Chapter 4

Anthony POV

The moment my secretary uttered the name Celeste Laurent, my fingers stilled over the keyboard.

I glanced up, narrowing my eyes. "Say that again."

The young woman hesitated, clearing her throat. "Celeste Laurent, sir. She's the special guest at tonight's charity gala. A self-made billionaire. Built her empire from nothing in just five years." She slid a tablet across the desk, the screen glowing with an image.

And there she was.

Suzan.

Or rather, Celeste Laurent.

I leaned forward, zooming in on the photo. The woman in the image was polished, poised—stunning in a way that made my chest tighten with an unexplainable emotion. Dark, silky hair cascaded in soft waves, and her emerald eyes, once filled with innocent devotion, now held an icy indifference.

She had changed.

But I would recognize her anywhere.

Suzan Royce. The same woman who had betrayed me.

I let out a low chuckle, leaning back in my chair. So that was why I had never found her. She had erased herself, built a new identity, a new life… without me in order to hide from me.

My jaw clenched.

"You said she's attending the gala tonight?"

The secretary nodded. "Yes, sir. She's attending with her fiancé, Colin Sinclair."

The name Colin sent a sharp, burning irritation through me. Of course. The man she had cheated on me with. My grip tightened around the tablet, and I had to resist the urge to smash it against the desk. Not now.

"Oh, and one more thing," the secretary continued, flipping through her notes. "Celeste Laurent has a son."

My blood ran cold.

A son?

I stiffened, every muscle in my body coiling with tension. "How old?"

"Five years old, sir."

Five.

A slow, dangerous realization crept into my mind. Five years ago was when Suzan disappeared.

I swallowed, keeping my face unreadable as I leaned forward. "I want every single detail on him. Now. A photo, something."

The secretary shifted uncomfortably. "Sir, I couldn't find any public photos of her son. She's extremely private about her personal life."

Frustration clawed at my chest. No photos. No traces.

She had hidden him.

From me.

I dismissed the secretary with a wave of my hand. As soon as she left, I stood up, pacing the length of my office. My hands curled into fists as I let the truth sink in.

Suzan had a child. A child she never told me about.

A child that could be mine.

I slammed my fist against the desk, sending papers flying to the floor. My chest heaved as I fought to control the surge of anger roaring inside me.

She had moved on. Rebuilt herself. Created a picture-perfect life with Colin. And yet here I was, still haunted by the ghost of her betrayal. I was alone suffering from the pain and hurt she caused me while she had already moved on with her new life with a son that could be mine.

I exhaled slowly, steadying myself.

Fine.

She wanted to pretend she was someone new? Wanted to erase me from her past?

Then I would remind her who she truly was. I would tell her just how much she can't run away from her past even if she created a new identity pretending to be someone else when she wasn't.

She was still the same weak, naive, pathetic girl I saved years ago and I'm willing to prove it.

I reached for my phone, dialing a number. The moment the line connected, I spoke with quiet, lethal control.

"I need a DNA test run. Discreetly. On a boy named Julian Laurent."

A pause. Then a hesitant voice on the other end. "Sir, do you have a sample?"

"Not yet." My lips curled into a slow, calculating smirk. "But I will."

Tonight, I will see her again. And by the time I was done, Celeste Laurent would wish she had never come back to this city.

Later that evening at the gala, I adjusted the cuffs of my suit. My mother, Victoria, walked beside me as we entered the grand ballroom.

"This is quite the event," she remarked, scanning the crowd with disinterest. "We should make our appearance and leave."

I didn't respond.

Because I had already spotted her.

She stood beneath the golden chandeliers, draped in a black, figure-hugging gown that made my pulse spike with something dangerously close to desire.

Suzan.

No—Celeste.

Her arm was linked with Colin's, her smile practiced, her eyes guarded. But I saw past the façade. Beneath the polished exterior, I knew the girl who had once looked at me with nothing but love.

And now she was looking through me.

As if I were nothing.

The corner of my lips lifted in amusement. Cute.

"She looks familiar," my mother mused beside me. "Who is she?"

I smirked. "Celeste Laurent."

Victoria frowned. "Laurent? As in Laurent Designs? That's the woman who built her own empire?"

I nodded.

"Hm. I suppose she's beautiful," my mother admitted, still studying her.

If only she knew, it was the same Suzan she hated years ago.

I let my gaze drift over Suzan one last time before making my move.

I waited. Watched.

And the moment Colin stepped away to take a phone call, I seized the opportunity.

I walked up behind her, stopping just close enough for her to feel my presence.

"That's quite the act you're putting on."

She froze.

For a brief second, I saw the slight tremor in her fingers, the subtle inhale of breath. But then she turned, her expression smooth and detached.

Her emerald eyes met mine, sharp and unreadable. "I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

A slow, amused smirk tugged at my lips. So that's how she wants to play it.

I leaned in, lowering my voice. "I have to say, you've changed, Suzan."

There.

The flicker of panic. The way her throat bobbed as she swallowed.

But she recovered quickly.

"You must be mistaken," she said coolly, tilting her head. "My name is Celeste Laurent."

I chuckled darkly. "Is that so?" I stepped even closer, watching her jaw tighten. "Then tell me, Celeste… why does your son look exactly like me?"

Silence.

For the first time that night, her confidence faltered.

A flicker of something raw and real crossed her face—fear, shock… guilt.

But she didn't answer.

Instead, she turned on her heel and walked away.

I let her go, a slow smirk spreading across my lips.

Because I had seen it.

In that brief moment, I had seen the truth.

And now, I would tear her perfect little world apart.

I pulled out my phone, dialing a number.

The voice on the other end picked up instantly.

"Sir?"

I exhaled, my smirk deepening. "Find a way to get me Julian Laurent's DNA. I want the results immediately."

Because if that boy was mine…

Then Suzan had no idea what was coming for her.