Steve Jeyser raised his glass, smiling at the glittering crowd around him. The grand hall shimmered with crystal chandeliers, champagne flowing freely, and laughter echoing against the marble walls. Tonight, he wasn’t just celebrating another successful quarter of his empire—tonight was personal. Lucy, his wife, was four months pregnant. Their son, the heir to the Jeyser fortune, would soon be born, and the world would witness the perfect image of the Jeyser family.

Steve’s eyes scanned the crowd, and for a moment, everything seemed perfect. Then, in the corner of the room, he saw her. Jesabell Diaz.

She wasn’t supposed to be here. She wasn’t part of this celebration. His pulse quickened. Without drawing attention, he slipped away from the laughter and clinking glasses, weaving through the crowd until he was standing in front of her.

Jesabell held something in her arms, wrapped carefully in a soft blanket. The shape was unmistakable. A baby.

Steve’s heart sank. The truth hit him like a punch to the chest. This is his son—the firstborn he had never claimed, the child he had tried to forget.

“What… what are you doing here?” he whispered, his voice low, tense.

Jesabell’s blue eyes met his, calm yet fierce. “I could ask you the same thing, Steve.” Her grip on the baby tightened. “But I think you already know why I’m here.”

Steve swallowed hard. “Jesabell… you can’t… this… you can’t just—”

Jesabell stepped closer. “Oh, I can. And I will, if I have to. You owe me and him a place to live, Steve. A life. Or the world will know everything.”

The weight of her words crushed him. Everything he had built—his empire, his reputation, his marriage—could unravel in an instant. He realized then that his perfect life was a fragile illusion.

Across the room, Lucy’s eyes flickered toward him. She noticed his tense expression, the way he spoke in hushed tones. Suspicion crept across her face, but after a moment, she shrugged and returned to the conversation at her side. Nothing seemed out of place to her—at least, not yet.

Steve exhaled, barely holding onto his composure. This was only the beginning. The life he thought he controlled was about to become a maze of secrets, lies, and unexpected responsibilities. And the boy in Jesabell’s arms—the son he had never acknowledged—would change everything.