His Heir, Her Secret - Chapter 53: Chapter 53

Isla
The echo of Lucien’s press conference still rippled through every facet of my world. I hadn’t left the penthouse since the broadcast aired, afraid of what the outside world might look like now that my most guarded truth had become a headline. Lucien had claimed us—me and Leo—with a billionaire’s flair and a father’s raw conviction. The entire world now knew I was the woman he’d lost once and wouldn’t lose again. And Leo? Leo was no longer a secret. He was Lucien Wolfe’s heir.
But with exposure came fear.
I sat on the edge of the chaise lounge in the sun-drenched sitting room, clutching my phone like it was a lifeline. My inbox was flooded. Journalists, talk show producers, stylists, PR agents—even distant relatives I hadn’t spoken to in years. They all wanted a piece of the story. A piece of us.
Leo was blissfully unaware of the chaos unfolding. He was down the hallway with Sophia, his favorite nanny, giggling as she read him a picture book for the fifth time. The purity of his laughter was a stark contrast to the storm brewing outside our private sanctuary.
Lucien hadn’t been home since that morning. He’d left in a whirlwind of tailored Armani and quiet rage, promising to handle everything. “Let me protect you now, Isla,” he’d said, cupping my face with that familiar tenderness that always made my walls crumble. “Let me do what I should have done five years ago.”
But what did protection even mean now? We weren’t hiding anymore. Damon knew. The world knew. And as the public devoured our story, Damon had gone silent. No texts. No emails. No legal papers—yet. That silence felt like a countdown. And I had no idea what happened when the timer ran out.
The doorbell rang.
I froze, the sound slicing through my spiraling thoughts like a blade. My heart leapt into my throat. No one used the penthouse entrance unless they were cleared. I hurried to the security panel. Lucien’s face didn’t appear. Instead, it was a tall, polished woman with angular features, a crimson silk blouse, and the kind of composure that screamed executive power.
“May I speak with Miss Isla Monroe?” she asked the camera smoothly. “I’m Helena Ward. Lucien sent me.”
Helena Ward. The name rang a bell. I buzzed her in before I could second-guess myself. A few moments later, she stepped into the living room like she’d been here a hundred times. Her presence was commanding—sharp eyes, precise movements, no wasted words.
“He thought you might appreciate a buffer,” she said, extending a sleek leather folder. “There are a few things we need to go over.”
I accepted the folder hesitantly. “What kind of things?”
“Media strategy. Personal security adjustments. Your legal stance as Leo’s mother now that Lucien has formally acknowledged paternity. It’s all… escalating.”
I swallowed hard. “Escalating how?”
Helena took a seat without asking. “There’s movement from Damon Cross’s legal team. Rumors of a paternity dispute. Custody inquiries. He’s going to make a play, Miss Monroe.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. “But Leo’s not his son. He knows that.”
Helena raised a brow, her tone even. “You’re right. But the public doesn’t. And if he can control the narrative long enough to sow doubt… well, that’s where we come in.”
A chill swept through me as I looked at the folder again. Legal documents. Talking points. Security recommendations. My life was being redrafted in real-time.
“I’m not a celebrity,” I whispered. “I’m just a mother. A nurse. I didn’t ask for any of this.”
Helena softened slightly, but only just. “No one ever does. But you’re in it now. And Lucien is determined to shield you. He’s throwing the full weight of Wolfe Global behind this.”
I couldn’t breathe for a second. I thought of Leo in the next room. Of Lucien in some boardroom, orchestrating the chaos with the same cool dominance that made empires rise or fall.
I was the storm he hadn’t seen coming.
And now… we were the family he refused to lose.
I glanced at Helena. “What happens next?”
“You prepare,” she said simply. “You take control of your own narrative. The world thinks they know who you are. It’s time you showed them who you really are.”
Hours passed. The penthouse grew quieter as the sun dipped below the Manhattan skyline. Leo had finally fallen asleep after resisting bedtime with the determination of a tiny general. The city lights blinked against the glass walls like watching eyes.
I sat alone in the kitchen with a cup of tea growing cold in my hands. My phone buzzed. Lucien’s name lit up the screen.
I answered quickly. “Hey.”
“Look outside.”
I frowned, confused, but turned toward the wall of windows that framed the terrace. And there he was—Lucien, stepping out of a sleek black car in the private driveway below. He wore no coat, just his navy suit, crisp white shirt unbuttoned at the collar. His tie was gone, and so was the hard set of his jaw. He looked up as if he could see straight through the glass.
My breath caught as our eyes met.
Seconds later, the elevator doors opened.
He stepped inside without a word and walked straight to me. There was something in his expression—something raw and unguarded. Not the billionaire. Not the tycoon. Just a man who’d spent all day fighting for his family.
“I’ve secured the best custody attorney in the country,” he said softly, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “We’re going to win this, Isla.”
“What if Damon drags Leo into this? What if he tries to smear us?” My voice cracked.
Lucien cupped my face. “Then I’ll drown him in the truth. No more hiding. No more fear. You and Leo are my family, Isla. And I’ll burn the world down before I let anyone take that away.”
I wanted to believe him. But the battle hadn’t even started. And something in the pit of my stomach told me the worst was yet to come.
“Lucien,” I whispered, voice shaking, “what if loving you puts Leo in danger?”
He pulled me into his chest, holding me like I was the only real thing in his universe. “Then loving me is the only thing that can keep him safe.”
And for a single, suspended moment—I believed it.