Chapter 39 Tension
Phoenix’s laughter rang through the air as Seraphina played with him. He was sitting in her lap, his tiny hands cupping her cheeks as she peppered his face with kisses- forehead, nose, chin, over and over again until his giggles dissolved into breathless squeals.
“Stop, Mum,” he gasped, wriggling. “It tickles!”
Seraphina smiled through the ache in her chest. “I missed you too much,” she whispered, tightening her arms around him. “Sure you’ve missed mummy too.”
He giggled again but then his face softened, his big brown eyes rising to hers with a question that pierced straight through her ribs. “Mummy… where’s Maris? Is she coming to take me home?”
The warmth in Seraphina’s chest broke apart in an instant. Her lips parted, but words refused to come. The truth sat like a stone in her throat.
Before she could force an answer, Julian walked into the garden, sunlight bled over his shoulders, softening the edges of his ruthless features. His expression shifted briefly when he saw them- mother and son- before his voice filled the silence.
“Maris is gone,” he said, his tone even. “She was a bad person, Phoenix. She ran away.”
Seraphina looked up at him, startled by the sudden intrusion that she now realized she needed. Their eyes met, and for a fleeting second, this morning flashed in her mind. He had seen her naked body, his stunned face, the unspeakable heat that had pulsed between them. She looked away immediately, flustered.
Phoenix blinked. “Bad person? Why?”
Julian crouched down to the boy’s level, his voice convincing and gentle. “Because Maris sold small children to bad people. And she was going to sell you, too.”
Phoenix gasped, his little hand tightening on his mother’s shirt. “She wanted to sell me? Was it to the people you saved me from?”
Julian nodded slowly. “You are smart, kid. But we found you before they could. You’re safe now, and you’ll never see her again.”
Phoenix’s mouth formed a small “O,” then he frowned in thought. “That’s better,” he said solemnly, nodding with a strange maturity for his age. “Then she shouldn’t come again.”
Julian’s lips twitched- almost a smile. “She won’t,” he promised, brushing his hand through the boy’s soft hair. “Not ever again.”
Phoenix brightened at that and turned his head toward the door Julian’s entrance door “Can I go watch my show now?”
“Go ahead,” Julian said.
Phoenix hopped off Seraphina’s lap and turned toward the door, then paused halfway. “Mum, will you come with me?”
Seraphina smiled faintly, tucking a stray curl from his forehead. “I’ll join you later, baby.”
He nodded, satisfied, and ran out.
Silence followed his exit, the kind that carried too much meaning. Seraphina exhaled softly and leaned back against the couch. “He’s fond of you,” she murmured. “Strangely fond. When I was with Damien in Seattle, Phoenix never once asked if Damien was his dad. But after meeting you once, he did.” Her voice faltered. “It’s strange.”
Julian straightened, his eyes holding hers. “Blood recognizes blood,” he said simply. “And maybe… he sensed it. Just like I did.”
That last line made her pulse hitch. The weight of his gaze pinned her where she sat, and she blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the sudden slight tension in the air. “Right,” she said quietly, her throat dry.
After a moment, she asked the question that had been gnawing at her since dawn. “Now that Damien’s told the world I have a son… what am I supposed to do?”
Julian’s expression didn’t change. “Not you, Seraphina. What are ‘we’ supposed to do?” His voice deepened around the word ‘we’ wrapping around her heart like an invisible hand. “As far as Phoenix is concerned, I’m involved. From now on.”
Her breath caught. We. The word felt foreign on her tongue, terrifying and comforting all at once. “Then,” she murmured, searching his face, “what are we going to do?”
For a heartbeat, Julian’s mouth curved just slightly, before the sound of a knock broke through the moment. The door swung open.
Vincent leaned against the frame, looking half-apologetic. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. The door was open, and I might’ve overheard part of that conversation.” He scratched the back of his neck. “If you ask me, the best move now is to show up publicly. Together. With the kid.”
Seraphina’s head snapped toward him. “You what?” She turned to Julian, eyes wide. “He knows?”
Julian gave a small nod. “There’s no secret between us.”
Seraphina sighed, pressing her fingers against her temple. She could still remember Vincent’s words the first day she’d met him: ‘There’s nothing my boss hides from me.’And apparently, that still held true.
She gathered herself. “There’s no way I’m exposing Phoenix to the public. I won’t put him at risk.”
Vincent stayed silent, but Julian’s gaze was already calculating, the strategist in him coming alive. “You’re not wrong,” he said slowly, “but you’re also not right.”
Her brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Julian took a measured step closer. “When you hid him, he wasn’t safe either. The nanny you trusted him with, the woman you thought was protecting him, had been selling other children for years. The only reason he’s alive is because fate gave us a second chance.” His voice dropped lower. “You don’t need to fear the world anymore, Seraphina. If anyone comes for him now, they’ll have to come through me first.”
The intensity in his tone made her chest tighten. He wasn’t making promises, he was declaring truth. It wasn’t arrogance; it was conviction. She couldn’t look away from him. His aura felt magnetic. And he also kept looking.
Vincent cleared his throat, clearly sensing the weight of what had just passed between them. “Well,” he muttered, pushing off the doorframe, “I’ll… let you two talk.” And with that, he slipped out.
The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable, it was dense. Julian’s gaze lingered on her for a moment longer before he finally turned away, pulling out his phone.
~
By noon, the black Mercedes purred to a stop in front of ThorneTech, the towering glass building reflecting the city’s light. Vincent was behind the wheel, his expression pensive as he glanced at the clock. “He’s late,” he muttered. “We’ve been waiting an hour. I don’t think Damien’s showing.”
Julian’s fingers drummed on his thigh. “He’ll show,” he said evenly, his tone devoid of doubt.
And just as the words left his mouth, a sleek black car rounded the corner. Damien stepped out — sunglasses on, a lazy grin pulling at his lips, arrogance dripping from every movement. Julian’s jaw ticked once. “Stay here,” he told Vincent quietly.
Then he got out and walked toward the building. He waited for Damien to go up to settle. The he entered as he entered the lobby, heads turned. Conversations stilled. Employees who hadn’t seen him in months straightened immediately, murmuring greetings.
“Mr. Thorne,” one of them stammered, his face brightening. “It’s- it’s good to have you back. We saw the news and-”
Another employee elbowed him sharply, whispering, “you don’t have to be a talkative always.”
Julian only gave a polite smile and continued walking. The weight of his presence was enough to silence the rest.
He reached the top floor and paused before the frosted glass door labeled ‘CEO’s Office.’ From inside came Damien’s lazy drawl:
“I didn’t know you’d be coming this fast, Rachael. I’ve been dreaming about you all night.”
Just then, Julian pushed the door open.
“Still the same cheap pervert,” he said coldly.
Damien froze mid-amusement, his chair swiveling toward the door. His smirk faltered the moment his eyes met his twin brother’s.
“Julian?” he breathed.
Julian stepped inside, slow and deadly, his gaze locked on Damien’s face.
His strides were unhurried, yet every one of them felt like a countdown.