Chapter 8: The Suspicion

Ava was determined to make this day go smoothly. It was her second day at Hernandez Corporation, and today she was scheduled to meet Mason Hernandez officially as her boss. Despite her resolve, a knot of anxiety twisted in her stomach. She took a deep breath and reminded herself why she was here—for Logan and for herself.

The morning passed in a blur of paperwork and brief introductions with the team. But as the clock ticked closer to her meeting with Mason, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. Their encounter at the airport had been awkward and tense, and now she had to face him in a professional setting. What if he remembered her too well? What if he started asking questions she wasn’t ready to answer?

Lily, Mason’s assistant, knocked lightly on her office door, snapping her out of her thoughts. “Miss Brown, Mr. Hernandez is ready to see you now.”

Ava nodded, trying to steady her nerves. “Thank you, Lily.”

She followed Lily down the corridor, her heart pounding with each step. The closer they got to Mason’s office, the more she felt the tension build. When they finally reached his door, Lily offered her a reassuring smile before knocking.

“Come in,” Mason’s voice called from inside.

Lily pushed the door open, ushering Ava in before closing it behind her. Mason was seated behind a large mahogany desk, his eyes fixed on a document in front of him. He didn’t look up immediately, giving Ava a moment to take in her surroundings. His office was a reflection of the man himself—powerful, intimidating, yet refined.

“Miss Brown,” Mason finally said, looking up. His gaze was steady, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—recognition, maybe? “Please, have a seat.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hernandez,” Ava replied, keeping her tone as professional as she could. She took the chair across from him, trying to ignore the tension thickening in the room.

Mason leaned back in his chair, studying her for a moment. “I trust your first day went well?”

“It did, thank you,” Ava answered, meeting his gaze. There was a part of her that wanted to look away, to avoid the intensity in his eyes, but she held firm.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Mason said, though his expression remained unreadable. “We have a lot of work ahead of us, Miss Brown, and I expect nothing but the best from my team.”

“Of course,” Ava agreed, keeping her voice steady.

Mason’s eyes narrowed slightly as he continued to watch her. The air between them was charged, the unspoken tension from their past encounter hanging over them. But Mason didn’t mention the airport. Instead, he focused on the task at hand, discussing the projects she would be involved in and what he expected from her.

Yet, as he spoke, Ava couldn’t shake the feeling that he was studying her—searching for something. It was subtle, but it was there. His gaze would linger just a moment too long, his questions slightly probing, as if he was trying to connect the dots in his mind.

Finally, as the meeting drew to a close, Mason’s tone softened slightly. “If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hernandez,” Ava replied, standing as the meeting ended.

As she turned to leave, Mason’s voice stopped her. “Miss Brown.”

She paused, glancing back at him. “Yes?”

He hesitated for just a second, but it was enough to make Ava’s heart skip a beat. “I hope you’ll find your time here fulfilling.”

Ava nodded, a small, polite smile on her lips. “I’m sure I will.”

With that, she exited the office, the door closing softly behind her. The moment she was out of Mason’s sight, she let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. The tension between them was palpable, and she couldn’t help but feel that this was just the beginning of something far more complicated than she had anticipated.

As she walked back to her office, Ava couldn’t shake the feeling that Mason knew more than he was letting on. She had seen the way he looked at Logan at the airport, the suspicion in his eyes. Was it possible that he had connected the dots? She pushed the thought aside. There was no way he could know, not without proof.

But the nagging feeling remained, and Ava knew that it was only a matter of time before the truth came out—one way or another.

Chapter 9: The Discovery

Ava had been busy all morning, caught up in a whirlwind of preparations for the company’s upcoming charity gala. It was one of the biggest events of the year, and as part of the planning team, she had been running around ensuring everything was in place. Logan, too young to understand the significance of such an event, had begged to come along with her to work that day. With no other option and a firm promise from him to be on his best behavior, Ava had agreed.

By noon, the grand ballroom where the event would be held was abuzz with activity. Ava was focused on finalizing the seating arrangements when Logan, clutching his favorite toy car, wandered off in search of something more exciting.

Mason had arrived early at the venue, wanting to ensure everything was running smoothly. As he stepped into the ballroom, his eyes scanned the room, making sure all the details were in order. He was in the middle of a conversation with one of the event coordinators when he noticed a small figure darting between the tables.

It was a boy, no more than five years old, with dark hair and eyes that mirrored Mason’s own. The child was engrossed in playing with his toy car, oblivious to the world around him. Mason paused, his gaze locking onto the boy, a strange sense of familiarity washing over him.

Logan, still unaware of Mason’s presence, continued to play. But as he spun around, he accidentally bumped into Mason’s leg. Startled, Logan looked up, his wide eyes meeting Mason’s.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Mason stared at the boy, taking in the striking resemblance—the same dark hair, the same intense gaze. There was something unnerving about how much the child looked like him. His heart skipped a beat, and a flood of questions rushed through his mind.

“Are you okay, little man?” Mason asked, his voice softer than usual as he crouched down to Logan’s level.

Logan nodded, clutching his toy car to his chest. “I’m sorry, mister.”

Mason offered a reassuring smile, but the unease wouldn’t leave him. “What’s your name?”

