Chapter 3 - The Boy With Adrian’s Eyes
Noah Brooks hated waiting outside the principal’s office.
He sat on a small wooden chair with his backpack between his sneakers.
His brown hair refused to stay flat no matter how much Helena tried to brush it every morning.
A picture of the solar system was pinned to the wall across from him.
Noah had already named every planet twice.
He was working on a third round when Helena appeared at the end of the hallway.
He smiled immediately.
“Mom.”
Helena forced herself to smile back.
She had changed out of her maid uniform.
Adrian had insisted.
One of his assistants had driven her home, waited outside while she showered, and then brought her to the school.
Helena had almost refused the ride.
Then she had remembered the investigators inside Sterling Villa.
She wanted Noah close.
“Hey, bug.”
Noah jumped into her arms.
“You’re early.”
“I know.”
“Am I in trouble?”
“No.”
“Are you in trouble?”
Helena paused.
Noah had always been too perceptive.
“No.”
He narrowed his eyes.
“That was your lying voice.”
Helena laughed despite herself.
“My what?”
“Your lying voice.”
“I don’t have a lying voice.”
“You do.”
“It gets higher.”
She kissed his forehead.
“Come on.”
They walked toward the parking lot.
Helena hoped Adrian had understood her request.
Do not be here.
She needed time.
Noah needed preparation.
She reached the sidewalk.
A black sedan was parked across the street.
Helena stopped.
The rear passenger door opened.
Adrian stepped out.
She closed her eyes briefly.
Of course.
Noah noticed him immediately.
“Who’s that?”
Adrian remained beside the car.
He did not approach.
That was the one promise he had kept.
Helena crouched.
“Noah.”
The boy looked at her.
“There’s someone I need to introduce you to.”
“Is he your boss?”
“No.”
“Is he rich?”
Helena almost smiled.
“What makes you think he’s rich?”
“His car looks expensive.”
Adrian heard that from across the sidewalk.
For the first time all day, the corner of his mouth moved.
Helena stood.
She took Noah’s hand.
Together they crossed the street.
Adrian looked at the boy.
The resemblance struck him with physical force.
Noah had Helena’s mouth.
Helena’s expressions.
But the eyes were unmistakable.
Dark gray.
Exactly like Adrian’s mother.
Noah studied him just as carefully.
“You know my mom?”
Adrian swallowed.
“Yes.”
“How?”
Helena intervened.
“We were friends.”
Noah looked at Adrian.
“Like school friends?”
“Something like that.”
Adrian crouched so they were eye level.
“My name is Adrian.”
“I’m Noah.”
“I know.”
Noah frowned.
“How?”
Adrian glanced at Helena.
She gave the smallest nod.
“Your mom told me about you.”
Noah considered this.
“Did she tell you I got an A on my dinosaur project?”
Adrian’s expression softened.
“No.”
“She should have started with that.”
Noah smiled.
Helena felt tears threaten again.
Adrian noticed.
He stood.
“Can we talk?”
Helena nodded toward a small park across from the school.
Noah ran toward the swings while Helena and Adrian sat at a nearby bench.
Adrian never took his eyes off the boy.
“You should have listened to me.”
“I did.”
“You’re here.”
“I stayed across the street.”
“That is not what I meant.”
“I couldn’t go another day without seeing him.”
Helena looked at Noah.
“He doesn’t know.”
“I figured that out.”
“I’m going to tell him.”
“When?”
“When I know what this is.”
Adrian turned toward her.
“What do you mean?”
“You appear after six years.”
“Suddenly Vanessa is losing her company.”
“Investigators are at the house.”
“And you tell me I’ve apparently owned money I never knew existed.”
“My life changed before lunch.”
Adrian looked down.
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
He accepted that quietly.
Helena continued.
“Noah has a life.”
“He has school.”
“Friends.”
“A routine.”
“He doesn’t need a billionaire appearing and announcing that everything he knows is different.”
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
“I’m not a billionaire.”
Helena looked at him.
“That’s the part you’re correcting?”
He almost laughed.
“Fair.”
“How rich are you?”
“Does it matter?”
