My Fiancé Crashed Our Engagement With His Secret Son to Steal My Billions
My father was just about to sign over a portfolio of downtown real estate—a dowry worth five billion dollars—to my fiancé, Noah Harrison, when the words appeared in the air before me, shimmering like a heat haze.
[What a fool this villainess is. In three days, the heroine is going to return from overseas with his kid. By then, she’ll lose both the man and the money.]
[That’s not all. Because she humiliates the heroine, the hero is going to bankrupt her family’s company. Her father will have a stroke, her mother will lose her mind, and she’ll be handed over to a group of men hired by the hero and left for dead.]
[And then, the hero will let the heroine take over the villainess’s family company. Tsk, tsk. The ultimate rags-to-riches story!]
My hand shot out and snatched the portfolio transfer agreement from the table.
Meeting Noah’s sharp, questioning gaze, I offered him a cool smile. "Let’s sign a prenup first. How about this: if, within the first three years of our marriage, you cheat, become violent, or are discovered to have a secret child, you’ll pay me three times the value of my dowry. And the engagement settlement is non-refundable. Deal?"
1
My knuckles were white, my grip on the transfer agreement unyielding.
The warm, celebratory atmosphere of our family dinner instantly turned cold and heavy.
Noah stared at me for a few seconds, a slow, unreadable smile playing on his lips. "Tessa," he said, his voice dangerously soft. "Are you treating our marriage like a business transaction?"
His parents immediately jumped in, trying to smooth things over. "Oh, Tessa, you know Noah. You two have known each other since you were children. There's never been another woman in his life."
But the words in the air kept scrolling.
[Well, that’s technically true. The hero was drugged when he had that one-night stand with the heroine. He barely remembers it himself.]
[Slept with her is slept with her. The hero can only belong to the heroine! But how did the villainess guess?]
[Rich girl doesn’t equal dumb girl. She’s the heiress to the Ford Corporation, after all. A little risk assessment is normal.]
[Suddenly, I feel like this villainess has some game. I’m starting to worry about my girl, the heroine…]
My own parents tugged at my sleeve. "Tessa, darling, we trust Noah. He's not that kind of person."
But I didn't let go of the agreement.
Noah’s voice was laced with ice. "It seems you don’t have much faith in me, Tessa. In that case, perhaps we should postpone the engagement party."
Without another word, he turned and walked out.
I watched his tall, impeccably tailored figure disappear down the long hallway before I finally allowed myself to breathe.
Losing the man was one thing.
Losing five billion dollars in prime Manhattan real estate? That was irreplaceable.
2
When we got home, my parents scolded me for being so reckless.
Our engagement party was supposed to be in three days. The entire upper echelon of New York society was invited. The engraved invitations had already been sent.
Tonight’s dinner was meant to finalize the wedding plans.
A postponement now would undoubtedly start a firestorm of gossip.
But compared to what was supposed to happen at that party—a lost five-year-old boy clinging to Noah’s leg and calling him "Daddy"—a little gossip was nothing.
A little boy who, according to the text, was the spitting image of a young Noah Harrison.
"Dad, Mom," I said, my voice calm and steady. "You've met more people than I've had hot dinners. Tell me, how many men with Noah Harrison's wealth and status are truly saints? Even if he was one before, that’s no guarantee for the future."
My words gave them pause.
Finally, they relented. They would speak to the Harrisons in a couple of days. We would use the excuse of me feeling unwell to postpone the party for a month.
A month was fine.
After all, the heroine was due to arrive in three days.
3
As a gesture of apology to our esteemed guests, the engagement party was rebranded.
Three days later, it became a gala celebrating the Ford Corporation’s successful bid to develop a massive new public plaza project in the city center.
The same elite crowd gathered, sipping champagne and networking.
The Harrisons were, of course, on the guest list.
I had just stepped out of my car when a new set of words floated before my eyes.
[Here we go! The first meeting between the heroine and the villainess! Can't wait for the classic 'hero saves the damsel' scene.]
[The cute little munchkin is here to help Mommy find Daddy!]
[I wonder if the villainess will regret postponing the engagement when she sees them. She lost her only chance to lock the hero down, hahaha!]
My eyes instinctively began scanning the lavish ballroom, searching for a small child.
But before I could spot them, I saw Noah walking toward me.
He was dressed in a sharp black suit, his presence as commanding as ever.
"As you requested," he said, his voice a low murmur. "I'll have the prenuptial agreement notarized and sent to you as soon as possible. The engagement party will proceed as planned, one month from now."
