Chapter_2
Chapter 2
Abel Ryker stood there, staring at the phone screen in Helios’s tiny hand, his mind racing. The photograph was unmistakable—his face, his sharp features, the familiar look of someone caught in a moment of transit. But the question that hung in the air was unsettling: why would this little boy, no older than five or six, have a picture of him, especially when he was overseas at the time?
As his thoughts spiraled, Helios looked up at him with those same striking eyes, the ones that mirrored his own in every way.
“You’re my daddy, right?” Helios repeated, his voice firm, though there was a hint of uncertainty in his wide gaze. It was as if the boy was more certain than Abel himself about this connection.
Abel blinked, trying to absorb the sheer absurdity of the situation. “But I don’t even know you,” he said, his voice soft but laced with a calm confusion. “How do you know that picture is of me? And why are you saying I’m your father?”
Helios took a step closer, looking up at Abel with an intensity that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. “Because Mommy said so. And look,” he added, holding out a small piece of paper with a picture of Abel printed on it, “this is my daddy’s picture. Mommy said it’s you.”
Abel’s mind reeled as he glanced at the paper in the boy’s hands. It was the same photo, taken months ago, when he had been at the Waverly airport. He had no idea how this child had gotten his picture, but there was no mistaking it now—this kid was claiming to be his son, and from the look in his eyes, Abel couldn’t dismiss the possibility that the boy had some truth to his words.
Still, doubts lingered. “You say your mommy sent you here to find me?” Abel asked, kneeling to look the boy directly in the eyes. “Who is your mother? Tell me.”
Helios stood tall for his age, puffing out his little chest proudly. “Mommy’s Emmeline,” he said confidently. “She’s at the Ryker hospital right now waiting for you. She says you’re my daddy and she’s waiting for you to come help her.”
Emmeline. Abel’s mind flashed back five years, to a face he could never forget, even if he wished he could. Emmeline Louise—the woman from that night. His stomach twisted.
“Emmeline?” he repeated under his breath, almost too softly to hear.
Helios nodded eagerly, his small face lighting up with a smile. “Yes! And she’s really nice, and I’m a really good boy. I’m sure you’re my daddy, and we’ll be a family soon.”
Abel’s chest tightened as he stood up, unable to stop his thoughts from spinning. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t be that simple. Five years had passed since that night—a blur of confusion, anger, and regret. He had been overseas, caught up in business, and the last thing he expected was for this little boy to show up and claim to be his child.
Abel glanced at his bodyguards, who had all been watching the scene unfold in stunned silence. They exchanged uncertain glances, but no one spoke.
“How old are you?” Abel asked the boy, trying to steady his racing thoughts.
“I’m four,” Helios replied, proudly holding up four chubby fingers.
“Four,” Abel repeated under his breath. His mind raced again, piecing together the fragmented details. If this child really was his, then the timing… the timing lined up with that night. The night Emmeline had accused him of doing something he couldn’t remember.
Abel felt a strange pull in his chest, something he couldn’t name. He looked at the little boy, who looked so much like him it was uncanny. And then, as if the boy had read his mind, Helios added, “Mommy says I’m special because I look like you. And I have big dreams too.”
Abel swallowed, struggling to contain the conflicting emotions that surged within him. He had never known he had a son.
“Alright, let’s go see your mom,” he finally said, his voice steadying. “I need to talk to her. And you too.”
Helios grinned widely. “Yay! Mommy will be so happy!”
Abel’s heart sank at the thought of facing Emmeline again after all these years. He had spent so much time trying to forget that night, the confusion of his memories, the accusations she had thrown at him. But now, with this child standing in front of him, everything was about to change.
Abel turned toward his bodyguards, giving them a quick nod to follow. “Let’s head to the hospital.”
As they made their way to the exit, Abel couldn’t help but feel the weight of the moment pressing on him. The past was crashing into the present, and there was no escaping the fact that his life, his carefully curated world, was about to change forever. He didn’t know what kind of answers awaited him at the Ryker hospital, but he knew one thing for certain—he wasn’t going to walk away from this. Not now. Not with a son who was waiting for him.
Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Emmeline was pacing nervously outside the VIP suite. Her mind raced, trying to prepare for what would happen when Abel finally arrived. What would she say to him? How would she explain everything? She had never expected to face him again like this, especially not under these circumstances.
Hesperus, her youngest son, was in the lobby with Rosaline, who had taken an unexpected liking to him.
“Granny, can I sit with you?” Hesperus asked, his eyes wide with innocence.
Rosaline smiled, her heart softening. “Of course, darling. I’d love that.”
Just then, the doors to the VIP suite opened, and Abel Ryker walked in, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Emmeline. The look in his eyes was unreadable—there was recognition, but there was something else there too. Something sharper.
“Emmeline,” he said, his voice low but steady. “We need to talk.”
Emmeline’s heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, everything seemed to stop. She was finally face-to-face with the man who had haunted her memories for the past five years. And now, with her son standing beside her, there would be no turning back.
