CHAPTER 4: THE KNEELING BILLIONAIRE
CHAPTER 4: THE KNEELING BILLIONAIRE
Silence. Absolute silence. The sound of boiling pots suddenly felt impossibly loud. Valeria’s face lost all color instantly. Several staff members physically staggered backward in shock.
Mateo froze. His hand slowly fell away from Sofia’s face. Because suddenly— Everything made sense.
The anonymous medical bills paid years ago. The tiny birthday gifts that mysteriously appeared for his daughter every year. The woman who always disappeared whenever he arrived unexpectedly at school events. Fresh horror flooded his eyes.
“Sofia…”
His voice cracked apart.
“You mean… Lucia?”
Sofia finally broke down crying.
“She’s yours.”
The kitchen spun into chaos around him. Because Lucia— His eight-year-old daughter— Had been raised believing her mother was a distant relative who passed away. And Sofia carried that burden alone to protect his reputation during the early, fragile years of his startup company.
Mateo staggered backward slightly. The billionaire CEO suddenly looked completely destroyed. Meanwhile— Valeria panicked instantly.
“She’s lying!”
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But Sofia shakily pulled a tiny silver necklace from beneath her chef uniform. Inside— A small photograph. Young Mateo. Smiling beside Sofia years earlier.
The date on the back matched exactly. Long before Valeria ever entered his life. Mateo’s breathing became uneven.