He looked down at me, his eyes filled with a kind of playful curiosity. "But I have to admit, I'm intrigued. Who's been giving you advice?"
We may have grown up together, but I'd always known Noah Harrison was a man ruled by logic, not passion. If it hadn't been for our parents pushing us together for years, I doubt he would have ever given me a second glance. He probably thought I was just like all the other socialites—an empty-headed debutante with a pretty face. It was only after I got my acceptance letter to Wharton that he even considered dating me.
His idea of a romantic confession was a curt, "It seems I've underestimated you."
If there was ever a flicker of affection he felt for me in the past, it was surely gone now. He must think I'm a cold, calculating schemer.
Meeting his probing gaze, I just smiled. "Who can say no to a good insurance policy?"
With a fifteen-billion-dollar penalty clause and a six-billion-dollar engagement settlement at stake, I could find any man I wanted.
Just then, a commotion erupted near the entrance.
A young woman in a simple white dress, with a sweet, innocent face, rushed into the venue, grabbing people by the arm. "Excuse me, have you seen my son?"
4
The person she grabbed was one of my family's security guards.
He frowned, trying to escort her out. "Ma'am, this is a private event. You can't be in here. Please leave immediately."
But the woman was on the verge of tears. "No, my son is missing! He’s only five, I have to find him! Let me in!"
"Please wait by the entrance. If we find a child, we will bring him to you."
"But I'm his mother! I have to go in! Let go of me, or I'll call the police! Ah!"
In the ensuing struggle, she stumbled and fell to the marble floor, scraping her porcelain-skinned leg. It started to bleed.
Instantly, a little boy shot out from behind a large floral arrangement and slammed into the security guard, knocking him off balance. "Don't you bully my mommy!"
The woman then scooped the boy into her arms, and the two of them huddled together, crying, a picture of pathetic misery.
[Like master, like servant. No surprise a dog raised by her would be so aggressive!]
[A grown man bullying a single mother and her child. His conscience must have been eaten by a dog.]
[Just wait. When the villainess’s family goes bankrupt, we’ll see how arrogant these servants are.]
Noah watched the scene unfold with a frown, then turned to me. "It seems the security at the Ford Estate is a bit lacking. And your staff's professionalism could use some work."
Then, as if to deliberately spite me, the man famous for his icy aloofness strode forward and extended a hand to the fallen woman. "Get up. I'll have someone take you to the hospital."
The woman stared at him for a long moment, her eyes widening as if she'd seen a ghost. Then she grabbed her son and tried to run.
But the little boy's face lit up with pure joy. "Daddy!" he shouted at Noah. "Mommy, I found Daddy!"
5
The child's voice was clear and high, immediately drawing the attention of every guest in the vicinity.
Before anyone, including Noah, could react, the woman had scooped up the boy and vanished into the night.
My father materialized at my side, his face grim. "What was that all about?" he whispered.
I shrugged. "I have no idea. But the kid called Noah 'Daddy.' See, Dad? I told you the prenup was a good idea."
Our hushed conversation drifted to the nearby guests, and the celebratory mood of the evening soured.
After the party, the Harrisons came over with Noah to offer an explanation.
"Tessa, there must be some misunderstanding!" Mrs. Harrison insisted.
Noah's face was a thundercloud. For the first time, he spoke to me with a hint of defensiveness. "I can't possibly have a son. For that woman to show up now, at this exact moment… she's clearly after something."
The floating text reappeared.
[This isn't how it's supposed to go… Shouldn't the hero have seen the resemblance, abandoned the villainess, and run after the heroine?]
[And the villainess is way too calm. Wasn't she supposed to fly into a jealous rage, slap the heroine, and then get pushed away by the hero?]
[Don't worry, everyone. Once the heroine starts working at the hero's company, the plot should get back on track.]
Oh? She’s going to work at Harrison Industries?
I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Noah. "Are you… sure you don't want to get a paternity test first? What if he really is the result of a wild night you don't remember?"
A vein pulsed in Noah's temple. He grabbed my wrist, his grip tight. "Tessa, I don't know who has been whispering poison in your ear, but listen to me. Other than you, I have never laid a finger on another woman. I will find her and get to the bottom of this. And then, our engagement party will proceed as planned."
Fine by me.
Let's see you get past hiring the heroine first.
I gently patted his hand. "Don't get so worked up. It's only fifteen billion dollars. I'm sure you can afford it."
As I turned to leave, I saw Noah violently loosen his tie, looking like he was about to kick the leg off the nearest coffee table.
