Carrying The Billionaire's Secret

Leonard Castillo had no business in Santa Inez.

It was a quiet town—too quiet for someone like him. The roads were narrow, the buildings old-fashioned, and the pace was almost maddening. But a last-minute inspection of one of Castillo Corporation's newly acquired logistics warehouses brought him here, and instead of sending someone from his team, Leonard decided to go in person.

A change of scenery, he told himself.

Maybe even some air.

His driver pulled up to the modest business district, where the town's only mall stood across from the warehouse facility.

"We need about an hour to go over the checklist, sir," his project lead told him.

Leonard nodded. "I'll walk."

It wasn't like him to wander. But lately, he'd felt... unsettled. Like something was missing—always hovering just out of reach.

He slipped on his sunglasses, adjusted his coat, and walked across the lot.

---

The Santa Inez Mall was small, but neat—the kind of place where shopkeepers knew every customer by name. Leonard stepped inside, barely glancing at the local bakery or the children's play area.

He headed toward the café, but a sudden burst of sound made him pause.

Children's laughter.

It echoed through the tiled hallway, bright and sharp.

A red balloon floated past him, followed by a flash of movement. A little boy—maybe four years old—ran after it, his tiny sneakers squeaking on the floor.

The balloon bumped into Leonard's arm.

The child didn't stop in time. He ran straight into Leonard's legs.

"Whoa there," Leonard muttered, steadying him by the shoulders.

The boy looked up.

And Leonard's breath caught.

The child's eyes were pale gray. His features—soft but familiar. Too familiar.

For a moment, Leonard couldn't move.

"Sorry, mister," the boy chirped.

Leonard crouched slowly. "You okay?"

The boy grinned. "Yeah. Balloon got away."

Leonard handed it back. "You like balloons, huh?"

"I like fast balloons," he said proudly. "But Mommy says not in the mall."

Leonard's heart pounded. The boy had Arielle's warmth.

But those eyes—they were his.

The boy glanced over his shoulder. "Mommy's over there."

Leonard stood. Followed the boy's pointed finger.

And saw her.

Arielle.

Time hadn't dulled the image. She was still breathtaking—though thinner now, with a weariness he'd never seen before. Her dark hair was longer, loosely braided. A light sweater hugged her frame.

Her face changed the second she saw him.

First confusion. Then shock.

Then fear.

She rushed to the boy's side and took his hand, her eyes locked on Leonard's.

He opened his mouth, but no words came.

Then a man stepped beside her—tall, kind-looking. He placed a hand on Arielle's back and gently rested the other on the boy's head.

They looked... like a family.

Leonard's chest tightened.

Arielle spoke to the man and nodded toward the exit.

And just like that—they turned and walked away.

Leonard stood there.

Frozen.

It was like watching the future he never let himself imagine... walk away.

---

Arielle kept a tight grip on Liam's hand as they reached the parking lot.

Ethan helped her buckle him in, sensing her unease but not asking questions.

When she finally slid into the passenger seat, she exhaled sharply.

Leonard.

Of all the places—of all the days—he had to appear here.

It had been four years.

She thought he'd forgotten. Moved on. Left her behind like an expired contract.

But those eyes… he had seen Liam. He had looked at him.

And she knew.

He suspected.

What will he do now?

What if he tries to take him from me?

She couldn't go through that again.

She wouldn't.

---

Leonard paced his hotel room, coat still on, hands buried in his pockets.

He couldn't stop seeing the boy's face.

He hadn't dreamed it.

Those weren't just any gray eyes—they were his.

And the boy's age? Four, maybe four and a half?

It lined up almost perfectly.

But there had been a man.

Arielle had moved on, clearly. That man had touched the child like he was his own. Like it was natural.

Leonard couldn't stop the jealousy rising in his throat.

But deeper than that...

Guilt.

What if that boy is mine?

What if she never got rid of it... like I demanded?

His hands curled into fists.

He had told her not to keep the baby. Told her there was no future.

And now, if the boy was his...

He had spent four years without knowing his son.

A sick feeling churned in his gut.

He opened his phone, flipped through his contacts, and paused on his lead investigator's name.

He hesitated.

But only for a moment.

Then he typed:

"I need information. Quietly. On someone named Arielle Cruz. Last seen four years ago. Include any child connected to her."

He hit send.

And sat in silence, staring into the dark.

The child's eyes haunted him.

There was only one way to know the truth.

And this time...

He wasn't going to walk away.

---

End of Chapter 14