Father and Son Who Never Met

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After the real daughter of the family snatched my fianc, I decided I was done playing by the rules. I did the one thing I could: I got him into my bed, and then I ran.

He may have been a rebellious disaster, but he was unfairly handsome. So I made a choice. I kept the premium-grade souvenir of our night together.

Jax Walker was furious, swearing that when he found me, hed make my life a living hell. I spent five years in hiding, my heart pounding every time I heard his name.

Until one day, I went to pick up my son from school. A huge crowd was gathered at the gate, buzzing about a fight.

My eyes lit up. I eagerly pushed my way through the crowd, ready for some good, old-fashioned drama.

And there they were, in the open space by the school entrance, two figures locked in a clumsy brawl.

The taller one wore a black trench coat, his back as straight and unyielding as a pine tree. His movements were sharp, efficient.

The shorter one was in a primary school uniform, his little legs pumping like pistons. His fists were small, but every punch was aimed at a vital spot.

I rubbed my eyes, staring at the two of themone a carbon copy of the other, just shrunk down.

My world tilted on its axis. What was wrong with these two? How could a father and son who had never met before just start throwing punches?

Jax turned his head, deftly dodging my son's fist. The corner of his eye twitched upward in a look of lazy, arrogant amusement.

That face. It was the kind of face that haunted my nightmares.

I took a deep breath. And another. And one more for good measure.

And to think, Noah told me he was a model student.

From the look of his practiced fighting stance, he seemed more like a seasoned brawler. That left hook had some serious power, the angle was vicious, and he even knew how to feint before landing a punch.

A circle of parents had formed around them. Some were filming with their phones, others were cheering them on.

"Whose kid is that? He's got some moves!"

"Go for the big guy! You got this, kiddo!"

I covered my face, wishing the ground would swallow me whole.

Noah planted his hands on his hips, his little chin jutted out.

"Mister, you're blocking my way."

Jax glanced down at him and scoffed. "You own the sidewalk, pipsqueak?"

"It's not mine, but you're blocking the school gate. My friends can't get out."

A laugh escaped Jax's lips, a mix of annoyance and disbelief.

"Who the hell is your mother? Raising a little tyrant like you."

I winced. The kid had inherited my temper and Jax's in equal, disastrous measure.

Everyone who knew us knew that when Jax and I met, sparks flew. And someone usually ended up bleeding.

The day I found out I was the Sterling family's switched-at-birth mistake, Jax was the first one to show up and gloat.

"Well, well, Willow. Turns out you're a fake. No wonder you have no class."

I lunged at him, sinking my teeth into his neck.

He couldn't push me off, no matter how hard he tried.

I felt the coppery tang of blood seep between my teeth. He let out a muffled groan of pain, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"What are you, some kind of animal?!"

Only then did I release him, licking the blood from the corner of my mouth.

I just never imagined he'd have the same effect on our son.

Jax reached out, his fingers closing around the back of Noah's neck.

"Alright, let's go find your parents. I have to see what kind of people are responsible for a little monster like you."

My throat tightened. It was time to run.

But just then, a sharp voice cut through the air.

His teacher, Ms. Davis, came storming over in her high heels, her face a mask of fury.

"Excuse me, which class are you with? Are you bullying one of our students?"

For a rare moment, Jax actually looked embarrassed. Before he could speak, a woman in a chic cream-colored coat emerged from the crowd.

She gracefully looped her arm through Jax's and offered Ms. Davis a practiced smile.

"Hello, teacher. I am so sorry about this. Please forgive our intrusion."

"We're investors in the school, and we were just passing by to see the campus. My fianc isn't always the best with children. If he's offended your student, I apologize on his behalf."

She gave a slight bow, her posture a picture of elegance.

Ms. Davis's anger immediately deflated.

"Oh, an investor. Well, even so, you can't be getting into fights with students..."

Isabelle, the real Sterling daughter, turned to Jax, her tone laced with a gentle scolding.

"Jax, darling, really. Why are you arguing with a child?"

I watched their linked arms, a cynical sound escaping my lips. After Isabelle was welcomed back into the family, she had made it her mission to take everything from me.

"Jax is mine too, sister," she had said. "Surely you're not going to try and steal him from me as well?"

I had trembled with rage. If she was going to accuse me of being a usurper, I might as well play the part to the hilt.

That night, I got him roaring drunk, dragged him to bed, and was gone before sunrise.