6
After the gala disaster, my parents stopped mentioning the engagement.
Meanwhile, rumors about Noah and the Harrison family began to circulate through our social circles. When I arrived at Harrison Industries for a progress meeting on a joint venture between our companies, I could feel the weight of everyone's knowing glances.
"Did you hear? Mr. Harrison has a secret son. The mother and child caused a huge scene at the Ford Estate…"
"What? The Ice Prince of Wall Street has fallen?"
"I knew there was a reason they postponed the engagement… Miss Ford looks perfectly healthy to me."
"It's Mr. Harrison who looks like a mess. He's been in a foul mood for weeks, apparently, he has his P.I.s searching everywhere for that woman."
I was engrossed in the gossip when I saw the head of HR walking a group of new hires down the hallway outside the glass-walled conference room.
The heroine was among them.
She was still in all white, a picture of nervous excitement.
Here for her interview?
My interest piqued, I was about to step out for a closer look when I nearly collided with Noah, who looked haggard and was radiating a "do not approach" aura.
He grabbed my arm. "Where are you going?"
"Oh… nowhere, just saw someone I thought I knew," I said with a breezy laugh.
Noah frowned and glanced in the direction I'd been looking. The tour group had already moved on. All he saw was a handsome, broad-shouldered young man with a sunny disposition carrying two coffees our way. The young man caught our eye and gave a shy smile.
Noah's grip on my arm tightened.
"You know, your eyes used to only be for me," he said, his voice dripping with a strange, acidic tone. "What's this? Developed a new taste recently?"
"I…"
I was about to tell him he was mistaken, that I was looking at the baby mama, not the pretty boy.
But Noah cut me off, turning to his assistant. "Who is this person?"
The assistant looked from the bewildered pretty boy to his equally bewildered boss. "I believe he's a new recruit from our fall intake. A top graduate from Yale."
Noah scoffed. "Transfer him to the regional office in Stamford."
Then he turned back to me, his words heavy with meaning. "A word of advice, Tessa. Be careful with pretty boys. Most of them are only after your money."
I just stared at him. "???"
7
After the meeting, Noah walked with me out of the conference room.
As we passed through the main office area, we saw the Yale graduate from earlier, packing his desk with a dejected look on his face.
I paused, turning to Noah. "A top mind from Yale, and you're just sending him to a satellite office? That seems like a waste. If you don't want him, I'll take him. He can be my new assistant at Ford."
The sound that followed was a loud smack. Noah had slammed his palm down on the partition of a nearby cubicle.
He leaned in close, that same unreadable, half-smiling expression on his face.
"Tessa. Our engagement is postponed. Not canceled."
Sensing the sudden drop in atmospheric pressure, every employee in the vicinity shrank behind their monitors.
Only one person dared to speak. A small, timid voice. "Mr. Harrison… my files…"
I glanced down and my eyebrows shot up.
What a coincidence.
Noah had chosen, of all the desks in this vast office, the new desk of the heroine.
And his hand was currently planted firmly on top of her paperwork.
He followed my gaze, and his face instantly darkened. He barked at his assistant, "What is she doing here?"
The assistant looked and his own face went pale. "She must be one of the new hires who started today…"
The text in front of my eyes went wild.
[Aaaah, here it is! Go on, hero! Be brave! Break off the engagement with the villainess and bring our heroine and her little angel home!]
[Something feels off… Why is the hero looking at the heroine like he wants to murder her?]
[Oh, relax! That’s just how enemies-to-lovers stories start~]
[But he really looks like he’s jealous over that Yale guy right now…]
[Can I just say, this villainess has way too much screen time. Can she just get lost already?]
At that moment, the heroine—Ava—looked up and saw Noah's face. All the color drained from hers. She scrambled to her feet to run, but in her panic, she tripped over her own chair and fell, landing in a heap right at my feet.
I instinctively took a step back.
Was this some kind of insurance scam?
She looked helpless, trying to push herself up, her voice choked with tears. "I'm sorry, I didn't know this was your company, I'll leave right now…"
But Noah grabbed her arm. "Wait. You're not going anywhere until you explain yourself."
The woman looked back at him, tears welling in her eyes, a mixture of fear and what looked like wounded pride. She struggled weakly against his grip. "I… I have nothing to say…"
Noah let out a cold laugh. "The Ford Estate is on a private mountain road. You can't get up there without a car, and there are guards at the main gate. How did you get in? And the child—where did you hire him?"
