Chapter 2 - CHAPTER 2: THE KING ARRIVES

Friday morning arrived with crisp sunshine and Elena's growing anxiety. She'd dressed Leo in his best outfit—a simple white shirt and navy blue pants that she'd ironed three times to perfection. Her own clothes were modest, a pale blue dress she'd designed herself, nothing fancy but clean and presentable."Do I look okay, Mommy?" Leo asked, checking himself in their small bathroom mirror.Elena knelt beside him, her heart swelling with love. "You look perfect, sweetheart. The most handsome boy in the whole school.""Will the important man like me?" Leo's question caught her off guard."What important man?""The one everyone keeps talking about. Mr. King. My teacher said he's very, very rich and very, very important." Leo's eyes sparkled with innocent curiosity. "Is he like a real king, Mommy? Does he wear a crown?"Elena laughed softly, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. "No crown, baby. He's just a businessman. But remember, being rich doesn't make someone better than anyone else. You're just as important as he is.""I know, Mommy. You always tell me that." Leo hugged her tight. "You're the best mommy in the world."If only the world agreed, Elena thought bitterly as they left their apartment.The taxi ride to Hillcrest Academy cost more than she'd budgeted for the day, but the school was across town, and she couldn't risk being late. As they pulled up to the prestigious building with its manicured lawns and grand entrance, Elena felt her stomach twist. This world of wealth and privilege—it had never truly been hers, even when her family had money. She'd always been the outsider, the unwanted daughter."Wow!" Leo pressed his face against the taxi window. "Mommy, look at all the fancy cars!"Elena's breath caught. He was right. The parking lot was filled with luxury vehicles—Mercedes, BMWs, even a Rolls Royce. And there, pulling up to the main entrance, was a sleek black limousine that made all the other cars look ordinary.Parents and teachers alike stopped and stared as the limousine door opened.First came a man in a sharp black suit—clearly a bodyguard. Then another. And then, he stepped out.Alexander King.Even from a distance, Elena could feel the power radiating from him. Tall, easily over six feet, with broad shoulders encased in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit that probably cost more than her entire year's rent. His dark hair was styled impeccably, and even though she couldn't see his face clearly yet, she could sense the authority in every movement he made.The principal herself rushed forward to greet him, practically bowing. Teachers lined up like soldiers. Parents whispered and pointed, their faces a mixture of awe and envy."That's him!" Leo whispered excitedly. "That's Mr. King! He doesn't have a crown, but he looks like a king anyway!"Elena paid the taxi driver with trembling hands and took Leo's hand as they walked toward the school entrance. She kept her head down, hoping to slip in unnoticed among the crowd of parents.But fate had other plans.As Alex King walked toward the entrance, his cold gaze scanning the crowd with obvious disinterest, something made him pause. A flash of pale blue in his peripheral vision. He turned his head slightly, and time seemed to stop.A woman. She was trying to hide behind other parents, her head bowed, but he could see her profile—delicate features, soft brown hair pulled back in a simple ponytail, and something about her that made his heart skip a beat for the first time in six years.Beautiful. She was absolutely beautiful.Not in the overdone way of the society women who constantly threw themselves at him. This was different. Natural. Real. She wore a simple dress that looked handmade, carried herself with quiet grace despite her obvious nervousness, and held the hand of a small boy who—Alex's world tilted on its axis.The boy looked up at that moment, his face turning toward Alex, and it was like looking into a mirror of his own childhood. Those eyes. That face. The exact shape of his jawline, the way his hair fell across his forehead, even the small dimple in his left cheek that Alex saw in his own reflection every day."Sir?" Marcus Chen, his assistant who'd accompanied him, noticed his boss had frozen mid-step. "Is everything alright?"Alex couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe. His analytical mind was racing through possibilities, probabilities, impossibilities that suddenly seemed very possible.The boy was five, maybe six years old. Six years ago, he'd spent one unforgettable night with a woman whose face he'd barely seen in the darkness. Could it be—?No. It was impossible. New York had millions of people. Coincidences happened.But as the woman finally looked up, her eyes meeting his for just a fraction of a second before she quickly looked away, something electric passed between them. Recognition? No, she showed no sign of knowing him. But he felt it. That same pull he'd felt six years ago in a darkened hotel room."Find out who that woman is," Alex commanded his assistant, his voice low and dangerous. "The one in the blue dress with the little boy. I want her name, her address, everything about her. Now."Marcus Chen nodded and immediately pulled out his phone, but his expression was confused. Alex King never showed interest in women. Never. Not in the six years Marcus had worked for him."And Marcus?" Alex added, his eyes never leaving the woman and child as they disappeared into the school building. "Cancel all my afternoon meetings. I have a feeling this is going to be a very interesting day."