His Heir, Her Secret - Chapter 27: Chapter 27
You are reading His Heir, Her Secret, Chapter 27: Chapter 27. Read more chapters of His Heir, Her Secret.
Lucien
Monday came like a knife through a silk curtain.
One moment I was lying in bed with Isla curled into me, the early morning light playing gently across her hair, and the next I was facing the firestorm I’d lit the moment I stepped onto that stage and claimed Leo as mine.
By 8 a.m., my inbox was a warzone.
By 9, my assistant had already buzzed in twice—tight voice, clipped tone.
By 9:05, my board of directors demanded an emergency meeting.
I should’ve expected it. Vale International wasn’t just a business; it was a legacy. A billion-dollar machine with global reach, strategic partnerships, and investors who preferred scandal-free headlines.
And I’d just painted a bullseye on the front page of every financial paper in the country.
I stood in the sleek boardroom overlooking Manhattan’s glittering skyline, suit sharp, jaw clenched, heart beating with a mix of defiance and calculated calm.
My general counsel, Miriam Pace, sat to my left—stoic, as always—but even she kept glancing at me like she wanted to throttle me for blindsiding everyone.
Across the table sat seven men and two women, each of them powerful, ruthless, and responsible for helping shape the empire I’d built. My empire.
The eldest board member, Conrad Shaw, leaned forward, fingers steepled like a man preparing for battle.
“I’ll speak plainly, Lucien,” he said. “This sudden… personal announcement has created significant waves. There are already murmurs from investors concerned about your judgment.”
I didn’t flinch. “Then let them murmur.”
Miriam exhaled sharply through her nose. I could practically hear her internal scream.
“This isn’t just about PR,” another member chimed in—Helen Vance, head of our European expansion. “We’ve built an image of control, precision. What you did on that stage was emotional.”
“It was human,” I corrected. “And necessary.”
“You didn’t inform us,” Conrad said flatly. “You made a declaration with long-term implications without consulting your own board.”
I met his gaze, unwavering. “You think my son is a liability?”
A few of them shifted in their seats. The silence was their answer.
“This isn’t about the child personally,” Helen said, a bit more carefully. “It’s about perception. About stability. There are whispers—tabloid leaks, speculation about why this was hidden. Some are suggesting a scandal, others—”
“Let them,” I cut in. “Because here’s the truth: my son was hidden. Not because he was a secret, but because I made a mistake. And now I’m correcting it.”
Miriam finally spoke, voice calm and cool. “Lucien, I understand your position. But as your legal counsel, I have to advise caution. The optics are volatile right now. We’ve had two sponsorships pause contract renewals until this blows over.”
“Then they’re not worth our name,” I said.
“You don’t mean that,” she replied. “You’re emotional, and that’s not how you lead. At least not how you’ve led Vale International for the last decade.”
I took a step back from the table, letting my words cut through the polished air like steel.
“I built this company on the foundation of being unstoppable. Unapologetic. And somehow, we survived global market shifts, digital upheaval, and two acquisition attempts. But the second I decide to publicly claim my own flesh and blood, this is what rattles you?”
“Because this isn’t just about you anymore!” Conrad snapped. “We’ve staked billions on your image, Lucien. Investors tie your face to every major move. And now you’re rewriting your story mid-chapter.”
“Exactly,” I said coolly. “And anyone who thinks that makes me weak isn’t someone I want holding my future in their hands.”
Helen’s expression tightened. “So what’s the plan then? Are we to pivot the company’s branding overnight? Family man? Devoted father? That’s a far cry from the icy, relentless tycoon you’ve sold the world until now.”
I met her eyes. “Then maybe it’s time the world sees both sides.”
The room fell into tense silence.
No one was ready for this version of me. The one who cared less about pleasing shareholders and more about honoring the boy who called me Dad for the first time last night.
But I was done apologizing for the parts of my life that made me human.
After the meeting, Miriam pulled me aside.
“You’re playing with fire, Lucien.”
I looked down at her, my tone even. “No. I am the fire.”
She sighed. “You should at least let me control the narrative going forward. Press releases, interviews. Get ahead of the speculation.”
“You’ll have everything you need,” I said. “But I’m not walking it back. Not one word.”
She gave a reluctant nod. “Understood.”
By the time I got home that evening, the penthouse was bathed in warm amber light. Isla sat curled on the sofa, Leo beside her with his dinosaur tucked under one arm, his cheeks pink from giggles.
It hit me then—hard—how easily this could slip away if I let the world dictate how I lived.
I walked in and bent to press a kiss to Leo’s head.
“Hey, champ,” I murmured.
“Did you tell the people I’m yours again today?” he asked.
I smiled. “Loud and clear.”
Isla studied me with quiet intensity. “Rough day?”
“Worse than usual,” I admitted. “But I’d do it all again.”
She patted the seat beside her. “Come on, tell me everything.”
And I did. The meeting. The threats. The doubt. The moment I stared them all down and didn’t blink.
When I finished, she reached over and laced her fingers with mine.
“You didn’t just go to war for Leo,” she said softly. “You went to war for us.”
“Every time,” I said. “Every single time.”
And for the first time in a long while, I didn’t feel like a CEO clawing to maintain control.
