Chapter_3
Chapter 3
“What’s your mommy’s name?” Abel’s voice took on a distinctly cold tone, a hint of suspicion creeping in. Someone, it seemed, was trying to frame him.
“Emmeline Louise,” came the response.
Emmeline Louise? Abel frowned. He didn’t recognize the name.
Meanwhile, Emmeline was at work, parking her Porsche in the café’s garage. As she slipped on her apron, she heard a frantic voice calling her name.
“Emma!” It was her older brother, Ethan, panting and clearly upset. “What did you do to offend the Ryker family? Dad insists we all go back home. He says the Rykers are going to take action against us!”
“Five years ago, I was kicked out of the family. I’m not going back!” Emmeline’s tone was firm.
“But… but Dad says if I don’t bring you back, he’ll cut me out of the family business!” Ethan’s voice wavered, his fear palpable. “What will happen to us? We’ll starve to death!”
“Then let him cut you out! It’s not the end of the world,” Emmeline shot back, unbothered. “At least you won’t have to deal with that woman.”
“But Emma, the family business is what keeps us going! If I lose it, how will we survive?” Ethan was desperate.
“You’re not going to starve, not with all your contacts!” Emmeline replied, irritated. “Start your own company!”
“With what money?!” Ethan whined. “Dad’s got control over everything. How am I supposed to get capital?”
“I’ll ask the bank for a loan,” Emmeline said impatiently, already reaching for her phone. “I told you before not to rely on Dad. But you never listen.”
“Big talk for someone who thinks the bank will just hand out money because you ask for it,” Ethan scoffed.
“Is fifty thousand enough?” Emmeline pulled up her phone. “A classmate of mine just became president of the bank. The money should be on its way soon.”
Fifty thousand? Ethan’s expression shifted from disbelief to apprehension. “What if the business fails? I’ll need collateral.”
Before Emmeline could respond, her phone rang. The number on the display was unfamiliar. She answered the call, her voice cool. “Nightfall Café. What can I get you?”
A frosty voice replied, “Your son’s with me.”
“What? Who’s this?” Emmeline snapped, thinking it was some scammer. But the voice on the other end caught her off guard.
“This is Abel Ryker.”
Her heart skipped. Abel Ryker? After five years, he was finally making contact. She had never even seen him, despite giving birth to his children.
“Where are you?” Emmeline’s tone turned icy.
Abel’s voice was cold and businesslike. “Your son’s hungry. He’s at the Burger King by the airport.”
Emmeline froze. Her oldest son was missing.
“Give me the keys to the Phaeton!” she demanded from Ethan, snatching the keys before he could protest. She tossed her apron onto the counter and bolted out the door.
Forty minutes later, she arrived at the Burger King by the airport. Inside, she spotted Helios sitting happily at a table, munching on a burger. His small legs swung carelessly beneath him.
But it wasn’t just her son who caught her attention. A tall, imposing man in a black suit sat across from him. He radiated an air of authority, and Emmeline instinctively recognized the presence of someone with military discipline.
Her heart skipped a beat. This man… this had to be Abel Ryker.
“You’re this boy’s mother?” Abel spoke first. His gaze lingered on Emmeline, who, to his surprise, was more strikingly beautiful than he had imagined.
“Yes, Mr. Ryker,” Emmeline replied curtly.
“Did you teach him to shout ‘Daddy’ at every man on the street?” Abel smirked, his voice laced with disdain.
“There’s only one man who’s his father,” Emmeline retorted, her voice sharp. “You, Abel Ryker. The man who threw a bank card with ten million dollars at me five years ago, on a rainy autumn day at the Grand Struyria Hotel!”
Abel’s smile was mocking. “That sounds like something out of a bad romance novel. But I’m not interested in your fairytales.”
“Abel Ryker!” Emmeline’s voice trembled with fury. “You got me pregnant and now you just walk away, leaving me to raise our children alone?”
“Miss,” one of Abel’s bodyguards stepped in, blocking her path. “Mr. Abel’s been abroad for the last few years. You must be mistaken.”
“Is there another Abel Ryker in Struyria who can throw around ten million dollars like it’s nothing?” Emmeline shot back, her eyes blazing. “If not you, then who else could it be?”
“Maybe the man just picked up the card off the street,” Abel shrugged nonchalantly.
Emmeline faltered. It was a possibility, but… all her sons looked just like him. Still, she wasn’t ready to give up.
Without warning, Emmeline lunged forward, only to be blocked by Abel’s bodyguards. But she slipped past them, reaching him in an instant. She yanked a strand of his hair, her fingers light but swift.
Abel raised an eyebrow, his voice turning cold. “What are you doing?”
“I’m getting a DNA test,” she replied with a sly smile.
“How boring,” Abel muttered, his gaze flickering with annoyance. “Ms. Louise, I’m returning your son to you. Keep a closer eye on him next time. I’d hate to see him shouting ‘Daddy’ at random men.”
“Wait!” Emmeline blocked his path again. “Are you planning to marry Alana Lane?”
Abel’s expression hardened. “What does that have to do with you?”
“If you’re marrying her, even if my son is yours, I’ll leave you alone.”
“No, I’m not marrying her,” Abel snapped, his voice cold as stone. “We’re not close.”
Just then, Emmeline’s phone rang. It was her second son, Endymion. She paused for a moment, dread settling in. Had something happened to him?
“Mommy, I’m coming home now,” the voice on the other end said.
“Why?” Emmeline asked, her worry mounting.
“My teacher said if I don’t come home, the kindergarten will shut down.”
Without another word, Emmeline rushed out of the café, the bodyguards unable to stop her.
Helios, still munching on his burger, looked up and waved. “Bye-bye, Mommy! Drive carefully!”
“Mr. Abel, we’re sorry!” The bodyguards bowed their heads in apology.
Abel turned to them, a rare smile tugging at his lips. “You underestimated her.”
As they exited, nine black Rolls-Royces pulled up in front of them, exuding wealth and power. Abel, holding Helios in his arms, walked toward the second car, his usual air of authority returning.
Helios grinned, his eyes sparkling. “Wow, Daddy! You’ve got style! You’re almost like royalty!”
Abel’s lips quirked into a smile as he kissed the boy’s cheek, the warmth of the moment catching him off guard. It was the first time he felt something tender, something he hadn’t expected.
Clearing his throat, he resumed his usual stoic demeanor, but inside, something had shifted.
In the back seat, Helios fell asleep, his little body leaning into Abel. The sensation of the boy’s soft cheek resting against his shoulder was more intimate than Abel expected. For a moment, he was lost in the quiet peace.
“Daddy… it smells good…” Helios murmured in his sleep.
Abel blinked. Was the boy talking about the burger? Or… the feeling of having a father for the first time?
A smile tugged at Abel’s lips despite himself. The bodyguard in the front seat glanced in the rearview mirror, his eyes widening.
Was this really the same cold, aloof Abel Ryker?
