Chapter 28 Chapter 28
Chapter 28 Chapter 28
David straightened his tie and fixed his gaze on Adrian, his expression calm yet firm.
“Mr. Winters, I’ll be direct with you. If you don’t return Milo to his mother immediately, this situation will quickly turn into a legal disaster for you.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides.
“Are you actually threatening me, Mr… whoever you are?” he asked coldly.
David gave a slight, confident smile.
“Not a threat—just reality. Lena has full custody of Milo. Taking him without her consent can legally be classified as abduction, Adrian. And believe me, that’s not a case you want to deal with—not in court, and certainly not in public.”
Bella, who stood beside Adrian with her arms folded, let out a scoff.
“Oh please! Lena always loves playing the victim, doesn’t she?” she said with a dramatic eye roll, her lips curling into a smirk.
“She’s just overreacting. You have every right to see your son, Adrian. He’s your flesh and blood.”
Lena stood her ground at the doorway, David right beside her.
Though her fingers trembled slightly, her face remained composed and unreadable.
“This isn’t about rights, Bella,” she said sharply.
“It’s about what’s best for Milo. And taking him from school without informing me is not in his best interest.”
Adrian stepped forward, his eyes flashing with anger.
“Taking him? I picked up my son from school, Lena—my son!” he snapped.
“And don’t act like you’re innocent in all this. You’ve been lying to me for years!”
Lena pressed her lips together, her expression turning colder.
“That’s your issue—whatever lies you’ve convinced yourself of, Adrian,” she replied calmly.
“But right now, the only thing that matters is Milo’s well-being.”
David placed a steady hand on Lena’s shoulder before stepping forward again.
“Mr. Winters, I strongly suggest you cooperate. If you push this further, it will become very messy.”
Adrian exhaled sharply, dragging a frustrated hand through his hair.
“So what? You expect me to just hand him over without a fight?”
Bella quickly placed her hand on Adrian’s arm, her voice smooth and persuasive.
“Adrian, don’t listen to them. She’s trying to take Milo away from you. You have every right to keep your son here. Let them go to court if they want.”
Adrian glanced at Bella, conflict flickering across his face.
“Bella, this isn’t just about me. It’s about Milo. I don’t want him dragged into all this chaos,” he said before turning back to Lena, his tone heavy with frustration.
“Fine. You want him? Take him. But don’t think this is over. I’ll find a way to have my son with me soon.”
Lena stepped forward immediately, ignoring his last words.
“Where is he, Adrian?”
Without another word, Adrian turned and walked back into the house.
Lena stood still, her heart pounding loudly in her chest as she waited.
The silence felt suffocating, every second stretching painfully.
Bella leaned lazily against the doorframe, her arms still crossed.
“You really are something, aren’t you, Lena?” she sneered.
“First, you took him from me, and now you’re taking his child too. What more do you want?”
Lena didn’t flinch.
“I’m not here for you, Bella. This is about Milo—only Milo. Stop pretending you care. That act might work on Adrian, but not on me.”
Just then, Milo appeared at the doorway, holding Adrian’s hand.
The moment he saw Lena, his face lit up instantly.
“Mommy!” he called out, letting go of Adrian and running straight toward her.
Lena dropped to her knees and pulled him into a tight embrace, pressing kisses all over his forehead.
“I’m here, baby. Mommy’s here,” she whispered softly.
She stood up, gripping his small hand tightly, and looked at Adrian one last time.
“Don’t ever do this again, Adrian.”
Adrian’s expression remained unreadable.
“We’ll see about that,” he muttered quietly.
Without another word, Lena turned and walked toward the car with Milo, David following behind.
As they drove away, Lena kept her focus on the road, but her thoughts were racing uncontrollably.
She glanced at Milo through the rearview mirror and noticed him staring out the window quietly, lost in thought.
“Sweetheart,” Lena said gently, “I’m really sorry about today. I promise nothing like this will happen again.”
Milo turned to her, his small face filled with confusion.
“Why does Daddy always want me to stay with him? Doesn’t he know I like being with you?”
Lena swallowed hard, her chest tightening.
“Daddy loves you, Milo,” she said softly.
“He just… doesn’t always make the right decisions. But I need you to promise me something, okay?”
Milo nodded. “Okay, Mommy. What is it?”
Lena gave him a small smile.
“For now, don’t go anywhere with Daddy without asking me first. You can talk to him on the phone, but until things get better, you stay with me. Alright?”
Milo tilted his head, thinking.
“Okay… but I’ll miss Daddy sometimes.”
Lena reached back and gently squeezed his hand.
“I know, baby. And that’s okay. You’ll still get to talk to him, and I’ll make sure you see him when the time is right.”
By the time they got home, Lena was exhausted, but she still focused on taking care of him.
After giving Milo a warm bath and dressing him in his pajamas, they sat down at the dining table. Lena had prepared his favorite meal—spaghetti and meatballs.
Halfway through eating, Milo looked up suddenly.
“Mommy, are we still going to have fun tomorrow?”
Lena chuckled softly, relieved by the shift in mood.
“Of course we are. I was thinking we could go to the amusement park after school. What do you think?”
Milo’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“Yay! And can we get ice cream too?”
Lena laughed.
“Anything you want, sweetheart.”
Later that night, Lena tucked him into bed, gently brushing her fingers through his hair.
“Goodnight, my love,” she whispered, placing a soft kiss on his forehead.
“Goodnight, Mommy. I love you,” Milo murmured sleepily.
Lena stood by the doorway for a moment, watching him sleep peacefully.
“I almost lost you today…” she whispered quietly to herself. “But I won’t let that happen again.”
The next morning, Adrian arrived at his company earlier than usual.
His assistant, Dave, met him at the entrance with a tense expression.
“Sir, there’s been an emergency board meeting scheduled.”
Adrian frowned. “An emergency meeting? Who called it?”
Dave adjusted his glasses slightly.
“It was initiated by the new shareholder, sir. He’s requesting immediate changes to company operations.”
Adrian clenched his jaw. “That guy again… Fine. Let’s go.”
Inside the boardroom, the atmosphere was heavy with tension.
At the head of the table sat a tall, dark-haired man with a calculating expression, a faint smirk playing on his lips as Adrian entered.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the man began smoothly, “as you all know, I’ve recently acquired a significant portion of shares in this company. With that comes the need for structural changes.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed. “And who do you think you are, walking in here and trying to change everything overnight?”
The man leaned back casually in his chair. "What? You don’t recognize me, Adrian?”
Adrian stared at him, confusion flickering briefly. "Should I?”
The man’s smirk deepened. “You will. Very soon.”
By the end of the meeting, Adrian had barely managed to maintain control of the situation.
Though he still held authority, he could feel the tension growing within the board.
As soon as he returned to his office, he threw his briefcase onto the desk and ran a frustrated hand over his face.
“Who the hell does he think he is?” he muttered, kicking his chair aside.
Dave cautiously peeked into the office. “Sir, should I reschedule your remaining appointments?”
Adrian shook his head sharply. "No. Leave them. Just… go.”
As Dave quietly closed the door, Adrian sank into his chair, staring out the window.
“First Lena… now this,” he muttered bitterly.
“Everyone seems to be turning against me.”
His grip tightened on the edge of his desk."I'm not letting anyone take what’s mine,” he said under his breath.
“Not her and certainly not him.”