CHAPTER 7 — THE HEIR THEY ALMOST LOST
CHAPTER 7 — THE HEIR THEY ALMOST LOST
The first thing Marcus Thorne heard every morning was no longer the sound of his phone.
It was the sound of a heartbeat.
A tiny, fragile rhythm.
A reminder that everything he had built...
everything he had fought for...
could disappear in a single second.
The hospital room was quiet.
Khloe slept beside the window.
The city outside continued moving.
Cars.
People.
Business.
Millions of lives continuing as if nothing had changed.
But inside that room...
everything had changed.
Marcus stood beside the medical monitor, watching the numbers.
His child.
Their child.
The heir everyone was talking about.
The baby that had become a target before even taking its first breath.
A week earlier, Marcus Thorne had believed his biggest problem was protecting his empire.
Now he understood.
An empire could be rebuilt.
A company could recover.
A fortune could disappear and return.
But a child...
A child only had one chance.
The doctor entered quietly.
"Mr. Thorne."
Marcus turned.
"How is she?"
The doctor glanced toward Khloe.
"Your wife is recovering well."
Marcus exhaled slightly.
"And the baby?"
The doctor smiled.
"Strong."
That word again.
Strong.
Marcus looked at the monitor.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"How close was it?"
The doctor became serious.
"Too close."
Silence.
"The impact caused severe stress. If she had fallen differently..."
He stopped.
Marcus didn't need him to finish.
He understood.
Later, when Khloe woke up, she found Marcus sitting beside her.
She smiled faintly.
"You didn't sleep."
It wasn't a question.
"No."
"Marcus."
"I'm fine."
She gave him a look.
The same look she had given him when they first met.
The look that told him she knew when he was lying.
"You are terrible at pretending."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"You're the only person who says that to me."
"Everyone else is too afraid."
"Exactly."
Khloe looked at him.
"That's the problem."
"What?"
"Everyone around you fears you."
A pause.
"But you need someone who tells you the truth."
Marcus held her hand.
"And you always have."
For a moment, everything was peaceful.
Then Khloe saw the file on the table.
Her expression changed.
"What is that?"
Marcus hesitated.
"Information about Isabella."
Khloe looked away.
"How much did you find?"
"Enough."
The answer worried her.
"Marcus..."
"There is something I need to ask you."
Her eyes met his.
"About my past?"
The room became still.
Marcus noticed.
She wasn't surprised.
She was afraid.
"How long have you known?"
he asked.
Khloe swallowed.
"Known what?"
"That my father's company was connected to your father's death."
Her face changed.
And Marcus knew.
She had been carrying this alone.
"I didn't know everything."
"Then tell me what you knew."
Khloe closed her eyes.
"Marcus..."
"Please."
Not a command.
A request.
That hurt more.
Khloe looked toward the window.
"My father worked for Thorne Industries."
"I know."
"He discovered financial records that didn't make sense."
Marcus remained silent.
"He believed someone inside the company was stealing money."
"Who?"
Khloe looked back at him.
"Your father."
The words were painful.
Even though Marcus already suspected them.
Hearing them from Khloe made them real.
"He tried to expose him."
"And then he died."
Khloe nodded.
"Yes."
Marcus stood and walked away.
Not because he was angry at her.
Because he was angry at himself.
All these years...
He had protected the name Thorne.
The company.
The legacy.
Without knowing what it had cost other people.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Khloe's voice became quiet.
"Because when I met you, you weren't your father's son."
Marcus turned.
"You were just Marcus."
A pause.
"The man who helped strangers during a storm."
"The man who laughed when his expensive shoes got ruined."
A small smile appeared.
"The man who didn't know how to make instant coffee."
Marcus almost laughed.
Almost.
"But then I found out who you were."
Her smile disappeared.
"And I was terrified."
"Terrified of what?"
"That if I told you..."
She looked at him.
"...I would lose the first person who ever saw me as more than my father's daughter."
Marcus walked back.
He sat beside her.
"You should have trusted me."
"I know."
"But I understand why you didn't."
Khloe looked surprised.
Because she expected anger.
Not understanding.
"Isabella knows about this."
Marcus said.
Khloe's expression changed.
"What?"
"She sent me a message."
"She knows?"
"Yes."
Fear crossed Khloe's face.
Not for herself.
For him.
"Marcus, you need to be careful."
"Why?"
"Because Isabella doesn't know secrets."
A pause.
"She collects weapons."
The words stayed with him.
Because they were true.
Meanwhile, Isabella Rossi was losing control.
Not publicly.
Not yet.
But privately.
The woman who had planned everything was discovering something terrifying.
Marcus was not breaking.
He was becoming stronger.
And worse...
Khloe was becoming stronger too.
Her assistant entered the room.
"You have a visitor."
Isabella didn't look up.
"Who?"
The assistant hesitated.
"Richard Thorne."
For the first time in days...
Isabella smiled.
Richard entered without waiting.
He looked older than before.
More tired.
"You failed."
Isabella poured herself a drink.
"Did I?"
"The footage destroyed everything."
"Not everything."
Richard stared.
"You lost Marcus."
Isabella smiled.
"No."
She turned.
"I learned Marcus."
Richard frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"It means Marcus doesn't care about money."
A pause.
"He cares about Khloe."
"And?"
Isabella's smile disappeared.
"And that makes Khloe his greatest weakness."
Richard looked at her.
"You still think you can win?"
Isabella looked at the city.
"I don't need Marcus to love me."
Silence.
"I only need him to hate her."
Back at the hospital, Marcus watched Khloe sleep.
His phone vibrated.
A message.
Unknown number.
Another photograph.
This time...
It was a picture of Khloe.
Not recent.
From years ago.
Before they met.
But something was different.
She wasn't alone.
Standing beside her was a man Marcus had never seen.
The message below was simple.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THE MOTHER OF YOUR CHILD REALLY IS.
Marcus stared.
His first reaction was anger.
Then doubt.
Then fear.
Because he knew Isabella.
He knew she lied.
But he also knew something else.
The most dangerous lies were the ones built around a piece of truth.
Marcus looked at Khloe.
The woman he loved.
The woman carrying his child.
The woman everyone wanted to destroy.
And for the first time...
he wondered if protecting her meant more than fighting her enemies.
Maybe it meant uncovering every secret.
Even the ones that could hurt him.
Because the heir they almost lost was not only a child.
It was the future of the Thorne family.
May you like
And someone was determined to make sure that future never existed.
End of Chapter 7
