Elena's POV
"You're E.L. Hart."
Adrian's voice echoed through the boardroom, shock and disbelief written all over his face.
Every executive at the table turned to stare at me. Some looked confused. Others looked fascinated. This was the drama they'd gossip about for months.
I lifted my chin and walked to my seat at the head of the table—the seat of power.
"Yes, Mr. Blackwell. I'm E.L. Hart. CEO and majority shareholder of E.L. Hart Enterprises." I sat down and crossed my legs. "Shall we begin the merger discussion?"
Adrian just stared at me like I was a ghost. "You... you're the one who controls the Sterling deal?"
"Surprised?" I allowed myself a cold smile. "You shouldn't be. You taught me everything I know about business. About taking what you want. About discarding what you don't need anymore."
The room went dead silent.
Richard Blackwell, Adrian's father, stood up from his seat. "This is absurd. Elena, you can't possibly—"
"Ms. Hart," I corrected icily. "And I can. I've built this company from nothing over the past five years. I own forty percent of Sterling Group's shares. Without my approval, your merger fails."
Richard's face turned red. "This is some kind of revenge scheme—"
"It's business." I opened my folder and pulled out documents. "Now, unless you'd like to waste everyone's time with personal drama, I suggest we review the merger terms."
Adrian finally found his voice. "Elena—Ms. Hart—we need to talk. Privately."
"No, we don't." I looked at him with all the ice I could muster. "You're here to present a business proposal. I'm here to evaluate it. Our personal history is irrelevant."
"Irrelevant?" Adrian's control cracked. "You're the mother of my child and the CEO who controls my company's future, and you think that's irrelevant?"
Gasps rippled around the table. Richard Blackwell looked like he might have a heart attack.
"Did you just say child?" Richard demanded.
I stood up, gathering my papers. "This meeting is over. I'll review the merger proposal and provide my decision within forty-eight hours. Good day, gentlemen."
"Elena, wait—" Adrian moved to block my path.
"Move," I said quietly. "Or I'll have security remove you."
For a moment, we stood face to face, and I saw a thousand emotions in his eyes. Shock. Regret. Something that looked almost like pride.
Then my phone rang.
The hospital's number flashed on the screen, and my blood turned to ice.
I answered immediately. "Hello?"
"Ms. Hart, this is Dr. Winters. Ethan's doing well, but we need to discuss his recovery plan. Can you come to the hospital?"
Relief and anxiety mixed together. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."
I hung up and pushed past Adrian without another word.
But he followed me to the elevator. Of course he did.
"Elena, please—"
"Not now, Adrian." The elevator doors opened, and I stepped inside. "I have to get to the hospital."
He got in with me. "I'm coming too."
"Fine. But we're not talking about the merger or the company or anything else. We're talking about Ethan's recovery. That's it."
The elevator ride down was suffocating. Adrian kept opening his mouth to speak, then closing it again.
Finally, he said, "E.L. Hart. You built an empire."
"I built a life," I corrected. "The empire was just a side effect of refusing to be broken."
Dr. Winters met us in her office at the hospital. She looked tired but pleased.
"Ethan's recovery is progressing well," she said. "Better than expected, actually. But he'll need to stay here for at least two weeks for monitoring and follow-up treatment."
Two weeks. Fourteen days of being near Adrian constantly.
"What kind of treatment?" Adrian asked.
"Physical therapy to rebuild his strength. Medication adjustments. Regular cardiac monitoring." Dr. Winters pulled up charts on her computer. "The surgery was successful, but recovery is critical. He'll need both parents present as much as possible."
Both parents. Everyone kept saying that like it was simple.
"I'll be here," I said immediately. "Whatever he needs."
"The hospital has family suites for long-term stays," Dr. Winters continued. "Two bedrooms, a small living area, kitchenette. I recommend you both stay close. Children recover better with parental support."
My stomach dropped. "Both of us? Living in the same suite?"
"It's the best option for Ethan's emotional wellbeing." Dr. Winters looked between Adrian and me. "I understand there's tension, but your son needs stability right now."
Adrian jumped in before I could protest. "We'll take it. Whatever's best for Ethan."
I wanted to argue. Wanted to say absolutely not, no way was I living with Adrian Blackwell for two weeks.
But then I thought of Ethan's pale face in that hospital bed. Thought of how he'd asked for Adrian when he woke up. Thought of how my son deserved both his parents, even if one of them was a disaster.
