~Serena's POV~
The sound of a child's cry filled the gala... the kind that made everyone feel uneasy even when they had no idea who the child was.
I froze, I couldn't move. My feet had refused to move. I should have ignored it. And stick to the plan.
I should appreciate the commotion and use it as a distraction to get out.
But before I could even stop myself, my feet were already moving to were I heard the sound.
I ran down the hallway, as I kept following the screams. They began to grew louder, coming from one of the side rooms near the main ballroom.
When I finally reached the doorway, I stopped.
A small boy I haven't seen before maybe four or five years old was there. Standing in the center of the room. Two security guards surrounded him, their hands outstretched but hesitant, like they were both afraid to touch him.
"Come on, kid, you should try to calm down," one of them said, his voice calm. "Your father's on his way. I'll be here in few minutes."
"No! No! No!" the boy screamed, his face red and tears running down from is eyes. He pulled at his own hair, his small body shaking with the force of his sobs.
Something wasn't right, something felt wrong. The guards looked frustrated, uncomfortable. And the boy… he looked terrified.
"Just grab him," the other guard muttered. "We can't have him disrupting the entire gala."
"Are you crazy? Are you out of your senses? That's Damien Sterling kid. Do you want to lose your job?"
I stayed in the shadow, watching. I should leave., I should pretend I didn't see any of this. Because this wasn't my problem. This was a distraction, nothing more.
But I was always feeling for the him. I couldn't look away.
The boy threw himself on the ground, screaming. Crying until I felt something crack inside me.
"Where the hell is Sterling?" one of the guards asked again. "We need him here now."
And then not even up to a minute after the guard requested for him. Down the hallways, Footsteps echoed as I pressed myself against the wall.
And then he appeared.
Damien Sterling.
Tall, he was dressed in a black perfectly tailored suit. His expression was unreadable.
"What happened to him ?" he asked one of the guard.
"He just started screaming, sir," one of the guards said quickly. "We've been trying to calm him down, but…"
"Move."
The guards took a step back, and Damien knelt beside the boy. "Noah. Stop."
The boy Noah only cried harder, his small fists pounding the floor.
"Noah, I said stop." This time, Damien's voice was firmer, louder, edged with irritation. "You're embarrassing yourself. Get up"
Noah shook his head, his sobs catching in his throat. "I can't! I can't! I can't!"
Damien's jaw clenched . He reached for Noah's arm, but the boy jerked away, screaming louder.
"Don't touch me! Don't touch me! Leave me alone!"
I watched from the shadows, my chest aching. This wasn't discipline. This wasn't a tantrum. This was a child in complete distress, and no one knew how to help him. Not even the guards.
Not even his own father.
Against every instinct screaming at me to stay hidden, to stay out of it, but I could no longer watch Noah crying for help that no one could give to him. I stepped forward.
"Excuse me," I said quietly.
All eyes turned to me. Damien's gaze snapped up, sharp. The guards looked confused.
"Who the hell are you?" one of them asked.
I ignored him, my focus on the boy. Noah. I knelt a few feet away from Noah, keeping my movements slow and gentle.
"Hey," I said softly. "Hey, it's okay."
Noah's crying stuttered for a moment. His eyes red and swollen flicked toward me.
"It's okay," I repeated, keeping my voice calm. "You're safe. No one's going to hurt you. Okay.?
"Miss, you need to leave…" the guard started, but Damien held up a hand, silence him.
I didn't look at Damien. I kept my eyes on Noah.
"Hey look at me. I know it's loud in here," I said gently. "And I know everything feels too much right now. But you're okay. I promise."
Noah stared at me, his chest heaving with ragged breaths.
His small hands were still clenched into fists, but he wasn't screaming anymore.
"Can you take a deep breath with me?" I asked. "Just one?"
He waited, then nodded.
I breathed in slowly, exaggerating the motion. Noah watched me, then copied, his breath shaky and uneven.
"Good," I said, smiling. "That's really good. Can we do that again? Another one?"
We breathed together again, and this time, his shoulders started to relax.
"You're doing great," I said. "Do you want to sit up?"
Noah nodded. He pushed himself up slowly, And then, before I could react, he launched himself forward and threw his arms around my neck.
I froze.
His small body clung to me, his face pressed so hard against my shoulder. His arms wrapped around me so tightly, like he was afraid I'd disappear.
My breath caught. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know this child. I shouldn't be holding him.
But my arms moved on their own, wrapping around him gently, holding him close.
"It's okay," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "You're okay now."
Noah's grip tightened, and I felt his tears soaking into my uniform. He didn't say anything. He just held on.
I closed my eyes, as my chest started aching in a way I didn't understand. This child, this stranger felt like something familiar. Something I'd lost a long time ago.
Footsteps approached, as I opened my eyes.
Damien stood in front of me, his expression was unreadable as always. His dark eyes studied me carefully, his gaze sharp and intense.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice low. I swallowed hard, keeping my face neutral. "Just a server, sir. I heard the commotion and thought I could help."
"You're good with children."
It wasn't a question. It was an observation
"I... I have experience," I said carefully, not meeting his eyes. "I used to babysit."
Damien's stood still. He looked at me like he was trying to solve a puzzle, like something about me didn't quite fit.
"What's your name?" he asked.
My heart stopped.
This was it. The moment I should lie. The moment I should give a fake name and disappear back into the crowd.
But Noah was still clinging to me, his small body trembling, and I couldn't bring myself to pull away.
"Serena," I said quietly. "Serena Vance."
The words hung in the air.
Damien's eyes narrowed slightly, and for a moment, I thought I saw recognition across his face. But then it was gone, replaced by cold calculation.
His gaze dropped.
To my chest.
To the name tag that was pinned to my uniform.
Serena Vance.
My blood turned to ice.
I'd forgotten. In the chaos, in the rush to help Noah, I'd completely forgotten about the name tag. The one Marco had made for me using my real name because I'd been too confident, too reckless, thinking no one would recognize me after five years.
Damien's jaw tightened. His eyes lifted back to mine, and this time, there was no mistaking the intensity in his gaze.
"Vance," he repeated slowly, his voice deadly quiet. "That name sounds familiar."
My breath caught. I forced myself to stay calm, to keep my expression neutral.
"It's a common name, sir," I said, my voice steady despite the panic in my chest.
Damien stared at me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine. I could see his mind working, piecing together fragments of memory.
And then Noah shifted in my arms, breaking the tension.
"Don't let go," Noah whispered against my shoulder.
"Please don't let go."
I held him tighter, my heart pounding. "I won't. I promise."
Damien's expression softened slightly as he looked at his son, but when his eyes returned to me, the coldness was back.
"We need to talk," he said. "After you put him down."
"Sir, I really should get back to work…"
"That wasn't a request."
His voice was commanding. The voice of a man who was used to getting exactly what he wanted.
I swallowed hard, my mind racing. I needed to get out of here. I needed to disappear before he put the pieces together.
But Noah was still holding onto me, his grip desperate and unyielding.
And Damien Sterling was staring at me like he'd just found something he'd been searching for.
Something dangerous.