She just stared at him, biting her lip, refusing to speak.
Just then, the little boy came running out from behind a pillar, launching himself at Noah's leg and beating it with his tiny fists. "Bad Daddy! You're bullying Mommy for that bad woman! You don't deserve to be my daddy!"
This time, in the bright office lights, we all got a clear look at the boy's face.
There was no denying it. He was a miniature Noah Harrison.
Even Noah, usually so composed, had a flicker of doubt cross his face.
8
The last time we'd seen the boy, he was wearing a baseball cap and it was dark. This time, there was no ambiguity.
A ripple of whispers went through the office.
"Oh my god, the resemblance is uncanny…"
"Even if he’s not his son, he has to be a relative, right?"
"I told you, where there's smoke, there's fire… and the woman is very pretty. Maybe the boss really did have a thing with her."
Noah's face was grim as he escorted them both back to his family's town car. I tried to slip away, but he wrapped an arm around my waist and guided me into the car with them.
"We are going to settle this today, in front of both our families."
My parents, having heard about the commotion, were already on their way to the Harrison residence.
In the car, the woman—who said her name was Ava Miller and her son was Nicky—admitted the boy was hers, but she refused to name the father. She claimed she only took the job at Harrison Industries to provide a better life for her son and had no other intentions. As for the boy… she said he'd snuck out of his daycare because he was worried his mommy would get bullied at her new job.
The child, his neck stiff with defiance, glared at me. "It's a good thing I came, or my mommy would have been eaten alive by a mean woman like you! My mommy is the kindest, most innocent person in the world, and I have to protect her!"
I just stared back. "???"
At the Harrison's Park Avenue penthouse, Ava stood protectively in front of her son, enduring the scrutiny of our assembled families.
After a long, tense silence, Mrs. Harrison spoke, her voice strained. "Noah. Are you absolutely certain you don't know her?"
Mr. Harrison was on the phone, pacing. A video of the office confrontation, filmed by an employee, was already going viral online. The comments were brutal, painting a picture of a callous billionaire knocking up a common girl and refusing to take responsibility. Someone had even made a side-by-side comparison of Noah's childhood photos and Nicky's face. The resemblance was damning.
The text floated lazily in front of me.
[My poor babies, being stared at like animals in a zoo. Why isn't the hero protecting his wife?]
[Don't you see the villainess sitting right next to him? If he defends the heroine now, the villainess will go crazy and plot even worse things against her. He's obviously weighing his options.]
[I don't know… are we watching the same show? He doesn't look like he wants to protect her. He looks like he wants to strangle her…]
I glanced over at Noah. His face was a mask of thunderous rage. "Mom," he gritted out, "you don't believe me either?"
Finally, I spoke, breaking the suffocating silence. "Mrs. Harrison, this seems pretty simple to me. Just get a paternity test. If the boy is his, I'll call off the wedding."
9
"Tessa, don't you dare!"
Noah looked like he was about to explode.
I pointed at the boy, my expression one of pure innocence. "I mean, look at that face. Are you honestly telling me you don't see any family resemblance?"
Noah’s jaw tightened, and he sank back into his seat, fuming.
Just as the standoff reached its peak, Ava suddenly dropped to her knees with a thud, pulling Nicky down with her onto the cold marble floor.
"I'm so sorry," she cried, her voice breaking. "I never should have disturbed your peaceful lives! It's all my fault. If only… if only I hadn't given birth to him!"
With that, she grabbed Nicky and, to everyone's horror, began slapping the little boy's face, her hand striking his soft cheeks again and again.
"I told you not to call random men Daddy! I told you! Apologize to the nice lady and gentleman! Apologize right now! If you don't, then you can just forget you ever had a mother! I don't want a disobedient child like you!"
Nicky was stunned into silence, then began to wail, tears streaming down his already reddening face. He clung to his mother's sleeve, sobbing, "I'm sorry, Mommy, I'm sorry, Nicky's sorry…"
"What are you sorry for?!" Ava shrieked, not satisfied. She grabbed his ear and twisted, eliciting a sharp scream from the boy.
The scene was agonizing to watch. Even Noah, who had been the most hostile towards them, winced, a flicker of pity in his eyes. Mrs. Harrison started to reach for the child, but she glanced at me and hesitated.
I could see Nicky's little ear turning purple. It was about to start bleeding.
That was it. I shot forward, grabbing Ava's wrist and pulling the trembling child into my arms.
"That's enough, Miss Miller," I said, my voice dangerously calm. "Don't you think you've gone a little too far?"
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