I felt like a man finally earning back his family.
Monday came like a knife through a silk curtain.
One moment I was lying in bed with Isla curled into me, the early morning light playing gently across her hair, and the next I was facing the firestorm I’d lit the moment I stepped onto that stage and claimed Leo as mine.
By 8 a.m., my inbox was a warzone.
By 9, my assistant had already buzzed in twice—tight voice, clipped tone.
By 9:05, my board of directors demanded an emergency meeting.
I should’ve expected it. Vale International wasn’t just a business; it was a legacy. A billion-dollar machine with global reach, strategic partnerships, and investors who preferred scandal-free headlines.
And I’d just painted a bullseye on the front page of every financial paper in the country.
I stood in the sleek boardroom overlooking Manhattan’s glittering skyline, suit sharp, jaw clenched, heart beating with a mix of defiance and calculated calm.
My general counsel, Miriam Pace, sat to my left—stoic, as always—but even she kept glancing at me like she wanted to throttle me for blindsiding everyone.
Across the table sat seven men and two women, each of them powerful, ruthless, and responsible for helping shape the empire I’d built. My empire.
The eldest board member, Conrad Shaw, leaned forward, fingers steepled like a man preparing for battle.
“I’ll speak plainly, Lucien,” he said. “This sudden… personal announcement has created significant waves. There are already murmurs from investors concerned about your judgment.”
I didn’t flinch. “Then let them murmur.”
Miriam exhaled sharply through her nose. I could practically hear her internal scream.
“This isn’t just about PR,” another member chimed in—Helen Vance, head of our European expansion. “We’ve built an image of control, precision. What you did on that stage was emotional.”
“It was human,” I corrected. “And necessary.”
“You didn’t inform us,” Conrad said flatly. “You made a declaration with long-term implications without consulting your own board.”
I met his gaze, unwavering. “You think my son is a liability?”
A few of them shifted in their seats. The silence was their answer.
“This isn’t about the child personally,” Helen said, a bit more carefully. “It’s about perception. About stability. There are whispers—tabloid leaks, speculation about why this was hidden. Some are suggesting a scandal, others—”
“Let them,” I cut in. “Because here’s the truth: my son was hidden. Not because he was a secret, but because I made a mistake. And now I’m correcting it.”
Miriam finally spoke, voice calm and cool. “Lucien, I understand your position. But as your legal counsel, I have to advise caution. The optics are volatile right now. We’ve had two sponsorships pause contract renewals until this blows over.”
“Then they’re not worth our name,” I said.
“You don’t mean that,” she replied. “You’re emotional, and that’s not how you lead. At least not how you’ve led Vale International for the last decade.”
I took a step back from the table, letting my words cut through the polished air like steel.
“I built this company on the foundation of being unstoppable. Unapologetic. And somehow, we survived global market shifts, digital upheaval, and two acquisition attempts. But the second I decide to publicly claim my own flesh and blood, this is what rattles you?”
“Because this isn’t just about you anymore!” Conrad snapped. “We’ve staked billions on your image, Lucien. Investors tie your face to every major move. And now you’re rewriting your story mid-chapter.”
“Exactly,” I said coolly. “And anyone who thinks that makes me weak isn’t someone I want holding my future in their hands.”
Helen’s expression tightened. “So what’s the plan then? Are we to pivot the company’s branding overnight? Family man? Devoted father? That’s a far cry from the icy, relentless tycoon you’ve sold the world until now.”
I met her eyes. “Then maybe it’s time the world sees both sides.”
The room fell into tense silence.
No one was ready for this version of me. The one who cared less about pleasing shareholders and more about honoring the boy who called me Dad for the first time last night.
But I was done apologizing for the parts of my life that made me human.
After the meeting, Miriam pulled me aside.
“You’re playing with fire, Lucien.”
I looked down at her, my tone even. “No. I am the fire.”
She sighed. “You should at least let me control the narrative going forward. Press releases, interviews. Get ahead of the speculation.”
“You’ll have everything you need,” I said. “But I’m not walking it back. Not one word.”
She gave a reluctant nod. “Understood.”
By the time I got home that evening, the penthouse was bathed in warm amber light. Isla sat curled on the sofa, Leo beside her with his dinosaur tucked under one arm, his cheeks pink from giggles.
It hit me then—hard—how easily this could slip away if I let the world dictate how I lived.
I walked in and bent to press a kiss to Leo’s head.
“Hey, champ,” I murmured.
“Did you tell the people I’m yours again today?” he asked.
I smiled. “Loud and clear.”
Isla studied me with quiet intensity. “Rough day?”
“Worse than usual,” I admitted. “But I’d do it all again.”
She patted the seat beside her. “Come on, tell me everything.”
And I did. The meeting. The threats. The doubt. The moment I stared them all down and didn’t blink.
When I finished, she reached over and laced her fingers with mine.
“You didn’t just go to war for Leo,” she said softly. “You went to war for us.”
“Every time,” I said. “Every single time.”
And for the first time in a long while, I didn’t feel like a CEO clawing to maintain control.
I felt like a man finally earning back his family.
End of His Heir, Her Secret Chapter 27. Continue reading Chapter 28 or return to His Heir, Her Secret book page.