Theo Carter had never met his father.

He had also never believed his mother's explanation for why.

"Some families are just different."

That was what Evelyn always said.

Theo hated answers that answered nothing.

So at 11:42 p.m., while his mother slept, he began investigating Adrian Moretti.

By 11:49, he found the public version.

CEO.

Investor.

Real estate developer.

Moretti Holdings.

By midnight, he found the version people whispered about.

Organized crime allegations.

Federal investigations.

Witnesses who changed statements.

Cases that disappeared.

Theo stared at Adrian's photograph.

"Okay."

Mr. Bad Firewall was interesting.

At 12:13, Theo found something more interesting.

His mother's encrypted folder.

He had seen it before.

She kept it on an external drive and never opened it around him.

The encryption was good.

Much better than Adrian's firewall.

Theo smiled.

"Mom."

He began working.

---

Across Manhattan, Adrian had a photograph on his desk.

Theo's school picture.

Nico stood by the window.

"This is creepy."

"It's an investigation."

"You have a kindergarten photograph on your desk."

"Do you want to keep your job?"

"Usually."

Adrian ignored him.

Nico placed a folder down.

"Theo Carter. Born September twenty-ninth, 2021, in Chicago."

"Father?"

"Blank."

"Hospital?"

"Northwestern Memorial."

"Mother?"

"Evelyn Carter."

"Anything unusual?"

"Everything after that."

Adrian opened the folder.

Nico continued.

"Evelyn moved constantly for the first eighteen months. Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota. Then back to Chicago."

"Employment?"

"Event planning. Hospitality consulting. Some contract work."

"Banking?"

"Clean."

"Too clean?"

"Very."

Adrian looked at him.

Nico nodded.

"Almost no digital footprint. Minimal social media. No public photographs of Theo until preschool."

"She was hiding him."

"Looks that way."

"From me."

"Maybe."

Adrian closed the file.

Nico hesitated.

"You're thinking it."

"Thinking what?"

"DNA."

Adrian looked at Theo's photograph.

"I don't need a test to see his face."

"You need one if you plan to do anything about it."

Adrian's jaw tightened.

Five years ago, Evelyn had vanished approximately six weeks after the last night they spent together.

If Theo's birth date was accurate, the timing fit.

Too well.

His phone rang.

Margaret Moretti.

He answered.

"Grandmother."

"Sunday. Six o'clock."

"I have plans."

"No, you don't."

Adrian closed his eyes.

"Why did you call?"

"Because Bianca Russo is coming to dinner."

"Then I definitely have plans."

"You are thirty-five."

"Thank you for reminding me."

"Bring the child."

Adrian went silent.

Nico's eyebrows rose.

"What child?"

Margaret laughed.

"Adrian, I was old before you learned to lie. Nico called my house asking for your childhood photographs."

Adrian looked at Nico.

Nico mouthed, Sorry.

Margaret continued.

"Bring him."

"His mother won't agree."

"Bring her too."

"Absolutely not."

"Six o'clock."

She hung up.

Nico smiled.

"Terrifying woman."

"Get out."

---

Evelyn said no seven times.

On the eighth, Theo said yes for her.

"I want to see the house."

"No."

"Does it have secret rooms?"

"No."

Adrian, standing in her apartment, said, "Three."

Theo's eyes widened.

Evelyn glared at him.

"Stop helping."

"It has a library with a hidden door."

"Really?"

"Theo."

He looked innocent.

"What?"

Evelyn had no intention of attending a Moretti family dinner.

Then Adrian said quietly, "My grandmother asked to meet him."

Something in his tone made her pause.

Margaret.

Evelyn had met her once, five years ago.

The older woman had looked at her for thirty seconds and told Adrian, "This one isn't afraid of you. Try not to ruin it."

He had ruined it.

So had she.

At 5:58 p.m. Sunday, Evelyn walked into the Moretti estate in Westchester holding Theo's hand.

Margaret was waiting.

She ignored Evelyn.

Ignored Adrian.

Walked directly to Theo.

Theo looked up.

Margaret looked down.

Neither spoke.

Ten seconds passed.

Then Margaret turned toward Adrian.

"Why is there a miniature version of you in my dining room?"

Silence.

Nico looked at the ceiling.

Bianca Russo lowered her wineglass.

Evelyn's stomach dropped.

Theo frowned.

"I'm not miniature."

Margaret looked back at him.

"No?"

"I'm normal-sized for five."

Margaret smiled.

"I like him."

Adrian watched Evelyn.

She refused to meet his eyes.

Dinner became worse.

Margaret asked Theo what he liked.

"Computers."

Adrian muttered, "Unfortunately."

Theo kicked him under the table.

Adrian stared at him.

Theo kept eating.

Margaret saw everything.

"So," Bianca said carefully, "how exactly do you know Adrian?"

Evelyn reached for water.

"We knew each other years ago."

"How many years?"

"Bianca," Adrian warned.

Theo answered.

"Five."

Every adult at the table froze.

Evelyn looked at him.

"How do you know that?"

Theo shrugged.

"Mom has a picture."

Adrian's fork stopped.

"What picture?"

Evelyn's heart slammed against her ribs.

"Theo."

"A picture of him."

"Theo."

"In your old drive."

The color left Evelyn's face.

Adrian stared at her.

"You kept a photograph of me?"

Theo nodded.

"She encrypted it."

Margaret looked delighted.

Bianca did not.

Evelyn stood.

"We should go."

Adrian stood too.

"Sit down."

"No."

"Theo, would you like Margaret to show you the library?"

Theo looked at Evelyn.

She knew exactly what Adrian was doing.

She hated him for being good at it.

"Ten minutes," she said.

Theo followed Margaret out.

The second the door closed, Adrian turned to Evelyn.

"DNA test."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because it isn't necessary."

"Then tell me who his father is."

"No."

His voice dropped.

"Look at me and tell me I'm not."

Evelyn couldn't.

That was the problem.

Adrian moved closer.

"Five years. No father on the birth certificate. My photograph in your encrypted files."

"It proves nothing."

"He has my eyes."

"Lots of people have gray-green eyes."

"He kicks me under the table when he's annoyed."

"That's not genetic."

"He hacked my company."

"Unfortunately, that might be."

Adrian nearly smiled.

Then his expression hardened again.

"I want the test."

"You don't get to demand pieces of my son because you're suspicious."

"If he's my son—"

"Stop."

Her voice cracked.

That changed him.

Adrian lowered his voice.

"Why are you afraid?"

"I'm not."

"Evelyn."

She looked toward the door Theo had left through.

"If you find out who his father is, you'll put him in danger."

Adrian went still.

"What if I already know?"

She looked at him.

Neither moved.

Then Evelyn's phone vibrated.

Grace.

She ignored it.

It rang again.

Then a text appeared.

EVIE, SOMEONE WAS IN YOUR APARTMENT.

Evelyn's blood turned cold.

Another message arrived.

THE PLACE HAS BEEN SEARCHED.

Adrian saw her expression.

"What happened?"

She grabbed her bag.

"I need Theo."

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

She hurried toward the library.

Adrian caught her wrist.

Not hard.

Just enough to stop her.

She looked down at his hand.

He released her immediately.

"Tell me."

Evelyn's eyes met his.

For the first time since he found her, Adrian saw something stronger than fear.

Recognition.

She knew what this meant.

"They found us."