A Few Hours earlier
Lorenzo Grey sat in one of his penthouses that doubled as his office, mindlessly scrolling through business news on social media. But his thoughts were elsewhere.
For more than a week, he had been sending Ashley gifts, yet all he had received in return was suffocating silence. Last night, he had personally baked the cupcake that had been delivered to her earlier today, and still… nothing.
The entire idea had been to get her attention–and her contact, especially since their last conversation about Christian hadn't helped. But now, he couldn't help but wonder if he had only made things worse.
Frustrated, he yanked at his hair, debating his next move. Going to her company didn't seem like a good idea—he didn't want to appear too pushy. He wanted her to come around on her own. And he could get her contact from other means, but that didn't seem like a good idea either.
Hoping to take his mind off her, he called his secretary, instructing her to set up his things for an upcoming Zoom meeting with some of his executives.
They were about to close a $200 million deal—one of Lorenzo's properties was being purchased by the government to be transformed into a commercial center. It was a significant milestone for his company, and he needed to speak with his executives before they met with the government agencies. And yet, his mind refused to focus. Ashley's image lingered, making it nearly impossible to concentrate.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in," he called out, having seen Amelia from the built-in camera.
The door opened, revealing her. She stepped inside and announced that the delivery guy had called. "He's done with it."
Lorenzo simply nodded, already expecting Ashley to ignore this one just like the rest. He had considered sending more things but didn't want her to think he was trying to buy her over with gifts.
"Set up my PC for the meeting," he instructed. "And inform the media team to encrypt the call from both ends."
"Okay, sir."
Amelia swiftly followed his instructions and was about to leave when he remembered something.
"Have you drafted the contract document for Belix Enterprise?" he asked. The company was looking to have his firm redevelop a property for them.
"Yes, sir."
"Alright. Let me see it after the meeting."
"It's among the documents on your desk," Amelia replied.
"Okay. You can leave."
After his meeting with the executives, Lorenzo received a call from Life Orphanage. Bryan had a fever and was at the health center—he wanted to see him. Without hesitation, Lorenzo rushed out of his office, his heart pounding with worry. He had taken Bryan back to the orphanage only a few days ago after his holiday period ended.
Downstairs, as he typed in the door code and waited for it to slide open, Amelia approached him.
"You're heading out?"
"Yes, Amelia. Bryan is sick," he replied impatiently.
Her expression immediately turned concerned—she was well aware of his attachment to the child.
Once Lorenzo left the penthouse, he wasted no time, speeding through traffic and breaking at least ten traffic protocols to reach the orphanage. A police officer had chased him for a moment, but he had smoothly lost him with a fake call from his men.
Upon arriving at the orphanage, he was greeted by the caregivers, exchanging brief pleasantries before they led him to the health center. The scent of antiseptic filled the air, mingling with the sounds of crying children.
Inside Bryan's room, the little boy sat on the bed, fussing over a nurse who was trying to take his temperature. The moment he spotted Lorenzo, he attempted to jump down, but the nurse caught him just in time.
"Uncle Lorenzo!" Bryan's voice still rang out excitedly.
Relief washed over Lorenzo. The fever wasn't as bad as he had feared. Bryan looked pale, but the fact that he still had the energy to put up a fight with the young nurse was a relief.
He approached Bryan, gently pinching his cheek. Bryan giggled.
"Heard you're not feeling well, big guy."
Bryan nodded with a pout, and Lorenzo smiled. The kid had a way of making his heart feel warm and fuzzy.
The nurse mentioned that she'd return shortly to administer an injection. The moment Bryan overheard, he burst into tears.
"I don't want to stay here! Take me to your house, Uncle Lorenzo!"
Lorenzo picked him up, trying to soothe him. "It won't hurt, I promise."
"It did yesterday!" he wailed.
Lorenzo looked to the staff for assistance, and one of them spoke up, "Now that Uncle Lorenzo is here, it'll be okay, darling. It's the reason we called him to visit you, okay?"
Bryan's sobs quieted slightly as he seemed to be processing what she had said.
He glanced from Lorenzo to the woman, then back again, as if searching for any hint of deception. "Is she telling the truth, Uncle Lorenzo?" He asked, his gaze intent as if ready to catch any hint of lie.
The action amused Lorenzo. "Yes, and I have candy for you. But you'll get it after the doctor is done."
Bryan's face lit up, and he nodded enthusiastically.
When the nurse returned, Lorenzo handed Bryan his phone, playing an episode of SpongeBob to distract him. To his surprise, he didn't cry during the injection. Once it was over, Lorenzo visited a few other children, distributing the remaining candy before heading out.
On his way back to the company, his phone rang—Carl was calling. Lorenzo quickly answered, eager to hear if he had found the information he requested.
"What's up, man?"
"I've got some news for you," Carl said, piquing Lorenzo's interest.
"Tell me," he said, switching to speakerphone and placing the device on the passenger seat.
"You owe me a hangout this weekend for my exclusive services," Carl teased.
Lorenzo scoffed. "Fortunately, I've got an important event to attend."
"So, hanging out with your best friend isn't important?"
"You're just my best friend, not my girlfriend or wife," Lorenzo replied. "Now, what did you find?" His tone turned impatient.
"It's about your woman," Carl said, his voice turning serious. Lorenzo immediately tensed. He knew Carl was referring to Ashley.
"She was pregnant when Christian divorced her."
Lorenzo's grip tightened on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. "Are you sure?" He quickly pulled over, needing to process the information.
"Yes. Christian rejected the pregnancy and sent her away with nothing."
Lorenzo slammed his hand against the wheel. "That imbecile!"
Carl cautioned him to calm down, warning that the worst part was yet to come.
Lorenzo's heart pounded. What could be worse than abandoning a pregnant woman?
"After the child was born, Ashley gave her up—probably temporarily. But before she returned, the baby was mysteriously adopted. Now, there's a search for the little girl."
Lorenzo froze, his breath caught in his throat. His thoughts spun. After a few moments, he snapped back into action, flooring the accelerator as he sped toward Flynn Enterprise.
Carl continued talking, but Lorenzo was too furious to respond. Eventually, Carl gave up and ended the call.
His heart felt impossibly heavy. What other secrets was Ashley hiding about her past with Christian? The thought alone shattered him.
He arrived at the building, parked haphazardly, and stormed inside. At the reception desk, he demanded to see the CEO.
The receptionist hesitated, eyeing him skeptically.
"She asked to see me," he lied.
She reluctantly informed him that Ashley's office was on the top floor, wondering why various weird men were visiting her boss today. Without wasting another second, Lorenzo took the elevator, his nerves tightening with every passing second. He wished he could speed up the elevator.
When he finally arrived, he searched for her office. His palms grew sweaty as he walked, knowing full well she wouldn't want to see him. But he had no choice—he needed to offer his help in finding her daughter. He could ask Carl to join in the search for the child, but knowing how sensitive the topic would be to Ashley, he didn't want to go behind her back. Plus he still needed specific information that could only be provided by the mother of the child – Ashley.
But as Lorenzo reached her office, his steps halted. His blood boiled at the sight before him.
Ashley.
And Christian.
Together.
The bastard still had the nerve to be near her after everything. It was obvious they were having an argument from Ashley's furious expression, but Lorenzo couldn't make out the words because the office was soundproofed.
Without a second thought, he burst into the office, attacking christian.