Chapter 5 - The Corporate Conspiracy"Explain every single detail," Alexander demanded, his voice trembling with a terrifying blend of grief and rage as he poured three cups of tea in his private lounge.
Maria sat on the edge of the velvet sofa, holding a warm mug between her hands, while Mia curled up next to her uncle, completely unafraid of the "dangerous" billionaire.
"Ten years ago, Miss Emily was pregnant and unmarried," Maria began, her eyes distant as she recalled the past. "Your father—your late father—was still alive and running the board of directors. He viewed Emily’s pregnancy as a catastrophic scandal that could tank the company’s upcoming IPO. He ordered her locked away in a private clinic under heavy surveillance."
Alexander slammed his fist onto the coffee table, causing the porcelain cups to rattle. "My father... He told me she ran away to Europe! He told me she abandoned the family!"
"He lied to protect his legacy," Maria said grimly. "I was hired as her personal nurse inside that clinic. I watched over her. When Emily went into labor, complications arose. The corporate doctors your father hired wanted to focus on saving only the baby, but Emily fought with her last breath to make sure Mia came into this world safely."
Maria wiped a tear from her cheek. "After the delivery, Emily passed away from exhaustion and heart failure. But your father’s right-hand man, Richard Sterling—your current Chief Operating Officer—was waiting in the hallway."
Alexander’s blood ran ice cold. Richard Sterling. His right-hand man. The man he trusted with his life, who had sat by his side through every board meeting for the last eight years.
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"Richard?" Alexander breathed.
"Yes," Maria nodded. "Richard told me that if I wanted the baby to survive, I had to take her and disappear forever. He handed me a fake birth certificate, a small envelope of cash, and threatened to destroy both of us if I ever uttered a word. He wanted the child erased so she could never lay claim to the Reed family trust."
