Chapter 300

Chapter 300
The black SUV rolled quietly into the driveway of Damian’s Los Angeles home. The sun was dipping behind the tall gates, painting warm gold over the walls. Damian stepped out slowly, stretching his stiff shoulders. Italy had drained him—meetings, threats, long nights, and constant searching for a child he still hadn’t found.
But the moment he inhaled the familiar air of home, something inside him loosened.
He was finally back.
He walked toward the house, rolling his suitcase behind him. It felt strange—almost unreal—to return after so many days.
He missed Serene.
He missed the kids.
He missed the comfort of a place that wasn’t filled with danger.
But as he neared the door, he heard noise. A lot of it.
“LUNAAAAA STOP CHASING ME WITH THAT BRUSH!”
“REID YOU LIED, YOU SAID YOU WOULD SHARE THE COOKIES!”
“MOM! MOM! MIRA WON’T LET ME POUR THE JUICE MYSELF!”
Damian stopped.
A laugh slipped out of his chest.
Home.
He pushed the door open.
Immediately—
“MOM HE START—OH—”
Luna froze mid-scream.
Reid froze mid-chase.
Mira froze mid-grab, holding Reid by the back of his shirt.
Damian blinked three times, unsure of what he just walked into.
Reid suddenly exploded with excitement.
“DADDYYYYY!!!”
Before Damian could react, Reid slammed into him, wrapping small arms around Damian’s waist.
Damian dropped his bag and kneeled, hugging him tightly. “Hey, buddy… I missed you.”
Luna launched herself next, attaching to Damian’s neck like a koala.
“Daddy! Don’t ever leave again! Ever! For real!”
Damian laughed, rubbing her back. “Okay, okay, I hear you.”
And then his eyes lifted—
Serene stood behind the couch, hands clasped tightly, breathing unevenly.
She smiled at him, but it wasn’t calm. It wasn’t relaxed. It was a nervous smile—forced, shaky.
Damian frowned slightly. “Serene?”
Before she could answer—
before he could stand—
a tiny head peeked from behind the sofa.
A little girl.
Small. Fragile.
Wrapped in a blanket too big for her.
Her hair slightly messy.
Her eyes wide—huge, scared, familiar in a way Damian couldn’t explain.
His body froze.
Who… is that?
He didn’t speak.
He didn’t move.
His heart thumped once—hard.
But before the moment could deepen—
Mira acted fast.
“EVERYONE UPSTAIRS!” she yelled, grabbing Reid with one hand and Luna with the other. “And you too, sweetheart,” she said to the little girl softly, pulling her gently from behind the couch.
The child went willingly, eyes still locked on Damian the whole time. Something in his chest twisted—but he didn’t understand why.
“Mira? Mira—wait,” Damian called.
“No time!” Mira barked, dragging all three children toward the staircase.
Reid protested loudly.
Luna screamed that she wasn’t finished talking.
The small girl stayed silent, hugging the blanket to her chin.
Serene stepped forward.
“Let Mira handle them,” she said quickly. “She… she has to take them upstairs.”
Damian stared after them, confusion tightening his brow.
“When did we start collecting extra kids?” he asked, voice low, half joking, half serious.
Serene swallowed.
Damian looked at her fully now. “Serene. Talk to me.”
She sat down slowly on the couch, her fingers shaking slightly. For the first time since he entered, he noticed how tense she looked.
“Damian,” she whispered, “there is… something you need to know.”
His heartbeat thudded once. “About the girl?”
Serene nodded.
Damian sat beside her, jaw tight.
“Who is she?”
Serene inhaled deeply—slow, steady—trying to control her shaking voice.
“I didn’t want to scare her,” she said. “She’s been through a lot. She’s traumatized. She hasn’t spoken much. She barely eats unless I sit beside her. She doesn’t sleep unless the lights are on. She’s scared of strangers. She—”
“Serene,” Damian said softly. “Start with the part I need to hear.”
She looked at him.
Really looked at him.
Then she said the words slowly, clearly, like they were a blade she had to push out of her own heart:
“I ran a DNA test.”
Damian’s breath caught.
She continued, voice trembling, eyes burning.
“I used your toothbrush… because I needed to be sure. Because she looked familiar. Because something inside me said she wasn’t just any lost child.”
Damian leaned in, pupils dilating. “Serene…”
“The results came back two days later.”
Her hands tightened hard on her lap.
“It was 99.9% positive.”
She lifted her eyes to his.
“That little girl upstairs…”
She swallowed, her voice breaking.
“…is your daughter.”
The room went silent.
No voices.
No footsteps.
No sound from upstairs.
Just Damian.
Frozen.
Breathing shallow.
Chest rising and falling too fast.
Eyes wide, shocked, empty—then full—then completely blank again.
“Serene…” he whispered, voice cracking. “Are you… are you sure?”
Tears pricked Serene’s eyes.
“Yes.”
Damian leaned back on the couch, covering his mouth with his hand, staring at the stairs where the small girl had disappeared.
He whispered one word.
A word that punched the whole room silent.
“Sia…”