The storage closet door rattled, hard, like someone on the other side was desperate to get in. Thud. Thud. Thud. Inside, it was stifling—too hot, too close, the kind of air that sticks to your lungs. Killian had Elara pressed up against the wall, his hand tight over her mouth. Her heart hammered so wildly she half-expected it to crack her ribs. Outside, alarms blared. Heavy boots pounded closer, getting louder every second.
"If you make a sound, we're dead," Killian whispered, his voice cold and sharp, right in her ear.
He eased his hand away, but he didn't move far. The red glow from the emergency lights painted his face, twisting it into something almost inhuman. He waited, eyes locked on her, searching for answers. He wanted to know why Maya—who was supposed to be a stranger—had his eyes.
"The girl, Elara." His voice was a hiss, burning with suspicion. "Why does she have my eyes? Tell me the truth before I open this door and let them take you!"
"I don't know!" Elara shot back, the lie trembling on her lips. "Maybe the clinic kept your samples! I was just the surrogate, Killian! I didn't make the rules!"
A sharp CRACK echoed from the hallway. Someone kicked open Maya's door. Elara heard a cry—high, terrified—Maya's.
"Maya!" Elara screamed, forgetting the men with guns, forgetting everything except her daughter. She shoved at Killian, but he didn't budge. He was a wall.
"Stay here!" he barked.
Killian moved fast, kicking the closet door open and charging into the hall. He didn't have a weapon, but he didn't look like he needed one. Elara watched him grab a man in a black mask and slam him so hard into the marble wall that the sound made her sick.
But there were more. Two men were dragging Maya out of bed. The little girl sobbed, pale and small, arms reaching blindly for her mother.
"Let her go!" Elara cried. She ran out, rage and fear burning through her. She snatched a heavy lamp off a table and swung it with everything she had, catching one of the men on the shoulder and sending Maya tumbling to the carpet.
Killian was pure chaos, tearing into the second man, but it wasn't over.
Down the hall, Dr. Aris appeared—calm, almost bored. She didn't run. She didn't even look worried. In her hand, she held a slim black remote.
"Stop!" she shouted. "Or I press this button. If I do, the air in this wing shuts off. The girl's lungs are weak. She won't survive a minute."
Killian froze, chest heaving, knuckles dripping blood. He glanced from the doctor to Maya, then to Elara.
"What do you want, Aris?" he growled.
"I don't work for you anymore," she replied, smiling like a shark. "Other companies pay more. They want Thorne DNA. You handed me two children to sell. A boy—and a girl."
The words hit Elara like a slap. The doctor she'd trusted was a child trafficker. But it got worse.
"Two children?" Killian's voice went flat and dangerous. He looked at Elara, and for the first time, the anger was gone. He just looked lost. "Elara... what does she mean?"
"She had twins, you idiot!" Dr. Aris laughed. "The clinic lied to you both. They told Elara the boy died, so they could sell him to you and take your money. They told you there was only one baby, so they could keep the girl as a backup to sell later. Now, I have both."
Everything stopped. The alarms, the violence—none of it mattered. The truth was out. Elara's knees nearly buckled. She looked at Killian, waiting for him to be happy, to reach for his daughter. But his face was dark, twisted with doubt and pain.
"You knew," Killian whispered. "All this time—you knew she was mine. You kept her from me."
"I was protecting her!" Elara sobbed, clutching Maya to her chest. "I thought you were a monster! I thought you'd take her, and I'd lose her forever!"
"I am her father!" Killian roared, his voice shaking the walls.
"And I'm the one taking her," Dr. Aris cut in, raising the remote. "Both of you, to the elevator. We're leaving. My bosses want the kids, and I want my millions."
But Killian Thorne didn't take orders. He glanced at Elara, and for just a moment, the fight between them disappeared. They stood together—two parents, cornered, ready to do whatever it took. Killian gave her a tiny, almost invisible nod.
Elara didn't even hesitate. She hugged Maya tight and dropped to the floor, curling around her to shield her from whatever was coming.
Killian sprang into action. He didn't go for Dr. Aris—he went straight for the fire sprinkler above. With a running jump, he grabbed it and yanked hard. Water burst from the ceiling, freezing cold and everywhere in seconds. Alarms screamed. White emergency lights flashed. In the chaos, Dr. Aris lost her grip on the remote.
Killian was on her before she could react. She moved quick, pulling a knife from her coat and slashing his arm. He grunted, pain flashing in his eyes, but he didn't let go. He slammed her against the wall hard enough to drop her. She crumpled, out cold.
"Go!" Killian shouted at Elara. "Take Maya and Leo! Get to the safe room! Run!"
Elara didn't wait. She snatched Leo from the nursery—he was shaking, terrified but silent—and carried Maya in her other arm. She ran, feet flying, heart pounding, lungs burning. At last, she reached the steel door in the center of the mansion and shoved it closed behind her, locking it tight.
For a moment, there was just silence. Safe, finally. But Elara's hands wouldn't stop shaking.
She looked at the twins. Two children from two worlds—one raised in a palace, the other in a basement. Now, side by side for the first time. They sat together on the velvet sofa, holding hands like they'd always known each other.
Then the door handle turned.
"Elara, it's me. Open up," Killian called from the other side.
She unlocked the door. Killian stepped inside, dripping wet, blood seeping down his arm. He looked at the kids, then at Maya—his daughter. He knelt next to her, hand trembling as he reached for her cheek.
Maya didn't flinch. She stared up at him with those dark blue eyes—his eyes. Her voice was barely a whisper. "Are you the king from my books?"
Tears filled Killian's eyes. He looked up at Elara, and something shifted in him. Elara stood tall, arms crossed, her gaze steady.
"She's my daughter, Killian," she said, voice steady and strong. "If you want to be in her life, you play by my rules. No more handcuffs. No more threats."
Killian stood, wiping blood from his face. Everything had changed. They weren't a contract couple anymore. They were a family in real danger. Dr. Aris's betrayal meant secrets were out, and the world would soon know about the Thorne twins.
"You think you make the rules?" Killian's voice dropped, cold and deep. He stepped closer, shadow falling over her. He glanced at the kids, then back at Elara.
"We're in serious trouble. The doctor wasn't alone. Marcus Vane—my biggest rival—he's been watching us since you got here. He doesn't just want the kids. He wants my company. And now he's got what he needs to take it. All he has to do is prove I'm a terrible father who hid a second child."
He pulled out his phone. The screen glared with a headline: BILLIONAIRE KILLIAN THORNE'S SECRET TWIN FOUND: A STORY OF LIES AND DANGER.
"The world knows," Killian said. "The board meets in four hours. They want me out."
He looked at Elara with something fierce in his eyes. A plan. Something dangerous.
"You want to protect them? Then we need more than a secret marriage. We need the world to believe we've been together all along. We need them to think Maya was never a secret—she was a treasure, hidden to keep her safe."
He leaned in, close enough that she could feel his breath. Whatever was between them now, it wasn't just about hate anymore. It was about survival.
"But tell me, Elara... when the cameras are on us, and I have to tell the world how much I love you... will you be able to hide the truth? Will you be able to hide the fact that you still see me as the man who stole your life?"