His Heir, Her Secret - Chapter 59: Chapter 59

Isla
There’s something both exhilarating and terrifying about standing still while the world shifts beneath your feet.
The city beyond the penthouse windows glittered like a thousand unspoken promises. I stood with my arms wrapped around myself, barefoot on the marble floor, wearing one of Lucien’s shirts. It dwarfed me—his scent clinging to the collar, his warmth lingering like the echo of a kiss I wasn’t sure I should have taken.
Leo was finally asleep, tucked into the sprawling bed that used to feel too big for the two of us but now felt smaller with the weight of everything closing in.
I should have been asleep, too. But the memory of Damon’s smug smile at the custody hearing haunted me like a whisper I couldn’t shake. He had thrown in the final blow just before the judge recessed for the day—submitting photos of Leo without my consent, adding fuel to the fire with his lawyer’s exaggerated claims.
“Reckless behavior,” his attorney had argued. “Ms. Hartley’s relationship with Mr. Wolfe exposes the child to unnecessary media attention and risk.”
I hadn’t known what to say. Because even if it was a lie, it was cleverly woven with threads of truth.
Lucien’s world was dangerous. Lavish, yes. Magnetic, absolutely. But safe? Not even remotely.
“You’re up late,” Lucien’s voice murmured behind me, low and smooth, tinged with concern. He moved like he always did—silently, commandingly. A dark shadow in a silk robe and nothing else, barefoot and beautiful and mine… for now.
“I couldn’t sleep,” I said without turning around.
He came to stand beside me, his presence grounding but not stifling. “Thinking about Damon?”
I nodded slowly. “And Leo. And tomorrow. And the press. And your name being dragged into this mess.”
Lucien exhaled through his nose and looked out the window. “My name can handle it.”
“But can Leo?” I whispered. “He’s only three. He’s already been through more than most adults.”
Lucien’s eyes flicked to mine. “Which is exactly why we can’t back down.”
His voice was fierce—protective and sure. That certainty wrapped around me like armor, but it didn’t erase my fear. Lucien had already sacrificed so much for me. For us. Now he was being attacked in headlines, accused of manipulating the system, called reckless, dangerous, even possessive.
And yet… not once had he backed away.
“I used to think I could handle anything,” I admitted softly. “When I left Damon, I thought the hard part was over. I didn’t expect this war.”
Lucien’s hand slipped into mine. “You’re not alone in it anymore, Isla.”
The sound of my name in his voice did something dangerous to my chest.
“You keep saying that,” I whispered.
“Because I mean it.”
We stood in silence for a beat, his thumb stroking the back of my hand. And then he turned to face me completely.
“I’ve hired a specialist,” he said.
My brows lifted. “A specialist?”
“A family psychologist. Someone to assess Leo and testify on your behalf, if it comes to that. And if Damon tries to twist anything else, we’ll have expert testimony proving Leo is thriving with you.”
Tears sprang to my eyes without warning. “You did that… without even asking me?”
He hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. Because you have enough on your plate. Because this isn’t just your battle anymore. You keep trying to fight like it is.”
I blinked at him, overwhelmed. “Lucien, this is your name, your empire. You’re risking everything.”
“No,” he said gently. “I’m protecting everything that matters.”
I swallowed hard. “Even if it costs you your reputation?”
He stepped closer. “A reputation means nothing if it’s not backed by conviction.”
“And what about Leo?” I asked, voice trembling. “What happens if Damon wins?”
Lucien’s jaw tensed. “He won’t.”
I studied his face—sharp jawline, storm-gray eyes, the faintest crease in his brow that only appeared when he was angry or afraid. He was both, now. And he was doing everything to hide it.
I reached up and cupped his cheek, something so intimate it nearly shattered me. “You scare me sometimes,” I said. “Because you don’t blink when things get ugly. You go darker.”
He leaned into my touch. “You make me want to stay in the light.”
God. How was it possible to love someone so fiercely and still be afraid of what loving them might cost?
There was a knock at the door. We both froze.
Lucien’s eyes narrowed. “It’s past midnight.”
I stepped back as he moved toward the door, but before he could reach it, his phone buzzed. He checked the screen, then swore under his breath.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s Remy. The security detail at the building entrance just caught someone trying to slip past reception.”
I tensed. “A reporter?”
Lucien shook his head slowly. “No. Worse. It’s someone from my father’s board.”
“What?” I moved toward him. “Why would they come here at this hour?”
“To force my hand,” he muttered. “My public claim of Leo… It was seen as reckless. They think I’ve lost control.”
“Because you’re being a father?”
“Because I’m making emotional choices that could affect the company’s future.”
I felt like the room tilted beneath me. “So what happens now?”
He gave me a look that was equal parts ice and steel. “Now I show them exactly who they’re dealing with.”
The knock came again, louder this time.
“Stay with Leo,” Lucien said quietly. “And no matter what you hear—don’t come out.”
Then he turned, robe whipping behind him like a cape, and disappeared down the hall.
I watched him go, heart thudding wildly. I knew Lucien Wolfe had teeth. I knew he could destroy a man with a single sentence, a calculated move on the stock exchange, or a word whispered in the right ear.
But now they were coming for him—because of me, because of Leo.
And he was going to war.
For us.
For his heir.
For me—his secret.
And God help whoever stood in his way.