Chapter 6
My phone suddenly started vibrating like crazy.
It was a local number I'd never seen before.
My heart skipped a beat. With my hand shaking uncontrollably, I managed to pick up.
"Hello?" I said, my voice trembling.
On the other end, there was a deathly silence.
All I could hear was suppressed, heavy breathing.
That breathing was deep and rough, full of anger, and something else I couldn't even name.
Even through the phone, I could feel the coldness. It hit me like a wave of ice. The call was from Adrian.
My heart tightened, like someone had reached in and squeezed it.
"Adrian..." I choked out, my voice thick with tears. "Where's Easton? What did you do to him? Please, just let me talk to him. Can you put him on the phone? I'm begging you."
"Sophie Hale," he finally said, his voice so low and rough that it was almost unrecognizable, each word cold and ruthless.
"You've got some nerve," he added, his voice cold, and his words hit me like a bucket of freezing water, instantly snuffing out all my pleas and vulnerability.
He actually said I got some nerve. What did I even do wrong? All I ever wanted was to protect my son and stay as far away from him as possible. I never once bothered him in the last five years. He was the one who showed up out of nowhere, destroyed our peace, and took Easton from me.
Five years of buried anger and pain boiled up at once. I didn't even have tears left.
"Adrian!" I shouted, jumping to my feet. My voice shook and rose with rage and agitation. "What's that supposed to mean? Yeah, I've got guts. If I didn't, I would've done what you told me to do five years ago. Without guts, I never would've made it this far."
I added, "Look at him now! The mistake you wanted to erase back then is still here. It is my son. He has nothing to do with you anymore, Adrian. Who are you to take him from me? What right do you have to question me?"
I shouted it all in one breath, my chest heaving and my whole body trembling.
On the other end, the silence deepened.
The only thing I could hear was his breathing—tight and strained, getting louder by the second.
After what felt like forever, he spoke again. His anger hadn't faded. It was just barely held back, every word cold and sharp. "Easton. Good. Really good."
He went on, "You don't get to decide if he's my son.
"I'll do a paternity test myself.
"For now, he's staying with me.
"You..." He paused, his voice so icy that it could cut through steel. "Don't try going anywhere you're not supposed to, and don't say a single word to the media. Otherwise..."
He didn't finish, but the threat hanging in the air was even more terrifying than if he'd spelled it out.
"Adrian, you can't do this!" I panicked, my words spilling out fast. "Easton is scared of strangers. He's never been away from me. He'll be terrified. Please, let me see him. I'm begging you."
"Scared?" Adrian scoffed coldly, his laugh sharp and full of bitterness. "Sophie, after you hid him from me and he spent five years growing up without a father, you think a little fear now is such a big deal? It's nothing."
His words hit me like a poisoned knife straight to the chest.
I couldn't even get a word out.
"Just wait," he said coldly and then hung up.
The busy tone blared through the phone, sounding like the final nail in the coffin for my last, desperate fight.
*****
My phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor.
I slid down against the door until I collapsed, completely drained.
Despair washed over me like a wave, dragging me under.
Vivian was pacing beside me, panic written all over her face. "Sophie! What did he say? What is he planning to do with Easton?"
I looked up slowly, dazed. My eyes were blank. "He said... He's going to run a paternity test."
"Easton is with him now?"
"He told me... just to wait."
"That bastard!" Vivian exploded, kicking a stool so hard that it nearly fell. "Who does he think he is? Some kind of king? Just locking people up when he feels like it? Sophie, don't listen to him. We—"
She broke off abruptly as my phone suddenly went berserk, the screen lighting up with a burst of wild flashes.
It wasn't a call. There was a flood of notifications fighting to pop up all at once, every one chiming out sharp and frantic, like sirens warning of disaster.
Every headline was marked "Breaking," glowing red like an alarm.
[Breaking: Superstar Adrian Jackson Spotted at a Local Kindergarten, Holding a Mysterious Boy—Alleged Secret Son Revealed!]
[Breaking: Massive Scandal! Adrian Jackson's Hidden Marriage and Secret Child Exposed—Chaos at the Scene!]
[Breaking: Identity of Adrian Jackson's Secret Child's Mother Revealed—His Ex-Wife from Five Years Ago!]
[Breaking: Adrian Jackson and Mandy Shaw's Wedding Plans in Jeopardy—Her Dream Life Crumbles!]
[Breaking: Adrian Jackson's Team in Full Crisis Mode—PR Phones Exploding!]
Within minutes, the top trends were filled with "Adrian Jackson," "love child," "hidden marriage," "ex-wife," "Sophie Hale," and "Sunbeam Kindergarten."
Every photo was clear, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination.
One showed me sprawled out on the floor, devastated and in total shock.
Another caught Easton clinging to Adrian, sobbing and reaching out for me.
There was even a shot of me going wild, throwing myself at them in a hopeless frenzy.
There was even a close-up of Adrian with Easton in his arms, turning back to look at me. Adrian's eyes were icy, unnerving, and full of tangled emotions.
Mine and Easton's faces were caught in ruthless HD, mercilessly exposed to millions.
In that instant, I felt everything falling apart.
It was over. Everything was over.
The life Easton and I had so painstakingly guarded for five years was gone in an instant. Adrian's return tore it all apart, dragging us out of the shadows and into the blistering spotlight of the world's curiosity, scrutiny, and malice.
The label "illegitimate child" was stamped onto Easton like a scorching brand.
My vision went black, and I completely passed out.
The last thing I caught was Vivian's panicked scream. "Sophie!"