I tugged the brim of my hat lower.

As long as no one recognized me, everything would be fine.

But just then, the teacher's voice rang out again, stopping me in my tracks.

"Oh, Noah's mom! There you are. I was just about to call you."

I froze.

Jax's gaze was already sweeping in our direction.

Ms. Davis walked over to me, holding Noah's hand. "Noah and that gentleman had a little misunderstanding. I just wanted to fill you in..."

I kept my back to Jax, my voice a low whisper.

"I'm in a huge rush right now, something urgent came up. Can I call you back later?"

Ms. Davis blinked, taking in my panicked expression, then glanced over my shoulder.

"Well, but..."

I mumbled a half-baked excuse, bent down, and swept Noah into my arms.

He wrapped his arms around my neck, his face a picture of confusion.

I turned and ducked into a nearby alley, rushing us home.

As soon as I set him down, Noah looked up at me.

"That man kept staring at you, Mommy. When you walked away, he watched you for a really long time."

I didn't answer, moving to shut the door, but a hand shot out and held it open.

Isabelle stood on my doorstep, a triumphant, phony smile on her face.

"Sister. I knew it was you. It's been a long time."

"Tsk, tsk. I can't blame Jax for not recognizing you. You look nothing like the proud, arrogant Sterling heiress you used to be."

Noah peeked out from behind my leg, his little face tense as he glared at her.

Isabelle noticed his gaze and looked down, her smile widening.

"And whose little bastard is this?"

I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they'd get stuck. "Are you done?"

The smile on her face faltered for a second before she pulled a gold-embossed invitation from her purse.

"Sister, tomorrow is my wedding to Jax. Mom and Dad said that, after all, you were their daughter for twenty years. Even if you're not their blood, they'd still like you to be there."

She pressed the invitation into my hand and leaned in close to my ear.

"By the way, I still have those drawings of yours."

My eyebrows shot up.

Isabelle took a step back, her face a mask of perfect composure, but her eyes were cold and sharp.

"You left in such a hurry. That manila envelope there were about twenty of them, right? All from your high school days."

She tilted her head, her smile sickeningly sweet.

"I heard you were supposed to go to art school. What a shame. It was me who convinced Mom and Dad to cut you off financially. A pity you couldn't afford it."

"I've looked through those drawings a few times. They're all rather intimate sketches of Jax, aren't they?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "What do you want? I've left the Sterling family. Can't you just leave me alone after all these years?"

She let out a delighted laugh.

"Sister, you stole so many years of my life. This is just the beginning."

"If you come to the wedding on Saturday, I'll return the drawings to you in person. If you don't well, then I'll just have to display them for all the guests to see. Let everyone know just how disgusting you are."

A laugh burst out of me.

"Great. Go ahead. Let the whole world see his nudes."

Isabelle froze, her face flushing a deep red.

"You're shameless!"

I smiled, pulling out my phone and waggling it at her. "Oh, and if that's not explosive enough for you, I've got more. From that night you know. Want a private screening?"

I had nothing, of course, but I was an expert at bluffing.

Isabelle's face turned ashen.

"Willow, you're despicable!"

I tilted my head, my smile bright. "If you don't show everyone my masterpieces, you're a coward."

She was shaking with rage, pointing a finger at me, unable to form a word.

"You were spoiled rotten by the Sterlings! Even after all these years on your own, you still haven't learned any humility. Just you wait."

She shot me one last venomous glare, then spun on her heel and stormed off.

I yelled after her, "I'll be there tomorrow! You're a coward if you don't show them!"

Noah poked his head out from behind the door.

"Mommy, what did you draw?"

I pinched his cheek. "Mommy is taking you to crash a wedding."

The next day, I arrived at the old Sterling family estate as promised.

Isabelle, draped in a wedding gown with a long train, found me in a corner where I was adjusting Noah's little suit.

"Sister, you came. Perfect. There's something I need your help with."

I raised an eyebrow, waiting for her next move.

She clapped her hands, and two security guards in black suits appeared behind her, grabbing my arms.

"The kitchen is short-staffed today. The dishwasher called in sick. Since you're not doing anything, you can go help out."

I frowned.

"Isabelle, you invited me to your wedding just to make me wash dishes?"

She looked me up and down, her gaze dripping with condescension.

"It's not hard work. Just washing some plates, mopping the floor. Surely you can handle that? You're not the Sterling heiress who never lifted a finger anymore."

