The announcement wasn’t supposed to happen like this.
Adrian had planned control.
Timing.
Narrative.
But at 8:03 a.m., every major financial outlet broke the story simultaneously:
“Blackwood Heir Confirmed.”
With it—
A second headline.
Far more dangerous.
“Questions Surround Timeline of Blackwood Pregnancy.”
Lena stared at the screen in disbelief.
They hadn’t made a statement yet.
They hadn’t approved anything.
And yet the story was everywhere.
This wasn’t like the strategic exposure in Chapter 4: Scandal Under the Spotlight.
This wasn’t the boardroom war from Chapter 7: War in the Boardroom.
This was personal.
And deliberate.
The Accusation
By mid-morning, the real strike landed.
An anonymous source released “evidence” suggesting Lena had met a former colleague weeks before the night that changed everything.
The implication was subtle.
Cruel.
Calculated.
That the child might not be Adrian’s.
The room went silent as Adrian finished reading the report.
It was fabricated.
Dates rearranged.
Photos cropped.
But in markets driven by perception—
Truth wasn’t always necessary.
“They’re questioning paternity,” Lena said quietly.
Adrian’s expression didn’t shift.
But something colder moved beneath it.
“This is Richard.”
It was the escalation she predicted at the end of Chapter 9: The Heir and the Enemy Within.
Bloodlines create division.
Choose carefully.
The message now made sense.
If doubt entered the conversation—
If investors questioned legitimacy—
Then legacy fractured.
And fractured legacy weakened control.
The Betrayal
Security footage loaded onto the estate’s internal system.
Only four people had access to Lena’s medical confirmation.
The doctor.
The private nurse.
Adrian.
And—
The estate’s chief of security.
Marcus Hale.
A man Adrian had trusted for eight years.
Marcus had overseen operations during the board crisis in Chapter 6: The Clause He Never Meant to Use.
He had secured the building during the corporate war in Chapter 7.
He had been present through every escalation since Chapter 5: When Power Becomes Personal.
And now—
He was missing.
Along with encrypted files from the estate server.
Lena felt the air thin.
“It was inside,” she whispered.
“Yes.”
Not the board.
Not Victoria.
Not an outside rival.
Inside.
Again.
The realization was sharp.
Adrian’s uncle hadn’t needed to attack from the outside.
He had planted doubt within their walls.
The Choice Goes Public
By noon, Adrian stood at the podium outside Blackwood Tower.
Cameras flooded the plaza.
Reporters shouted questions.
“Is the heir legitimate?”
“Will you demand a DNA test?”
“Are investors reconsidering leadership?”
Lena stood beside him.
This wasn’t performance like it once was in Chapter 3: A Performance of Desire.
This wasn’t negotiation like Chapter 2: The Price of a Signature.
This wasn’t survival like Chapter 1: The Contract Marriage.
This was protection.
Adrian raised a hand.
Silence fell slowly.
“My family,” he began evenly, “is not a corporate instrument.”
The word family echoed differently now.
“Any attempt to question my child’s legitimacy,” he continued, voice calm but lethal, “is an attack on me.”
A reporter shouted, “Will you submit to testing?”
The pause that followed was deliberate.
Calculated.
Then—
“No.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Lena’s heart pounded.
He wasn’t denying out of ego.
He was refusing out of principle.
“I will not validate fabricated accusations by dignifying them,” Adrian said coldly. “Those responsible will face legal action.”
The message was clear.
He wasn’t choosing markets.
He wasn’t choosing perception.
He was choosing them.
Publicly.
Without hesitation.
Just as he had chosen her in Chapter 7: War in the Boardroom.
The Private Fallout
Back at the estate, the atmosphere felt charged.
Phones buzzed endlessly.
Investor calls stacked up.
Market fluctuations flickered across screens.
“You don’t have to protect me like that,” Lena said quietly once they were alone.
“I do.”
“You could have ended speculation with one test.”
“And teach them that pressure works?” he replied sharply.
She stepped closer.
“This affects your company.”
His gaze locked onto hers.
“This affects my child.”
The difference mattered.
Silence stretched between them.
He exhaled slowly.
“I’ve spent my entire life building something untouchable.”
“And now?”
He looked at her stomach.
“At least one thing isn’t meant to be untouchable.”
Emotion caught in her throat.
This wasn’t the cold billionaire from Chapter 1.
This wasn’t the calculating negotiator from Chapter 2.
This was a man who had dismantled a clause in Chapter 6, defeated a board in Chapter 7, and outmaneuvered acquisitions in Chapter 5—
But now faced something no strategy could guarantee.
Trust.
The Real Threat Emerges
That evening, Blackwood stock dipped three percent.
Not catastrophic.
But noticeable.
Richard moved quickly.
A statement from a “concerned shareholder group” suggested temporary oversight during “leadership distraction.”
It was subtle.
But dangerous.
If enough doubt formed—
A special vote could be triggered.
Not to remove Adrian.
But to limit his authority.
Gradually.
Quietly.
Strategically.
Lena read the proposal carefully.
“They’re not trying to take you out,” she realized.
“They’re trying to contain me,” Adrian replied.
Exactly.
Limit decision-making.
Force joint approvals.
Shift power sideways.
Not dramatic.
But effective.
Richard wasn’t attacking directly.
He was eroding confidence.
The Final Blow of the Day
At 11:48 p.m., security intercepted a black SUV circling the estate perimeter.
Not paparazzi.
Not media.
Private investigators.
Hired.
Documenting entry and exit.
Tracking schedules.
Watching.
Lena stood at the upstairs window.
“They’re escalating.”
“Yes.”
“For a rumor?”
“For control.”
He stepped behind her.
His hands rested on her waist.
Protective.
Steady.
Different from the first time he touched her in Chapter 1: The Contract Marriage.
Different from the tension in Chapter 3.
Different from the calculated dominance in Chapter 5.
This wasn’t desire.
It wasn’t performance.
It was instinct.
“They want me to choose,” he said quietly.
“Between the company and us.”
She turned in his arms.
“And if it comes to that?”
His jaw tightened.
Then—
“I already have.”
Before she could respond, his phone vibrated.
A secure internal alert.
Emergency board notice.
Motion filed: Temporary leadership oversight pending paternity clarification.
It was happening.
Not removal.
Not yet.
But restriction.
The empire wasn’t collapsing.
It was tightening around him.
And this time—
The war wasn’t about contracts.
It was about blood.
To Be Continued…
Richard has made his move.
The markets are watching.
And someone inside Blackwood Tower is still feeding information.
In Chapter 11, Adrian will launch a counterattack—
But Lena will discover something far more dangerous than a scandal.