"Fine," I said through gritted teeth. "But we need ground rules."
"Of course," Adrian agreed immediately.
Dr. Winters smiled. "Wonderful. I'll have the staff prepare the suite. You can move in this afternoon." She stood. "Now, let's go see your son. He's been asking for both of you."
We followed her to Ethan's room. He was sitting up in bed, coloring in a book Maya must have brought. When he saw us, his whole face lit up.
"Mama! Daddy!"
I froze.
Daddy.
Ethan had never called Adrian that before. Never called anyone that.
Adrian looked like someone had hit him with a truck. His eyes filled with tears.
"Hey, buddy," Adrian managed, his voice rough. "How are you feeling?"
"Better! The nurses say I get to stay here for a while. Like a hotel!" Ethan grinned. "Will you both stay too?"
I exchanged a look with Adrian. His expression was hopeful, desperate, pleading.
"Yes, sweetheart," I said softly. "We'll both stay."
"Together?" Ethan asked. "Like a real family?"
The question broke something inside me.
"Together," Adrian confirmed, never taking his eyes off our son.
Ethan beamed and went back to his coloring, happy in his innocent world where things were simple.
But nothing about this was simple.
That afternoon, a hospital staff member showed us to the family suite.
Two bedrooms, just like Dr. Winters had said. A living area with a couch and TV. A small kitchen.
It felt impossibly small for all the baggage between us.
"I'll take this room," I said, pointing to the one farthest from the living area.
"Okay." Adrian set his bag in the other room.
We stood in the living area, the silence awkward and heavy.
"Ground rules," I said finally. "We're doing this for Ethan. Nothing more."
"Agreed."
"We don't talk about the past unless absolutely necessary."
"Okay."
"And we definitely don't talk about the merger or business while we're here."
Adrian nodded. "Fair enough."
"Good." I moved toward my room. "I'm going to unpack and check on Ethan."
"Elena, wait."
I turned reluctantly.
Adrian looked at me with those dark eyes that used to make my heart race. "Thank you. For letting me be here. For giving me this chance with him."
"I'm not doing it for you," I reminded him. "I'm doing it for Ethan."
"I know. But thank you anyway."
I nodded and escaped to my room before he could say anything else that might crack my armor.
As I unpacked my bag, my phone buzzed with a text from Maya.
How's it going?
I'm living with my ex-husband for two weeks, I typed back. How do you think it's going?
Try not to kill him. Ethan needs his father alive.
I almost laughed. Almost.
Instead, I sat on the bed and let myself feel the weight of everything that had happened in the past few days.
My son nearly dying. Adrian finding out the truth. The merger reveal. And now this—forced proximity with the man I'd spent five years trying to forget.
A knock on my door made me look up.
"Yeah?"
Adrian opened the door slightly. "Ethan's asking for us. The nurses said he can have visitors in his room for dinner if we bring it from the cafeteria."
Family dinner. Together. Like we were normal.
"Okay," I said, standing. "Let's go."
We walked to the cafeteria in silence, picked up food, and headed to Ethan's room.
Our son's face lit up when he saw us coming with trays.
"A picnic!" he exclaimed. "In my room!"
For the next hour, we sat around Ethan's bed, eating hospital food and listening to him chatter about his favorite cartoons and the nice nurses and the cool machines.
And for just a moment, I let myself imagine what it might have been like if things had been different. If Adrian had chosen me five years ago. If we'd raised Ethan together from the start.
But then reality crashed back in.
Because Adrian hadn't chosen me. He'd thrown me away. And all the family dinners in the world couldn't change that.
After Ethan fell asleep, Adrian and I walked back to our suite in silence.
"Goodnight," I said, heading for my room.
"Elena?"
I stopped but didn't turn around.
"He called me Daddy today," Adrian's voice was thick with emotion. "That's the best moment of my entire life."
My throat tightened. "Don't get used to it. When this is over, we'll figure out custody and boundaries."
"What if I don't want boundaries?"
I finally turned to face him. "What you want stopped mattering five years ago."
Before he could respond, his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, and his whole face went dark.
"Who is it?" I asked.
Adrian looked at me, and I saw something like fear in his eyes.
"It's Sophia," he said quietly. "She knows about Ethan."
My blood ran cold.
"How?"
"I don't know. But if she knows..." Adrian's jaw clenched. "She'll use it. She'll try to destroy both of us."
And just like that, our fragile peace shattered.
Because Sophia Carrington was back.
And she was coming for blood.