The guards started dragging me towards the kitchens.

Noah rushed forward, clinging to my leg.

"Don't touch my mommy!"

Isabelle gave one of the guards a look. He stepped forward, grabbed Noah by the collar, and lifted him away from me.

"Isabelle!" I struggled, shouting. "Let go of my son!"

"Don't worry, I won't hurt him," she said, adjusting her veil, her voice light and airy. "As soon as you're done in the kitchen, I promise you'll get your son back in one piece."

She paused, leaning close to my ear, her voice a low hiss.

"Of course, that's only if you do a good job. Break a single plate, and you and your son will be going home naked."

The guards shoved me into the kitchen and left me in front of a mountain of greasy plates.

"You can leave when you're finished."

The door was locked from the outside.

I took a deep breath, rolled up my sleeves, and started scrubbing.

I washed for nearly an hour, my hands pruned and white.

Suddenly, I heard a commotion from the main hall.

It was followed by Isabelle's piercing shriek.

"How is that possible? It was right on my hand! That diamond ring is worth five million dollars!"

"Where could it have gone?!"

A cold knot of dread formed in my stomach. A terrible premonition washed over me.

I peeked through the crack in the door.

The next thing I heard was Isabelle's voice, thick with insinuation.

"Just now I think there was a child who was very close to me. He even bumped into me, and now my ring is gone."

Before her words had even faded, a guard emerged, holding Noah firmly.

My son was still holding half a macaroon, his cheeks puffed out. He looked utterly bewildered by the sudden attention.

"I didn't do it!"

"What are you doing? Let me go!"

Noah began to struggle violently.

Isabelle rushed over, her face a mask of fake apology.

"I'm so sorry, little one."

"But this ring is extremely valuable. I simply can't afford to lose it. I just want to check, to see if you have it on you. If you don't, I'll have them let you go immediately!"

As every guest in the room watched, the ring was pulled from Noah's pocket.

A collective gasp went through the hall, followed by a wave of murmurs and disgusted looks from every direction.

A few of the society ladies close to the Sterling family were already frowning, pointing at Noah.

"You can just tell he has no breeding, running around like a wild animal at an event like this."

"Where are his parents? When a child causes this much trouble, the parents need to be held accountable."

Noah's face slowly turned crimson. He shouted, "I didn't! I didn't bump into her! And I didn't take her ring!"

But his small voice was lost in the sea of judgmental whispers.

I pounded on the door, my palm stinging, but it wouldn't budge.

Just then, the police and venue security arrived.

The evidence was undeniable, found in front of everyone.

A police officer knelt down. "Son, where are your parents? Who told you to steal?"

That question was like a needle, popping the balloon of Noah's composure.

He blinked, his eyelashes suddenly wet, but he fought back the tears.

"I don't know."

Isabelle clung to her mother, who had rushed to her side, sobbing dramatically.

"Mom, that ring it was a symbol of Jax's love for me."

"This is the son my sister raised on the outside. We were kind enough to invite them to the wedding, and this is how they repay us, with their thieving hands."

The murmuring grew louder.

"Oh, it's her the fake heiress"

"No wonder. A bastard raises a bastard. A family of thieves!"

Noah bit his lip so hard it was a wonder it didn't bleed, refusing to let a single tear fall.

At that moment, a hush fell over the entrance to the hall as the crowd parted to form a path.

Jax walked in, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, his expression unreadable.

Isabelle dried her tears, her voice becoming formal and business-like.

"Officer, there's one more thing."

She took her phone out of her clutch, pulled up a few photos, and handed it to the police.

"These are drawings my sister made. The subject matter they are all photos she secretly took of my fianc, which she then used to create those kinds of drawings."

She paused, a faint blush on her cheeks, as if the topic was too embarrassing to discuss.

"My fianc is Jax Walker, the heir to the Walker Corporation. These drawings are a serious violation of his privacy, and the content is incredibly obscene."

The officer took the phone, his brow furrowed.

"Where are these drawings now?"

"They were in my possession. My sister came to the wedding today to demand them back. But I believe this kind of behavior cannot be tolerated. I intend to press charges."

She turned to Jax, her voice softening.

"Right, Jax?"

Jax finally looked up. He walked over to the police officer, and in one smooth motion, he lifted Noah into his arms.

"I'm his father."

"And as for those pictures, I was the one who was barely dressed, trying to seduce her. I begged her to draw them."