Chapter 6 - The Child Hidden From The World
"Your child."
The words stayed in the room.
Grant Maddox did not react.
Not immediately.
His mind rejected them before his heart could understand them.
The billionaire who could make decisions worth millions in seconds suddenly couldn't process a simple sentence.
Emma Carter looked away.
Lucas stood between them.
Waiting.
Grant slowly looked at Emma.
"Say that again."
Her eyes were filled with fear.
Not fear of him.
Fear of what would happen after the truth came out.
"Grant..."
"No."
His voice became sharper.
"Say it again."
Emma took a breath.
"The child Victor mentioned."
She paused.
"Is yours."
The room went silent.
Grant looked at the broken window.
The recording.
The USB drive.
The impossible pieces of a puzzle that had never made sense.
A child.
A secret.
Eleven months of lies.
"You knew?"
The question was directed at Emma.
She lowered her eyes.
"Yes."
"When?"
"Before everything happened."
Grant felt something inside him break.
"Before I met you?"
Emma looked at him.
"No."
That answer confused him.
"Then when?"
She didn't answer.
Lucas stepped forward.
"Grant."
"No."
Grant raised his hand.
He couldn't look away from Emma.
"I want to hear it from her."
Emma closed her eyes.
For a moment, she looked exhausted.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
"The child was born eleven months ago."
Grant froze.
Eleven months.
The same time Emma disappeared.
The same time Arthur vanished.
The same time his company started changing.
"The child was born?"
Emma nodded.
Grant's voice became quieter.
"Where?"
She looked at Lucas.
Then back at him.
"In a private medical facility."
The same words Arthur had written.
Grant remembered.
Someone was trying to erase a person from existence.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Emma looked at him.
Because that was the question she had been avoiding.
"I tried."
Grant stared.
"What?"
"I tried to tell you."
Her voice cracked.
"Before I disappeared."
Grant shook his head.
"I would have remembered."
"You were supposed to."
The answer confused him.
"What does that mean?"
Emma walked toward the table.
She picked up the old phone.
She opened an image.
A picture appeared.
A hospital room.
A newborn baby.
Grant stopped breathing.
The baby was wrapped in a white blanket.
Small.
Fragile.
Alive.
And next to the baby was Emma.
But there was something else.
A hospital bracelet.
Grant zoomed in.
The name was hidden.
But the date was clear.
The day the child was born.
The day Emma disappeared from his life.
"Why did you hide this from me?"
Emma looked at the picture.
"Because someone else already knew."
Grant looked at her.
"Who?"
"Victor."
His expression changed.
"How?"
Emma sat down.
"Because Victor arranged everything."
Grant stared.
"No."
Lucas looked at him.
"You need to stop saying that."
Grant turned.
"Why?"
"Because every time you refuse to believe something, someone else gets more time."
The words angered him.
But he knew Lucas was right.
"What did Victor do?"
Emma answered.
"He found out about the child."
"How?"
"Because the child was not supposed to exist."
Grant frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Emma looked at him.
"Before the baby was born, someone changed the medical records."
"Why?"
"So nobody would know who the father was."
Grant felt cold.
"Me."
Emma nodded.
"Your name was removed."
The room became quiet.
"Why?"
Lucas answered.
"Because someone wanted control over your future."
Grant looked at him.
"That doesn't make sense."
"It does if you understand Victor."
Grant looked angry.
"Explain."
Lucas walked toward the window.
"Grant Maddox is worth billions."
Grant said nothing.
"Your name controls investments. Companies. Decisions."
"So?"
"So if you had a child, your priorities would change."
Grant stared.
Lucas continued.
"People who control powerful men don't like unexpected changes."
Emma looked down.
"They wanted you focused on the company."
Grant looked at her.
"And you?"
She swallowed.
"They wanted me gone."
The words were quiet.
But painful.
Grant looked back at the baby photo.
"You raised the child alone?"
Emma shook her head.
"No."
He looked surprised.
"Then who?"
She hesitated.
Lucas answered.
"Arthur."
Grant looked at him.
"Arthur?"
"He helped protect them."
Grant looked confused.
"Why would he?"
Lucas looked at Emma.
"Because Arthur knew the truth about the company."
Emma nodded.
"And because he knew Victor would come after the child."
Grant stared at the photo.
A child he never knew existed.
A child who had been hidden from him.
A child who had changed everything without ever meeting him.
"Where is the child now?"
Emma didn't answer.
Grant looked at her.
"Emma."
She looked away.
"Safe."
"Where?"
"I can't tell you."
His expression changed.
"After everything?"
"Especially after everything."
Grant stepped closer.
"You still don't trust me."
Emma looked at him.
"I trust you more than I did yesterday."
"That isn't enough."
"No."
Her voice softened.
"It isn't."
A silence followed.
Then Lucas's phone vibrated.
He checked the screen.
His face changed.
Emma noticed.
"What?"
Lucas didn't answer.
"Lucas."
He handed the phone to her.
A message.
One picture.
Emma opened it.
Her hands started shaking.
Grant saw the image.
It was a photograph of a house.
A small house.
Quiet.
Safe.
Then he noticed the person standing outside.
A woman.
Watching the house.
Emma whispered:
"No."
Grant looked at her.
"Who is that?"
Emma couldn't speak.
Lucas answered.
"Someone who knows where the child is."
Grant looked at the picture.
The woman outside the house looked familiar.
Not because he knew her.
Because he had seen her before.
In old company photos.
At Maddox Global events.
Standing behind Victor.
Always smiling.
Always unnoticed.
"Who is she?"
Emma looked at him.
"Victor's wife."
Grant froze.
"Victor is married?"
Emma nodded.
"But that's impossible."
"Why?"
"Because Victor told everyone his wife died years ago."
Lucas took the phone back.
"That was another lie."
Grant looked at Emma.
"How many lies are there?"
She didn't answer.
Because she didn't know.
A sound came from outside.
A car door closing.
Lucas immediately turned off the lights.
"Someone is here."
Grant looked toward the entrance.
"Who?"
Lucas moved toward the door.
"Someone who shouldn't know this location."
Emma grabbed Grant's arm.
"Don't go."
He looked at her.
"Why?"
Her eyes filled with panic.
"Because if they found us..."
She stopped.
Grant waited.
Then his phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
He opened it.
One message.
No words.
Only a photograph.
Grant looked at the screen.
His entire body went still.
Because the photograph showed a child.
A child standing in front of the same house.
And behind the child was someone holding a gun.
May you like
Then another message appeared.
"Come alone, or the child disappears."
