The Ceo's Long-Lost Son

Synopsis

It was 11 PM, and all of Riverdale was swallowed up by a heavy rainstorm. A sleek black Maybach idled by the curb, its headlights carving two stark beams through the curtain of rain. Inside the car, Edward Sterling pressed fingers to his temple, a profound weariness etched between his brows. At thirty-two, he was the youngest heir to control Sterling Holdings, a figure who commanded fear in boardrooms and a man of icy reputation and a fortune in tens of billions. The tabloids speculated endlessly about his private life, whispering of his disinterest in women, even questioning his orientation. Only Edward knew the truth. His distance stemmed from a single night five years ago, an encounter that had left him numb to all others. Whenever he closed his eyes, the memory surfaced: a pair of teary eyes in the dark. He never learned her name, only recalled a foolishly brave woman rushing to his aid when he'd been drugged. Edward had lost consciousness and awoke to an empty room, save for a single, tiny pearl earring left behind. For five years, he'd searched. Nothing. "Mr. Sterling, the rain is getting worse. Should we head to the nearby apartment?" His driver, Tom Moore, ventured cautiously. "No. We're heading—" Edward replied. Edward began to order their departure when movement in the side mirror caught his eye. He turned his head to get a better look. A small figure was huddled on the wet pavement beside the rear tire, drenched and shivering. It was a child.