Chapter 4 - The Escape to Storm Haven
The roar of the helicopter’s twin engines drowned out the howl of the wind as the machine lifted off from the mansion’s private helipad. Looking down through the rain-streaked window, Rosa watched the sprawling lights of the Hastings estate shrink into tiny specks. On the driveway below, flashing blue and red lights revealed that Richard Cole’s legal team had arrived with police escorts, only to find the gates locked and the estate empty.
Mia was fast asleep in Rosa’s lap, wearing a pair of heavy noise-canceling headphones provided by the flight crew. Adrian sat across from them, staring out into the dark night sky, his face illuminated by the faint glow of the cockpit instruments.
"Are you okay?" Rosa asked, speaking into her headset microphone.
Adrian looked over at her, his expression softening slightly. "I should be asking you that. I just dragged you out of your life in the middle of the night."
"My life was in that little bedroom under the stairs," Rosa said quietly. "As long as Mia is safe, I don't care where we go. But Adrian... are you sure about this? Fleeing a court injunction could make you look guilty to the board."
"I’m not fleeing, Rosa. I’m tactical repositioning," Adrian replied with a bitter smile. "Richard Cole bribed a corrupt family court judge late tonight to issue an emergency protective order, claiming Mia was being held in unsafe conditions. If they had taken her into state custody tonight, she would have been placed in a facility controlled by Cole’s allies. I couldn't risk her safety for a single second."
"And the island?"
"Storm Haven," Adrian said, a touch of nostalgia in his voice. "It’s a private estate my grandfather built on an island off the coast of Maine. It’s entirely self-sustaining, fortified, and off the grid. My father hated it because it didn't have cell service or high-society parties. But Julianne and I loved it when we were kids. It’s the only place where we were ever just brother and sister, rather than Hastings heirs."
He looked at Mia, reaching across the small cabin to gently brush a stray strand of hair away from her face. "She’ll be safe there. I’ve already dispatched my private medical team and an independent, board-certified geneticist from Boston to meet us at the island. We will conduct the DNA test there, under strict security, with full video documentation to ensure Cole can't claim fraud."
Two hours later, the helicopter descended through a thick blanket of coastal fog, landing on a wooden helipad set against dramatic, dark sea cliffs. The air was crisp, salty, and cold.
As they stepped off the aircraft, a tall, older woman wrapped in a heavy wool coat rushed forward to greet them, holding an umbrella over their heads.
"Master Adrian!" the woman called out over the sound of the slowing rotors.
"Evelyn," Adrian said, embracing her briefly before introducing her. "Rosa, this is Evelyn. She managed Storm Haven when Julianne and I were children, and she’s kept the estate running ever since."
Evelyn looked at Rosa, then down at the little girl sleeping soundly in Rosa’s arms. When Evelyn’s eyes landed on Mia’s face, she gasped, pressing a hand to her mouth.
"Oh, sweet Lord above," Evelyn whispered, tears immediately springing to her eyes. "She’s the double of little Julianne... exact same chin, exact same eyes."
"She’s Julianne’s daughter, Evelyn," Adrian said, his voice thick with emotion. "Her name is Mia."
"Bring her inside, quickly, before the cold gets into her bones," Evelyn said, wiping her eyes and ushering them toward a beautiful, historic stone manor house overlooking the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
Inside, the manor was warm and inviting, heated by roaring fireplaces in nearly every room. Unlike the grand, sterile mansion in the city, Storm Haven felt like a real home—filled with worn leather armchairs, overflowing bookshelves, and framed family photographs.
After putting Mia to bed in a cozy room overlooking the ocean, Rosa came down to the kitchen, where Evelyn had prepared hot soup and fresh bread. Adrian was sitting at the wooden kitchen table, reviewing documents sent to his secure tablet.
"The medical team will arrive by boat at dawn," Adrian said, looking up as Rosa sat down across from him. "Dr. Sarah Lin is one of the top forensic geneticists in the country. She’s completely independent of the Hastings family and Cole Enterprises. The results will take forty-eight hours."
"And what happens during those forty-eight hours?" Rosa asked, taking a sip of the warm soup.
"During those forty-eight hours, Richard Cole and Vanessa are going to launch a full-scale public relations assault," Adrian said grimly. "My legal team in the city informs me that Vanessa has already scheduled a television interview for tomorrow morning. She’s going to play the victim—claiming I broke off the engagement because I fell under the spell of a scheming housekeeper."
Rosa felt a cold knot tighten in her stomach. "She’s going to make me look like a gold-digger."
"She’s going to try," Adrian said, reaching across the table to lay his hand over hers. His touch was warm, steady, and reassuring. "But I won't let her touch you, Rosa. I promise you. Once the DNA test proves Mia is Julianne’s daughter, Richard Cole’s influence will crumble. And then, I am going to strip him of every piece of power he holds in my company."
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Rosa looked into Adrian’s eyes, seeing a fierce, unwavering protection that she hadn't felt since her own parents had passed away years ago. For three long, terrifying years, she had carried the burden of protecting Julianne’s child entirely on her own shoulders.
For the first time, she realized she didn't have to carry it alone anymore.