“No.”
“And yes.”
Adrian leaned back.
“I founded a logistics software company.”
“We sold part of it three years ago.”
“I still own the rest.”
“That explains nothing.”
“It explains enough.”
“So you’re rich.”
“I’m comfortable.”
Helena stared at the black sedan.
“Comfortable people don’t travel with attorneys.”
“Mine do.”
Despite everything, Helena laughed.
The sound surprised both of them.
For one brief second, they were twenty-three again.
Then Noah shouted.
“Mom, look.”
He jumped from the swing and landed badly.
Helena stood immediately.
Noah laughed and ran toward them.
“I almost flew.”
“You almost broke your ankle.”
“That too.”
Noah looked at Adrian.
“Do you have kids?”
The question hit without warning.
Adrian looked at Helena.
Then at Noah.
“Yes.”
Helena’s breath caught.
Noah brightened.
“Boy or girl?”
Adrian’s throat tightened.
“A boy.”
“How old?”
“About your age.”
“Does he like dinosaurs?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Noah looked confused.
“Why not?”
Adrian could not answer.
Helena stepped in.
“Okay.”
“Time to go.”
Noah shrugged.
“Bye, Adrian.”
Adrian forced a smile.
“Bye, Noah.”
Noah climbed into Helena’s old sedan.
Adrian watched Helena struggle with the driver’s door.
It stuck halfway before opening.
“You’re driving that?”
“It works.”
“Barely.”
“It starts every morning.”
“That’s an extremely low standard.”
Helena gave him a look.
“Goodbye, Adrian.”
He placed a hand gently against the door before she could close it.
“Vanessa knows about Noah.”
Helena froze.
“What?”
“I found a payment from Sterling Group to a private investigator.”
“Five years ago.”
“Your address.”
“His preschool.”
“Photographs.”
Helena’s blood ran cold.
“Why would she watch us?”
“I don’t know.”
“But you need to be careful.”
Helena looked toward Noah.
He was fastening his seat belt.
“Did she ever come near him?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Not that you know of?”
Adrian lowered his voice.
“I have people checking.”
Helena pulled the door closed.
“I’m taking him home.”
“I’ll follow.”
“No.”
“This isn’t negotiable.”
“It absolutely is.”
Adrian stepped back.
“Helena.”
“She watched our son for five years.”
“You think I’m letting you drive away alone?”
That word stopped her.
Our.
Our son.
Helena looked at him through the open window.
“Fine.”
“But stay behind me.”
Adrian nodded.
Helena pulled away.
The black sedan followed.
Twenty minutes later, she turned onto her street.
Then stopped.
There were flashing lights ahead.
A police cruiser blocked the road.
Helena’s heart began pounding.
Her apartment building stood at the far end.
People were gathered outside.
Smoke drifted from one second-floor window.
Her window.
“No.”
She slammed the car into park.
Adrian was out of his vehicle before Helena reached the sidewalk.
Noah climbed from the passenger side.
“Mom?”
Adrian grabbed Helena’s arm.
“Stay here.”
“My apartment.”
“I see it.”
“My things are inside.”
“Helena.”
“My grandmother’s box.”
“What box?”
She pulled free.
“Mom.”
Noah’s frightened voice stopped her.
Helena turned.
Her son stood beside the car clutching his backpack.
She went to him immediately.
Adrian approached a firefighter.
“What happened?”
The firefighter pointed toward the building.
“Small fire.”
“Someone started it in the bedroom.”
“Started it?”
Helena looked up sharply.
“You mean intentionally?”
The firefighter’s expression became cautious.
“Police are investigating.”
Adrian’s phone rang.
He checked the caller.
His investigator.
He answered.
“Yes.”
He listened.
Then looked at Helena.
“What?”
Adrian ended the call.
“The private investigator Vanessa hired just agreed to talk.”
Helena tightened her arms around Noah.
“What did he say?”
Adrian’s expression darkened.
“He wasn’t hired to watch you.”
“He was hired to find something.”
Helena stared at her burning apartment.
“What?”
May you like
Adrian looked toward the smoke.
“A key.”
