Chapter 3 - The Sanctuary Above
The private elevator ascended eighty floors in silence, save for Leo's ragged, hungry whimpers. The cabin was lined with brushed brass and dark walnut, smelling of expensive leather and polished glass—an alien world compared to the damp, mold-ridden homeless shelter Catherine had fled earlier that morning.
Julian did not look at her during the ascent. His jaw remained locked, his breathing controlled, but his hands were trembling as he adjusted his damp cufflinks. When the doors finally slid open directly into his sprawling penthouse, he strode across the dark hardwood without pausing.
""Sit,"" he instructed, gesturing vaguely toward an expansive white sofa that looked far too pristine to touch.
Catherine hesitated, painfully aware of the rainwater pooling around her cheap canvas shoes and the mud streaking the hem of her coat. ""I’ll ruin the furniture.""
""Sit down, Catherine,"" Julian repeated, his voice softer this time, carrying a heavy undertone of suppressed exhaustion. He tossed his damp jacket onto a side table and vanished down a long hallway.
Catherine sank onto the edge of the cushions, immediately loosening the damp swaddle to check Leo’s skin. The baby was warm, but his lips were dry, and his tiny hands were mottled red from crying. Within minutes, Julian returned carrying a stack of dry Egyptian cotton towels, a cashmere throw, and a glass of warm water.
He dropped to one knee before her, ignoring the puddle soaking into his tailored trousers. He held out the towel. ""Dry him off. I've already called a private pediatrician. She’ll be here in twenty minutes.""
Catherine took the towel, her fingers brushing his. A static shock seemed to pass between them, thick with the weight of unsaid apologies and severed trust. ""You didn't answer my calls, Julian. When the test was positive nine months ago... your assistant told me you were engaged to Victoria Sterling and that any contact would be treated as extortion.""
Julian’s head jerked up, his dark eyes wide with sudden disbelief. ""What assistant? I never heard a word. You vanished after the charity gala. My mother told me you accepted half a million dollars to disappear from my life.""
""I never saw a cent!"" Catherine cried out, her voice breaking into a sob that she quickly muffled against Leo's soft curls. ""She came to my apartment with two lawyers. She took my lease, had me blacklisted from every design firm in the city, and said if I ever came near you, she’d make sure my family suffered.""
Julian closed his eyes, his breathing growing shallow as the sheer scale of the deception settled over him. He had spent nine months drinking himself to sleep, believing the only woman he had ever truly loved had valued his family's money more than him.
May you like
Before he could speak, the private elevator chimed softly.
Julian sprang to his feet, stepping defensively toward the entrance. But it wasn't the doctor who stepped out. It was Victoria Sterling, draped in an emerald evening gown, holding a spare penthouse key card in her gloved hand.
