Chapter 2 - The Battle LinesAlex stood up slowly, his posture shifting from a grieving father to the formidable chief executive of a global empire. He stepped between his uncle and the boys, blocking Richard’s view of Lucas and Noah.
"Watch your mouth, Richard," Alex said, his voice dangerously low. "You are standing in my private office."
"I am standing in the headquarters of a publicly traded company," Richard countered, taking a step forward, his expensive silver hair slicked back, his eyes narrowing at the boys. "I hear rumors that these children were shouting that you are their father. Have you lost your mind? Everyone on the board knows your medical history after the accident. You cannot have children. Is this some kind of sick extortion scam? Who sent them?"
"Nobody sent them to be part of your corporate games," Alex spat. "Leave."
"I won't leave until security removes these pretenders," Richard demanded, pulling out his smartphone. "If the press gets wind of this, Sterling stock will drop five points by noon. A fake paternity scandal is the last thing we need during the merger negotiations with Vance Dynamics!"
At the mention of the name Vance, Alex froze. "What did you say?"
"Vance Dynamics," Richard repeated, smirking. "The tech firm we are trying to acquire. Why? Does the name trigger something?"
Alex realized with a sudden, horrifying clarity that Clara Vance was not just an independent designer; she was the estranged daughter of Julian Vance, the reclusive, cutthroat founder of Vance Dynamics. The same company Alex’s board had been trying to hostilely takeover for six months.
Noah suddenly stood up from the couch, stepping around Alex’s leg. He glared at Richard with surprising ferocity for a seven-year-old. "Don't yell at our Daddy! You're mean!"
Richard sneered at the child. "Daddy? Boy, your mother is a fraud trying to get her hands on the Sterling estate. Alexander, I am calling a board meeting for three o'clock. We will order an immediate DNA test, and if this is a scam, I will have the woman who staged this arrested for extortion."
"Touch a hair on their heads or threaten their mother again, Richard, and I will personally freeze every stock option you hold in this company," Alex growled, stepping directly into Richard's space. "Now get out of my office before I have security physically throw you out the window."
Richard stared at Alex, momentarily taken aback by the primal rage in his nephew's eyes. He straightened his tie, sneered at the boys once more, and walked out, slamming the door behind him.
Alex turned back to the boys. Noah was breathing heavily, his fists clenched, while Lucas looked terrified, tears welling in his eyes.
Alex immediately dropped back to his knees and pulled both boys into his arms. The feeling of their small bodies pressed against his chest sent a wave of fierce, protective warmth through him. He had spent years believing he was hollow inside. Now, he felt ready to burn down the world to keep them safe.
"It's okay," Alex murmured, kissing the top of Lucas’s head. "Nobody is going to hurt you. I promise."
"Is that man going to take us away?" Lucas sobbed into Alex's shoulder.
"Never," Alex said firmly.
He stood up and pressed the intercom button. "Margaret."
"Yes, Mr. Sterling?"
"Cancel my entire schedule for the rest of the week. Order a private medical team to meet me at my penthouse immediately for a rush DNA test. And call my private driver. We're going to Brooklyn."
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"Brooklyn, sir?"
"Yes," Alex said, looking down at his sons. "We're going to see Clara."
