Love In Disguise: Rebirth of the Heiress
Chapter 112

Chapter 112: Chapter 112

Chapter 12- Thoughts

I stood there, stunned, replaying the word in my head.

Mummy.

"Edgar," I called, my voice shaky as I moved toward the stairs.

The older man paused, turning back to face me. His expression was calm, almost amused, as if he had anticipated my reaction.

"Miss Quinn?" he asked gently.

"That boy... Elliot," I said, my words stumbling over themselves. "He just called me ’Mummy.’ Why would he say that? I’m not his mummy."

Edgar offered me a reassuring smile. "It’s not uncommon, Miss Quinn. Young children sometimes latch onto figures they feel safe with. It doesn’t mean anything beyond that."

I frowned, my mind racing. "Safe? He doesn’t even know me. We barely exchanged words."

Edgar chuckled softly, descending a few steps to stand closer. "Ah, but you spoke to him with kindness. You got down to his level. That’s more than most people do, even with their own children."

I crossed my arms, the weight of the interaction still heavy in my chest. "It just... caught me off guard, that’s all."

"I can imagine," Edgar replied, his tone understanding. "But it truly isn’t personal. Elliot is a... unique child. He’s been through a lot for someone so young."

I studied Edgar’s face, trying to piece together the puzzle. "He seems... cold. Distant. Almost like..." I trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought.

"Like Mr. Sterling?" Edgar finished for me, his smile fading slightly.

I swallowed hard, nodding. "Exactly."

Edgar sighed, glancing up the stairs where Elliot had disappeared. "He takes after him in many ways, yes. But deep down, he’s just a little boy trying to figure out his place in the world."

"Does Adrian—" I stopped myself, shaking my head. "Never mind."

Edgar raised an eyebrow, his eyes twinkling with curiosity. "You were going to ask if Mr. Sterling spends much time with him, weren’t you?"

I hesitated, then nodded reluctantly.

"It’s complicated," Edgar said after a pause. "Mr. Sterling is... not the most demonstrative person, as you know. But he provides for Elliot in every way he can."

"Money isn’t everything," I muttered under my breath.

"No, it isn’t," Edgar agreed, his voice gentle. "But it’s his way of showing care. And for now, it seems to be enough."

I rubbed my temple, overwhelmed by the strange, heavy emotions swirling in my chest. "I’m not sure how I got roped into this circus, Edgar. But if I had known children were involved..."

"You’re handling it better than most," Edgar said, giving my shoulder a reassuring pat. "Just keep being yourself, Miss Quinn. Elliot seems to have taken to you, and that’s no small thing."

I didn’t know how to respond to that. Instead, I nodded vaguely, my thoughts still stuck on the way Elliot had looked back at me. The cold intensity in his young eyes had felt far too familiar.

"Thank you, Edgar," I said quietly, turning to head back toward the gym.

"Anytime, Miss Quinn," Edgar replied, his voice kind as always.

---

As I walked through the mansion’s hallways, my mind drifted back to Elliot’s words. Goodbye, Mummy.

It was ridiculous. Edgar was right—children said strange things all the time. It didn’t mean anything. And yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t as simple as Edgar made it sound.

And the thought of Adrian having a child—a child who reminded me so much of him—stirred something deep and unsettling in my chest.

I shook my head, muttering to myself, "You’re overthinking this, Lyra. Focus on the job."

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get Elliot’s voice out of my head.

By the time Adrian reappeared, freshly showered and looking like he’d stepped out of a magazine spread, I’d managed to shove most of my swirling thoughts into a mental box labeled Deal With Later. He wore a crisp white shirt with the top button undone, and his damp hair fell effortlessly into place. Of course, it did.

God just had to make him perfect.

"Ready to start?" he asked, his voice cutting through the silence.

I nodded, setting my phone on the table between us. "I’ll be recording this for reference. Don’t worry, it’s just for me."

Adrian raised an eyebrow but said nothing, sinking into the chair across from me.

