Chapter 3: Echoes from the Past
The man sitting in the headmaster's office looked nothing like Marcus. He was tall, wearing a sharp but cheap suit, with calculating eyes that immediately assessed Evelyn’s expensive watch and tailored clothes as she walked in. His name was Terrence, and he had been absent from Marcus and Lily’s lives for seven years.
"I saw my boy on the news," Terrence said smoothly, leaning back in his chair. "Imagine my surprise seeing him living with a rich stranger while his own flesh and blood has been looking for him."
Marcus sat rigidly in the corner, his eyes glued to the floor. He looked like the frightened boy with the split-soled sneakers again, all the confidence he had built over the last six months shattered in an instant.
"You haven't been looking for him," Evelyn said, her voice dangerously calm as she stood between Terrence and the boy. "You saw a viral video, you saw my net worth, and you saw a payday."
Terrence smirked, pulling a legally stamped document from his jacket. "I am his biological father. The state says I have rights. Unless, of course, a wealthy woman like yourself wants to make a donation to help me get back on my feet. Say, two million dollars? Otherwise, Marcus and Lily are coming with me to Detroit tonight."
Evelyn’s heart plummeted. She knew the foster system, and she knew the law. A biological parent, even a negligent one, had immense power if they hadn't formally lost their rights.
That night, back at Evelyn’s penthouse, the silence was deafening. Evelyn was on the phone with her lawyers, pacing the floor as best as she could, demanding they file emergency injunctions. She didn't notice Marcus standing in the doorway of her study until she hung up.
"He'll take the money," Marcus said quietly. "If you pay him, he'll leave us alone."
"I am not giving a dime to a man who abandoned you," Evelyn said gently, walking over to him. "We will fight him in court, Marcus. I won't let him take you."
Marcus looked up, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "You're already fighting your company, Evelyn. I heard you on the phone. Because of me, you're losing everything you built. Terrence will drag your name through the mud. He ruins everything he touches."
"You are not a burden, Marcus," Evelyn insisted, holding his shoulders. "You saved my life."
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But Marcus stepped back. "I just wanted to help you walk," he whispered. "I didn't want to break your life."
When Evelyn woke up the next morning, Marcus's bed was empty. On the pillow was a single piece of paper: I have to fix this. Tell Lily I love her.
