The morning sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains into the bedroom; Emily Parker reached out to touch the empty bed beside her, still warm with Carlos’s body heat.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes and vaguely heard the low murmur of conversation outside.
Throwing on a coat, she quietly walked to the door, where Carlos’s stern voice filtered through the ajar door.
"Be careful these days."
He was on the phone, his tone unusually severe.
"Winning the preliminaries yesterday doesn’t mean you can let your guard down. That Charles Smith is no easy opponent; he will definitely come after you."
Faye Manor on the other end of the line seemed to still be in high spirits, saying something cheerfully, which made Carlos frown even more. Follow current novᴇls on novelꜰire.net
"A bar? You still feel like celebrating? Go back at once, don’t make me repeat myself."
He had just hung up when footsteps echoed in the hallway.
"I heard you won the preliminaries yesterday?"
Evan Palmer’s voice came coldly; through the crack of the door, Emily saw him standing in the living room with a sullen face, clearly not there to congratulate.
Carlos didn’t even lift his head, his tone indifferent, "Do you need something from me?"
"Imperial Motors is going to merge with Carter Automotive, and you rejected it?"
"Yes." Carlos replied briskly.
Evan Palmer’s face instantly turned unpleasant,
"Do you even know who’s behind Imperial Motors? Opposing the government, not just Carter Automotive, but even the entire Carter Clan is no match!"
Carlos finally looked up at him, his gaze as sharp as a knife,
"It’s none of your concern."
Evan Palmer was infuriated by his attitude, raising his voice, "Who do you think you are? Without the Carter Family, you’re nothing!"
Carlos stood up, his tall figure imposing,
"Instead of lecturing me here, you might as well spend more time with Mother."
Evan Palmer’s expression stiffened slightly, then he sneered,
"I’ve always stayed with your grandmother, fulfilling my duty to your mother. It’s not your place to interfere."
He turned to leave, but Carlos suddenly spoke, his voice low and dangerous.
Evan Palmer paused his steps.
"I don’t care what you do," Carlos’s voice was cold as ice, "but if you dare to harm my mother—"
He paused, enunciating each word with weight: "I won’t let you go."
Evan Palmer snorted, leaving without turning his head, his polished shoes clacking sharply against the floor.
The living room fell into silence, with only the ticking of the clock breaking it.
Emily gently pushed open the door, finding Carlos standing by the window, his back to her, the morning light highlighting the tense lines of his shoulders. She
"You heard it all?" he asked softly, his tone slightly softened.
"Has he... always been with you?" she asked quietly.
Carlos was silent for a moment, then turned and pulled her into his embrace, resting his chin on the top of her head: "I’ve gotten used to it."
The simple three words made Emily’s heart ache. She looked up at him, her fingertips smoothing the crease between his brows, "Carlos, I have something to tell you."
She hesitated for a moment before taking the DNA test report out of her pocket and handing it to him.
Carlos took it, his eyes scanning the paper, his expression surprisingly calm.
"You’re... not surprised?" Emily was a bit taken aback.
Carlos closed the report and put it into the drawer casually: "I knew when I was sixteen."
Emily’s eyes widened: "What?"
Carlos’s gaze darkened, as though recalling unpleasant memories: "When I investigated this back then, he found out and sent me abroad the next day."
Emily felt a tremor in her heart, her fingers unconsciously clutching the hem of his shirt: "So... all these years..."
Carlos held her hand, his thumb gently stroking her hand’s back, his tone calm: "It doesn’t matter anymore."
But Emily saw a flicker of pain in his eyes. She hugged him tightly, holding him even closer.
"Carlos..." her voice was a bit choked, "you still have me."
He lowered his head to kiss her hair’s top, his voice deep and tender: "Yes, having you is enough."
Outside the window, morning light grew stronger, the beginning of a new day.