I tapped the record button, forcing a professional tone into my voice. "Alright. Let’s start with the basics. Why do you want this memoir written?"

"Because people should know the truth about me, especially when I am gone," he said simply, leaning back in his chair.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "And what truth is that?"

"That success doesn’t come without sacrifice."

There it was—that word again. The one he always threw around like it absolved him of all his sins. I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to keep my composure.

"Okay," I said, jotting down a note. "We’ll come back to that. For now, let’s talk about your personal life."

Adrian’s expression didn’t change, but there was a slight tightening of his jaw.

"What about it?"

"Your son," I said, watching his face closely. "Elliot, right?"

He nodded once, his emerald eyes giving nothing away.

"Is Nina his mother?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral.

Adrian’s gaze sharpened, but he didn’t answer right away. Finally, he said, "No."

I blinked, surprised by the directness of his response. "Then who is?"

"That’s irrelevant," he said curtly, his tone signaling the end of that line of questioning.

I narrowed my eyes, leaning forward slightly. "It doesn’t feel irrelevant. Especially since Elliot seems... in need of motherly care."

Adrian’s eyes darkened, his posture stiffening. "And what exactly are you implying?"

"I’m not implying anything," I said quickly, though my heart raced under his intense gaze. "It’s just an observation. He seems... reserved. Like he’s missing something."

Adrian leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he stared me down. "Elliot is well cared for."

"By who? You?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," he replied without hesitation.

I tilted my head, studying him. "And Nina? Does she play any role in his life?"

Adrian’s lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, I thought he wouldn’t answer. Then he said, "Nina isn’t involved."

"That’s surprising," I said, scribbling another note.

"Why?"

"Because she seems to insert herself into every other part of your life," I said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.

Adrian’s expression didn’t waver, but his eyes flashed with something I couldn’t quite place. "Elliot doesn’t need Nina," he said firmly.

"Does he need anyone?" I pressed, unable to stop myself. "Because from where I’m standing, he looks like a little boy who’s trying to figure out how to be more than just... your shadow."

The words hung in the air between us, heavy and uncomfortably honest. Adrian’s jaw tightened, and for a brief moment, I thought he might snap at me.

But instead, he leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting to the window. "You don’t know anything about what Elliot needs."

"You’re right," I said, keeping my tone steady. "I don’t. But I know what it feels like to grow up without the right kind of love. And I see a lot of myself in him."

Adrian’s head turned sharply, his eyes narrowing. "Don’t compare yourself to my son."

"Why not?" I shot back. "Is it that hard to admit that he might need more than what you’re giving him?"

His silence was deafening, and for a moment, I wondered if I’d pushed too far. But then he stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor.

"We’re done for now," he said, his voice colder than I’d ever heard it.

I stared at him, my chest tightening. "Adrian—"

"I have work to do," he said, cutting me off as he walked to the door.

He didn’t look back as he left, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the recording still running on the table.

I reached over and tapped the stop button, letting out a shaky breath. "Stupid," I muttered under my breath, running a hand through my hair. "Why did you have to push him?"

But even as I chastised myself, a part of me couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d struck a nerve. Adrian Sterling, the man who always seemed untouchable, had finally shown a crack in his armor.

I should have been happy though, I wanted to break him, but in part of my heart, it didn’t feel like a victory.

Chapter 13- Investigation and Feelings

Adrian’s POV

I stood by the floor-to-ceiling window and watched as she drove off in her black sedan, the car shrinking into the distance until it disappeared completely.

Lyra Quinn.

Even after all these years, she had a way of getting under my skin like no one else could.

I had built walls—fortresses, really—and yet, with her sharp tongue and those piercing gray eyes, she talked without fear, she probed and questions, she had a way of tearing them down without even trying.

I turned away from the window, my gaze falling on the report my assistant, Evelyn, had placed on my desk earlier. The folder sat there like it was mocking me. I hesitated before picking it up, flipping it open to scan the details I already knew I shouldn’t have requested.

Lyra Quinn.

Engaged