The apartment was finally silent.
Leo had fallen asleep with his little arms wrapped around his toy rocket, breathing softly, peacefully — unaware that the world outside his dreams was changing faster than Lia could control.
Lia watched him from the doorway, her hand pressed against the wooden frame to steady herself.
Even after everything… he still slept like nothing could touch him.
That was all she ever wanted.
She closed his door gently and stepped into the small living room. The lamp cast a warm glow across the walls, but it did nothing to calm the cold fear twisting inside her.
Her phone lay on the table.
Silent.
But it felt like a bomb waiting to explode.
She picked it up again.
Opened the link again.
And watched Leo's face pop up across the screen for what felt like the hundredth time.
The world loved the photo.
They found him sweet.
Innocent.
Adorable.
But strangers were also commenting things Lia never wanted to see:
"This boy looks like the Hale CEO."
"Same eyes. Same mouth."
"Anyone else seeing it??"
Her hand trembled.
She didn't blame the commenters. They couldn't know what their words meant. They didn't know what she had run from, what she had protected Leo from for five long years.
A knock suddenly hit the door.
Lia froze.
Her heartbeat jumped painfully.
No one visited her at night.
No one even knew where she lived — except one trusted friend, and even she only came on weekends.
Another knock.
Firm.
Measured.
Her throat dried.
"Lia? It's me."
Relief flooded through her so fast her knees almost buckled.
She hurried to the door and pulled it open.
"Dina… thank God."
Her friend slipped in quickly, locking the door behind them. She looked worried, breathless, as if she had run up the stairs.
"I saw the photo," Dina said immediately. "I didn't want to call in case someone was tracking your phone. Are you okay?"
"No," Lia whispered. "I'm not."
Dina cupped her shoulders. "Tell me what you need. We'll figure something out."
Lia shook her head helplessly.
"I've been so careful, Dina. I haven't posted a single picture of Leo since he was born. I don't even take photos on my own phone. How did one stranger manage to undo everything in five seconds?"
"It wasn't your fault," Dina said softly.
But the truth sat heavy between them.
The world moved fast.
Information moved faster.
And Damien Hale?
He was faster than all of it.
Dina hesitated before speaking again. "Lia… you know he might see the photo, right?"
Lia's voice broke. "If he sees Leo—"
"You think he'll come?"
Lia closed her eyes.
She didn't need to think.
She knew.
"I left without a word. Without letting him explain. Without giving him a chance…" Her chest tightened painfully. "If he realizes Leo exists, he won't let us disappear again."
The room fell silent.
Dina touched her arm gently.
"Then we need to prepare. Now. Before anything happens."
Lia nodded slowly, tears rising but refusing to fall.
She had spent years building a quiet life.
A life far away from wealth, power, and danger.
A life where Leo grew up with laughter instead of expectations.
She wouldn't let anyone touch that peace — not even the man who once held her heart.
Dina exhaled, steadying herself. "What are you thinking?"
Lia wrapped her arms around herself.
"I think… we might have to leave."
"Leave? Again?"
"Yes." Her voice cracked. "If he finds us—"
A sharp buzz cut through the room.
Lia's phone.
Vibrating on the table.
A single notification lighting up the screen.
Dina and Lia exchanged a look — the kind that said everything without a single word spoken.
Lia took one step toward the phone.
Then another.
Her breath came faster with every movement.
The notification preview slid across the screen.
It wasn't a message.
Not a call.
Not social media.
It was an automated alert.
"Your address has been accessed by an unknown search request."
Lia's entire body went cold.
Dina stepped back, horrified.
"Lia… that means—"
Footsteps echoed in the hallway outside.
Slow.
Heavy.
Purposeful.
Lia's heart slammed against her ribs.
Someone stopped right outside the door.
A shadow fell beneath the crack near the floor.
Dina whispered, "You need to take Leo—right now."
The doorknob moved.
Just a tiny shake.
But enough to make Lia's blood turn to ice.
A voice — deep, controlled, terrifyingly calm — spoke through the wood.
"Lia."
Her world stopped.
She knew that voice.
She had loved that voice.
She had run from that voice.
"Open the door."
The doorknob twisted again.
Leo's small voice suddenly echoed from the bedroom:
"Mommy? Who's here?"
Lia's breath shattered.
Dina grabbed her hand, whispering urgently—
"Don't move."
But it was too late.
Because outside the door,
Damien Hale was already here.