His Heir, Her Secret - Chapter 36: Chapter 36

Lucien
I watched Isla disappear into the elevator, her hand still warm from mine, and for a full minute after the doors closed, I didn’t move.
She had no idea how powerful she was.
Walking into that room and recounting everything Damon had done to her—it would’ve shattered most people. But not Isla. She sat there, trembling but unbroken, a mother determined to protect her child. And when I looked into her eyes, I didn’t see the girl who ran from me years ago. I saw a woman who had clawed her way out of hell and stood taller because of it.
And now it was my turn to make sure hell didn’t come back.
I headed straight to my office, ignoring every phone call, every assistant trying to grab my attention. I shut the door behind me, locked it, and pulled up the secured file I’d been building for the last week.
Damon Lancaster wasn’t just some scorned ex. He was dangerous, reckless, and unstable—and I had the documentation to prove it. I’d dug up employment records, restraining orders filed by previous girlfriends, credit defaults, and even a sealed warning from a university in Florida about “predatory behavior.”
My legal team had enough to bury him.
But I didn’t just want him buried.
I wanted him locked out of Isla’s life. Permanently.
I dialed Myra.
“Lucien,” she answered immediately, her tone sharp. “Isla was incredible. What she gave us today—we’re filing the emergency restraining order this afternoon.”
“Good,” I said, pacing the length of the room. “I want more. I want to put pressure on every angle. His employer. His landlord. I want him to know that the air he breathes is monitored.”
“You want to scare him.”
“I want to make it clear that if he so much as thinks about Isla or Leo, there will be no place on earth he can hide.”
She was quiet for a beat, then said, “That can backfire, Lucien.”
“I know. But I also know men like him. If we wait for him to play nice, we’ll regret it.”
A soft knock came from the door.
I opened it to find Connor, my head of security, holding a tablet.
“We got something,” he said. “You’re going to want to see this.”
I ended the call with Myra. “What is it?”
He handed me the screen. “Surveillance footage from Isla’s apartment building. Yesterday.”
I tapped play.
At first, it was nothing—just a few residents walking into the lobby. Then, timestamped at 5:42 p.m., a man in a hooded jacket walked in and stood near the elevators.
My stomach tightened.
Even through grainy footage, I recognized the posture. The slouch of someone trying to seem invisible while watching everything.
Damon.
“He never went up,” Connor said. “Stayed there ten minutes, then left when someone from the leasing office walked by. He was casing the place.”
“He’s getting bolder.”
“That’s not all,” Connor said, pulling up another image. “We got a plate off the car he drove off in. Rented under a fake name, but our guy at the DMV traced it to a prepaid credit card.”
I stared at the screen. My jaw tightened.
“Put someone on Isla’s building twenty-four seven,” I said. “And double Leo’s school detail.”
Connor hesitated. “Isla doesn’t like being watched.”
“I don’t care if she likes it. Until this is over, she gets a full security bubble. She won’t even know it’s there unless something goes wrong.”
He nodded and left, already dialing.
I sank into my chair, heart pounding harder than I wanted to admit.
This wasn’t business anymore.
This was war.
And I had everything to lose.
By the time I returned to the penthouse that night, the city outside was drenched in rain. I walked into the quiet apartment, set my keys down, and found Leo asleep on the couch with one of my old Harvard sweatshirts as a blanket.
Jess, the sitter, smiled as she stood to leave.
“He wanted to wait up,” she whispered. “Said he needed to tell you about a triceratops with a ‘superpower tail.’”
I smiled. “I’ll ask him tomorrow. Thank you, Jess.”
Once she left, I knelt beside the couch and brushed Leo’s curls away from his forehead. He stirred, but didn’t wake.
This boy—this little miracle I never knew I had—had become the center of my world so fast it scared me. Every moment with him chipped away at the man I used to be and built something softer, fiercer in his place.
I rose and made my way to the master bedroom.
Isla stood by the window, her reflection lit by city lights. She wore a pale blue robe, her hair piled on top of her head, and a cup of tea in her hand.
“You’re late,” she said, not turning.
“I had to meet with security,” I replied, walking toward her. “We found footage. Damon was outside your building yesterday.”
Her shoulders stiffened, but she didn’t look surprised.
“Of course he was.”
“He didn’t go inside. But he was watching. And it won’t be the last time.”
She set the cup down slowly. “What do we do?”
“I’m increasing protection. Full detail for you and Leo. Surveillance around the clock.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Lucien…”
“No,” I said gently. “Don’t argue with me on this. Please.”
She was silent for a beat.
Then, quietly, she said, “It’s just hard to go back to feeling like I’m being hunted.”
I stepped closer, brushing a hand down her arm. “I know. But this time, you’re not alone. You’re not running. I won’t let you.”
Her breath hitched.
“I’m not just protecting you,” I added. “I’m claiming you. You and Leo. Publicly.”
She blinked. “What?”
I reached into my coat pocket and handed her a folder.
Inside were draft statements, interview questions, and a full press release, all written with care.
I’d planned a formal announcement to the media. Something that told the world Leo was my son, that I’d found the woman I loved again—and wasn’t going to lose her.
“I want the world to know you’re mine,” I said. “That Leo is mine. That anyone who wants to come for you will have to go through me first.”
Her eyes filled. “You really want to do this?”
I leaned in. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
She pressed a hand to my chest. “Then let’s do it. Let’s stop hiding.”
I pulled her into me, holding her tightly.
Tomorrow, the world would know.
Tonight, she was mine.