CHAPTER 5: THE DEAD BILLIONAIRE WALKED OUT OF THE SHADOWS
“I came for my granddaughter.”
The words echoed through the library.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Rosa held Mia so tightly the little girl whimpered.
Adrian stood frozen.
Because the voice outside the door belonged to only one man.
Richard Hastings.
His father.
The man who had supposedly died three years ago.
The man whose funeral had been attended by governors, senators, and half the city’s elite.
The man buried in the Hastings family cemetery.
“No…” Adrian whispered.
The voice came again.
“Open the door, son.”
A shiver ran through him.
The same calm, commanding tone.
The same voice that had taught him how to ride a bicycle.
The same voice that had once tucked him into bed.
And yet…
the same voice now sounded like that of a stranger.
Another heavy knock.
Boom.
“Adrian, we don’t have much time.”
Mr. Collins looked horrified.
“Sir… it can’t be.”
Adrian slowly approached the door.
“Don’t!” Rosa cried.
He stopped.
“What if it’s a trap?”
The room fell silent.
She was right.
Everything tonight had been a trap.
The engagement party.
The attack.
The secrets.
The letters.
But then the voice outside spoke again.
“I know you found Isabella.”
Everyone froze.
“I know you know about Mia.”
Another pause.
“And I know Daniel is alive.”
Adrian’s heart nearly stopped.
“How?” Rosa whispered.
The voice continued.
“I can explain everything… if you open this door.”
Silence.
Then—
Mia suddenly looked up.
“That voice…”
Everyone turned toward her.
The little girl frowned.
“I know him.”
A chill swept through the room.
“You do?” Adrian asked.
She nodded.
“He came to my birthday.”
Rosa’s face went white.
“What?”
“He brought me a teddy bear.”
The room exploded.
“That’s impossible!” Rosa cried.
Mia looked confused.
“He called me Princess.”
Adrian felt the blood drain from his face.
Richard used to call only one person “Princess.”
His late wife, Eleanor.
How could he know Mia?
Unless…
Unless he had been watching her.
All along.
A terrible thought formed in Adrian’s mind.
“What if…” he whispered.
“What if my father never disappeared?”
The library door suddenly opened.
Everyone jumped.
The security guard had unlocked it.
An elderly man stepped inside.
Tall.
Elegant.
Silver hair.
Dark overcoat.
And eyes that looked exactly like Adrian’s.
Richard Hastings.
Alive.
Rosa gasped.
Mr. Collins burst into tears.
“Sir…”
Richard looked older.
Thinner.
But very much alive.
He closed the door behind him.
Then his eyes landed on Mia.
And something extraordinary happened.
The powerful billionaire’s expression softened.
He smiled.
“My little princess.”
Mia smiled back.
“Grandpa!”
The room went silent.
Rosa nearly collapsed.
Grandpa?
Richard crossed the room slowly and knelt before her.
“You’ve gotten so big.”
“Did you bring candy?”
A small laugh escaped him.
“Yes.”
He reached into his pocket and produced a chocolate bar.
Mia clapped happily.
Rosa stared at him in horror.
“You know my daughter…”
Richard stood.
“I do.”
“How?”
He looked at Adrian.
“Because I’ve known about her since the day she was born.”
Nobody spoke.
Then—
“You WHAT?” Adrian shouted.
Richard remained calm.
“I knew Daniel had a child.”
“You let us believe Daniel was dead!”
“Yes.”
“You let us believe YOU were dead!”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Richard’s face changed.
For the first time that night, fear appeared in his eyes.
“Because someone wanted to kill my family.”
Silence.
Adrian frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
Richard looked toward Isabella.
“Tell him.”
She shook her head slowly.
“No… you should.”
A long silence filled the room.
Finally, Richard spoke.
“It started twenty-five years ago.”
He looked at Rosa.
“When my father tried to kill Isabella’s fiancé.”
Rosa held her breath.
“My grandfather…”
“Yes.”
Richard sighed.
“I was young. Weak. I did nothing.”
Tears filled Isabella’s eyes.
“You let him take my daughter.”
“I know.”
“You ruined my life.”
His face crumbled.
“I know.”
For the first time, Adrian saw his father not as a billionaire…
but as a broken old man.
Richard continued.
“My father became obsessed with the Hastings fortune.”
He looked at Mia.
“He believed the family wealth should belong only to those he considered worthy.”
“What does that have to do with Mia?” Rosa asked.
“Everything.”
He swallowed hard.
“Before he died, he changed his will.”
Adrian frowned.
“You mean the Trust?”
Richard nodded.
“The Trust can only pass to a direct blood descendant who carries the Hastings bloodline and is recognized by the family.”
Silence.
“Mia qualifies.”
The room became still.
“But there’s more.”
He looked at Adrian.
“Your grandfather had another son.”
Everyone froze.
“What?”
“A child born in secret.”
Richard’s voice shook.
“He hid the boy from everyone.”
“Who was he?”
Richard looked toward the broken window.
Then back at Adrian.
“He grew up believing the Hastings family abandoned him.”
A chill filled the room.
“And now…”
Richard swallowed.
“He wants revenge.”
No one moved.
No one breathed.
“He’s the one behind everything.”
“The attacks.”
“The threats.”
“Daniel’s disappearance.”
“My fake death.”
Everything.
“Who is he?” Adrian whispered.
Richard looked terrified.
Then he spoke a name.
“Victor.”
The library became silent.
Rosa frowned.
“Victor who?”
Richard closed his eyes.
“Victor Delgado.”
The world stopped.
Rosa went pale.
“Delgado…?”
Isabella covered her mouth.
“No…”
Richard nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
Then he said the words that shattered everything.
“Victor Delgado is your uncle.”
Silence.
“Which means…”
He looked at Mia.
“He’s coming for her.”
At that exact moment—
BANG!
A gunshot exploded outside.
The library windows shattered.
Everyone screamed.
A bullet struck the wall inches from Adrian’s head.
Then another voice echoed through the mansion.
Cold.
Furious.
Filled with hatred.
“You're too late, Richard!”
Footsteps approached.
Slow.
Steady.
A man appeared in the doorway.
Tall.
Gray-eyed.
Holding a gun.
He smiled.
“Family reunions are wonderful, aren’t they?”
Rosa’s blood turned to ice.
Because she recognized him.
The man in front of her…
was the same man who had disappeared four years ago.
The man she had loved.
The man she believed was dead.
The father of her child.
“Daniel?” she whispered.
The man smiled sadly.
“No, Rosa.”
He raised the gun.
“My name is Victor.”
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And Mia looked at him with wide eyes and whispered:
“Daddy?”
