man laughed through the hit.
"You still don't get it, do you?"
He suddenly twisted, using his weight to flip them both. Now he was on top, grabbing Ethan by the collar and slamming his head lightly against the floor—not enough to knock him out, but enough to disorient.
"I'm not the one you should be worried about," he said coldly.
Ethan shoved him off with force, both men scrambling to their feet at the same time.
Breathing hard.
Eyes locked.
Circling.
Like predators.
"Then enlighten me," Ethan snapped.
The man wiped the blood from his lip, his gaze flicking briefly toward Lila.
That single glance said everything.
Ethan noticed.
And something dangerous shifted inside him.
"You don't look at them," Ethan said quietly. "You don't even breathe near them."
The man chuckled. "Protective already? You don't even know if the kid is yours.Well the truth is,his not u heard them"
That hit—but Ethan didn't show it.
Instead, he lunged again.
This time, the fight was faster.
Harder.
The man ducked a punch, drove his knee into Ethan's side, but Ethan grabbed his arm mid-strike and twisted it behind his back.
A sharp crack echoed.
The man hissed—but instead of backing down, he slammed his head backward catching Ethan in the face.
Both staggered.
Blood now visible on both sides.
The office looked like a war zone.
"STOP!" Lila screamed.
Her voice cut through everything.
Both men paused—just for a second.
She stood now, Leo clinging tightly behind her.
Her eyes were locked on the intruder.
Fear.
Recognition.Anger.
"Daniel," she said, her voice shaking.
The name dropped like thunder.
Ethan froze.
"…Daniel?" he repeated slowly.
The man smiled.
Not playful.
Not mocking.