The whole ballroom went silent when the scissors closed.

The transition from the tiny, cramped room in the staff quarters to the grand master guest suite was overwhelming for Rosa. The room was larger than the entire apartment she had grown up in, featuring high ceilings, plush Persian rugs, and a massive king-sized bed covered in Egyptian cotton sheets.

Dr. Evans, the private Hastings family physician, had already examined Mia, treated the small scrape near her ear, and assured them that the child was physically unharmed, though emotionally shaken. Mia was now fast asleep under the heavy velvet duvet, clutching her worn stuffed rabbit, her breathing steady and peaceful.

Rosa sat near the fireplace, sipping a cup of warm tea that Adrian had personally brought up for her. Adrian sat across from her in a leather armchair, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, staring into the flickering flames.

"I still can't believe she’s really here," Adrian said softly, his voice heavy with emotion. "For three years, I thought I was entirely alone in this world. After my father died and Julianne disappeared, I felt like I was just guarding an empty house."

"Julianne loved you, Adrian," Rosa said gently. "She talked about you all the time when we were in college. But she was terrified of your father. Richard Cole and your father had planned for Julianne to marry Vanessa’s older brother to solidify their corporate merger. When Julianne fell in love with David, an artist with no money or status, your father threatened to ruin David’s family."

Adrian closed his eyes, pain etching deep lines into his face. "My father was a brilliant businessman, but a ruthless human being. I knew he was hard on her, but I didn't realize how far he had pushed her. By the time I found out she had fled the city, it was too late. Then came the call about the crash."

"Julianne didn't want Mia to grow up in that environment," Rosa explained, looking over at the sleeping girl. "She made me promise to hide her until she was old enough to decide her own life. I took a job here as a housekeeper two years ago because I wanted Mia to know where she came from, even if from afar. I was waiting for the right time to tell you, Adrian... but I was afraid you were just like your father."

Adrian looked up, his dark eyes vulnerable. "Do you still think I am?"

Rosa looked at the powerful man who had just dismantled his own engagement and publicly defended a child he barely knew. "No. Your father would have covered it up to save face. You stood up for her because you cared. You are nothing like him."

Before Adrian could answer, the sharp chime of his phone interrupted the silence. He pulled it from his pocket and frowned at the screen. It was an encrypted message from his chief financial officer.

"What is it?" Rosa asked, sensing the sudden shift in his posture.

"Richard Cole isn't going down without a fight," Adrian said, his tone hardening. "He’s already calling emergency meetings with the board of directors. He’s claiming that Mia’s existence is a fraudulent scheme manufactured by you to claim the Hastings estate. He’s demanding a court-ordered blood test and threatening to lock all Hastings corporate accounts until an investigation is completed."

"Can he do that?" Rosa asked, fear creeping back into her chest.

"He can try," Adrian said, standing up. "My father’s will explicitly states that if Julianne had any living heirs, forty percent of the voting shares would be held in a trust for them until their twenty-first birthday, with me acting as the sole trustee. If Mia is legally recognized, Richard Cole loses his leverage completely. He knows that. Which means he will do everything in his power to prove she isn't Julianne’s daughter."

"Then we do the DNA test," Rosa said firmly. "I have nothing to hide. Mia is Julianne’s child."

"It’s not that simple, Rosa," Adrian warned, turning to face her. "Richard Cole controls several private security firms and has deep connections in the legal system. If he gets wind of the DNA testing process, he could easily tamper with the samples or try to invalidate the results. We need an independent, ironclad procedure."

"What are you saying?"

"I’m saying that starting tomorrow, you and Mia are going to be in the middle of a war," Adrian said, stepping closer and looking into her eyes with intense sincerity. "Vanessa and her father will try to destroy your reputation. They will dig up your past, slander you in the press, and try to portray you as a scam artist taking advantage of a grieving billionaire."

Rosa stood up, her jaw set with a fierce determination that surprised even Adrian. "I have survived a car crash, the loss of my best friend, and three years of raising a child on a maid’s salary while hiding in plain sight. Let them try to destroy me, Mr. Hastings. They will find that I don't break easily."

A ghost of a smile touched Adrian’s lips. "I believe you, Rosa. But please... call me Adrian."

Suddenly, the house’s internal security alarm began to beep softly from the wall panel near the door—a warning that someone was approaching the perimeter gates late at night.

Adrian walked over to the security monitor and tapped the screen. His eyes narrowed.

A sleek black sedan was parked right outside the wrought-iron gates of the estate. Standing in front of the camera, holding an official envelope, was a man in a sharp grey suit—a process server accompanied by two private security guards wearing the crest of the Cole Security Firm.

"They aren't waiting for morning," Adrian muttered, his voice cold. "They’re serving an emergency court injunction to remove Mia from the premises pending an investigation."

Rosa gasped, running to the side of the bed to pull the duvet over Mia. "They can't take her!"

"They won't," Adrian said, pulling out his phone and dialing a number. "Marcus! Seal the front gates. Release the guard dogs to the perimeter. Nobody enters this property without my personal authorization. Not even with a court order."

Adrian turned back to Rosa, his eyes burning with an intense, protective fire. "Pack a small bag for Mia. We aren't staying here tonight."