“Logan,” the boy replied simply, his innocent eyes studying Mason with curiosity.

“Logan,” Mason repeated, the name echoing in his mind. “Where’s your mom, Logan?”

Logan pointed in the direction of Ava, who was busy at the other end of the room, her back turned to them.

Mason’s breath hitched. There was no denying it now—the resemblance was too strong to ignore. But how? How could this boy, this Logan, look so much like him? The thoughts churned in his mind, creating a storm of suspicion and confusion.

Just then, Ava turned around, her eyes scanning the room for Logan. When she saw him with Mason, her heart dropped. She quickly made her way over, trying to keep her expression neutral despite the panic rising inside her.

“There you are,” Ava said, her voice betraying only a hint of the anxiety she felt. She gave Mason a polite smile, trying to ignore the way his eyes bore into her. “I’m sorry if he disturbed you, Mr. Hernandez. Logan, come here.”

Mason stood up, his gaze shifting between Ava and Logan. The resemblance was undeniable. And now, standing close to Ava, the pieces began to fall into place. His mind raced with the possibilities, the suspicions growing stronger with each passing second.

“No trouble at all,” Mason replied, his voice calm, but his eyes intense as they locked onto Ava’s. “He’s a good kid.”

Ava managed a weak smile, feeling the weight of Mason’s stare. She gently took Logan’s hand, ready to leave, but Mason’s next words made her pause.

“He looks a lot like someone I know,” Mason said, his tone casual, but there was an edge to it that made Ava’s heart race.

She forced a laugh, though it sounded hollow even to her own ears. “Kids can be like that. They often look like people we’ve met before.”

Mason didn’t respond, but the look in his eyes told her that he wasn’t convinced. As she led Logan away, she could feel Mason’s gaze following them, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife.

For the rest of the day, Mason couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that had settled in his gut. The more he thought about it, the more the similarities between himself and Logan seemed impossible to ignore. Could it be? Was it possible that Logan was…?

The thought was almost too outrageous to consider, but Mason couldn’t let it go. He needed to know the truth. And there was only one way to find out for sure.

That evening, after everyone had left the event venue, Mason made a call. He arranged for a DNA test, his voice steady but his heart racing. He couldn’t wait any longer. He needed answers. And he would get them, even if it meant going behind Ava’s back.

As he hung up the phone, Mason stared out the window of his office, the city lights twinkling in the distance. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. If Logan was indeed his son, everything would change. But first, he needed the truth. And soon, he would have it.

The results arrived two days later, sitting ominously on Mason’s desk.

His hands trembled slightly as he opened the envelope, heart pounding in his chest. The words blurred for a moment as he tried to focus, but when he finally saw them, his breath caught in his throat.

**99.9% match.**

Logan was his son.

A wave of emotions surged through Mason—shock, disbelief, anger, and something else he couldn’t quite name. How could this have happened without his knowledge? Why hadn’t Ava told him?

Without wasting another second, Mason stormed out of his office. He couldn’t wait any longer. Ava needed to answer for this.

He found her in the office break room, completely unaware of the storm heading her way. When Mason appeared, the intensity in his eyes made her stomach drop.

“We need to talk,” he said, his voice cold and clipped.

Ava’s heart pounded as she followed him into his office. The moment the door closed behind them, Mason turned to her, his eyes burning with accusation.

“Logan is my son,” he stated bluntly, the words slicing through the air.

Ava’s world tilted. She had feared this moment, and now that it was here, she felt utterly defenseless. “Mason, I—”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Mason cut her off, his voice hard. “Did you think I didn’t have a right to know?”

Tears welled up in Ava’s eyes, but she fought to stay composed. “I was scared, Mason. Scared of what you’d do, scared of losing Logan…”

"Not that I was sure about it anyways, I do not know who you were. The only way I was somehow aware was because we bumped into you at the Airport the other day".

"I could not just come out to a total stranger and tell him that I think that he is the father of my children. It does not work like that"

" Trust me , it was never my intention to keep him away from. You know the circumstances and the timing was totally wrong. There was nothing either of us could have done about it"

"

Even that fateful night was by accident, I did not come to your room on purpose, I never intended for any of this to happen. I hope you understand that it was not my fault that all this happened".

Mason ran a hand through his hair, pacing the room as he tried to process everything. “You should have told me, Ava. We could’ve figured this out together.”

“I know,” Ava whispered, her voice breaking. “But back then, I didn’t know what to do. I was alone, and then… then it was just easier to keep quiet, I did not want to ruin anything for either of us".

Mason stopped pacing, his anger slowly ebbing as he saw the fear in Ava’s eyes. The woman standing before him wasn’t the enemy—she was the mother of his child, just as terrified and lost as he was.

“Alright,” Mason finally said, his voice softer. “We’ll keep this between us for now. But we need to figure out what’s best for Logan.”

Ava nodded, relief washing over her. She had feared the worst, but Mason wasn’t pushing her away. Not yet, anyway.

“We’ll take it one step at a time,” Mason added, his eyes locking onto hers. “For Logan’s sake.”

And with that, an uneasy truce was formed between them, both unsure of what the future held but determined to protect the one thing they now shared—a son.