The house smelled like cinnamon and rosemary — the scent of childhood, of warmth, of her mother's favorite Sunday tea.
Brooklyn stood in the kitchen doorway of her mother's small country home just outside Charleston, South Carolina. The air was softer here. Slower. More forgiving.
She hadn't been home in over a year.
The last time she visited, she was hiding her pregnancy. This time, she was hiding her heart.
Her mother turned around from the stove, wiping her hands on a towel. "There you are," she said softly. "I made the chamomile you like."
Brooklyn walked forward, blinking back tears.
"Hi, Mama."
---
Hours Later – Backyard Reflections
The two women sat in silence on the wooden swing out back. The stars were coming out above them, and the breeze rustled through the tall trees like a lullaby.
Brooklyn's head rested on her mother's shoulder.
"I messed everything up," she whispered.
Her mother gave a small, knowing smile. "No, baby. You lived. And living's messy."
"I should've told him. About the name change. About the whistleblowing."
"Would it have changed how he saw you?"
Brooklyn hesitated.
"I don't know," she admitted.
"But you do know you weren't wrong to protect yourself," her mother said. "You were a child who saw something corrupt and spoke out. That doesn't make you broken, Brooklyn. That makes you brave."
Brooklyn swallowed the lump in her throat.
"I'm tired of fighting."
Her mother squeezed her hand.
"Then rest, baby. The storm won't last forever."
---
Meanwhile – Damien's Office, Midnight
Damien stared at the blinking cursor on his laptop screen.
He'd written and deleted the same message to Brooklyn at least ten times.
Nothing felt right. Nothing felt like enough.
Grant walked in holding a printed page. "I went deeper into Project Grace," he said.
Damien looked up slowly.
"There's a second document in there," Grant continued. "Encrypted differently. I cracked it using Elias's old password pattern."
He handed Damien the page.
At the top, bolded in all caps:
"Paternity Clause – Carter Holdings Succession Plan"
Damien's brows drew together. "What the hell is this?"
"It's... a legal proposal Elias never got to file," Grant said. "It states that the Carter legacy cannot be passed down to a child whose paternity hasn't been legally confirmed by Carter Enterprises' board."
Damien's face darkened. "Meaning?"
"Meaning... if the baby isn't proven to be yours by their standards, Elias could've challenged their inheritance."
"But he's gone."
"Yes," Grant said, "but this clause is still on record. And someone else could pick it up."
Damien stood abruptly.
"I need to bring Brooklyn home."
---
Next Morning – Brooklyn's Wake-Up Call
Brooklyn woke to sunlight pouring through her childhood bedroom window and the smell of pancakes from the kitchen.
But before she could swing her legs out of bed, her phone buzzed.
A message from Vivienne.
> "We found something else in Project Grace. You need to see this. It involves your baby."
Brooklyn's heart skipped.
She opened the file Vivienne had attached.
Her eyes scanned the document.
Her stomach turned.
A paternity clause? A board review? Inheritance disputes?
"No," she whispered, clutching her belly. "They can't use this against my child…"
---
A New Threat Emerges
Later that day, Brooklyn sat on the porch steps, phone pressed to her ear.
"I don't care if Elias is gone," she said to Vivienne. "If that clause is in any legal file, someone will use it."
"We think it might've already been leaked," Vivienne replied. "There's chatter online. A blog picked up an anonymous tip claiming you were trying to pass someone else's baby off as Damien's for money."
Brooklyn clenched her jaw. "What do we do?"
"Come back," Vivienne said. "We need to stand together now."
Brooklyn's hand rested on her belly.
No more running.
"I'm on my way."
---
Damien's Apartment – The Return
The front door opened late that evening. Damien was in the kitchen, pacing, phone in hand.
When he looked up, Brooklyn was standing there — suitcase in hand, her hair windblown, eyes sharp.
His heart thudded.
She was breathtaking. Not just because of how she looked, but because she was here.
He walked toward her, hesitant. "Brooklyn…"
"I saw the clause," she said, setting the suitcase down. "You were right. Elias wasn't done."
He nodded slowly. "I wanted to call you—"
"You should have," she cut in.
They stared at each other for a moment.
Then Damien stepped closer.
"I was scared," he admitted. "Not of the truth. Of losing you."
Brooklyn's eyes filled, but she didn't look away.
"You hurt me," she said softly. "When I needed you most."
"I know."
"I trusted you with everything."
"I failed," he said. "But I want to fix it. I want to fight with you, not against you."
Brooklyn took a deep breath.
"I didn't come back to make it easy."
"I didn't expect you to."
She stepped forward — just a little — and for the first time in days, their hands touched.
She let out a shaky breath.
"I still love you," she whispered.
Damien's hands closed around hers.
"Then let me protect what's mine."
---
Closing Scene – A Darker Power Awakens
Somewhere in New York, a sleek office buzzed with quiet activity.
A tall woman with platinum hair and red lips stood at a boardroom window, sipping wine.
She was scrolling through the leaked Project Grace file.
Her assistant entered the room. "The clause is confirmed."
She smiled.
"Good. Then tell the board I'll be filing a challenge."
"But... the baby's not even born yet."
She turned slowly.
"That child could control Carter Enterprises in twenty years," she said. "I intend to stop that before it starts."
Her name: Geneva Carter.
Damien's aunt.
And she was just getting started.
-----
Author's Note 💖
Thank you for reading, my loves! 😍
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