A DNA test

Amelia studied Matteo as he tucked away his phone, his jaw tightening briefly before his usual composed expression returned. Although she had not known him long enough, she didn't fail to notice the slight shift in his demeanor. She was sure something was bothering him.

“Are you sure everything is okay, sir?” She asked again, softer, careful to not pry too much.”

Matteo met her gaze, his dark eyes steady but unreadable. “Yes, everything is fine. Don't worry about it.”

Amelia wasn't convinced, but she nodded, knowing better than to push. Matteo wasn't the type to open up unless he wanted to and her position as his employee didn't exactly give her the privilege to ask questions.

“Mom, Uncle Asad is here, can we eat now?” Leo's voice broke the tension as he tugged at Amelia's sleeve, his bright eyes darting between her and Matteo. “I'm hungry.”

Amelia smiled down at him, grateful for his distraction. “Alright, let's go. Thank you sir, for offering to get us lunch, but next time, I think it's just better to eat at the café. Leo loves exploring new places, right sweetheart?”

Leo nodded eagerly, but his gaze lingered on Matteo. “Will Uncle Matt eat with us?”

Matteo curved his lips into a faint smile and he crouched down to Leo's level. “I won't be joining you this time, buddy. I have some work to finish, but I'll catch up with you both later, okay?”

Leo pouted but didn't argue. Instead he grabbed his mom's hand, pulling her further into the office, where they could sit and eat. down, close to the food.

“Come on, mommy. Let's eat before the food gets cold.”

Amelia chuckled and followed him.

Matteo turned to Asad, who sat on the couch scrolling through his phone. “Asad, cancel my appointment for the rest of the afternoon.” Matteo said, his tone curt.

Asad looked up, surprised. “Sir, is something wrong?”

Matteo didn't answer directly. “Just handle it, I'll be off for some time.”

Asad nodded and immediately got to work.

Outside the company's building, in the parking lot. Matteo adjusted his cufflinks, his mind clouded as he stepped into the sleek black Lamborghini car.

The car pulled into an underground parking lot of a high-end restaurant, a disclosed location perfect for private discussions.

Inside the classic and luxurious restaurant, screaming of extravagant affluence, the Investigator, Russo Owen, sat at a corner table, a thick envelope resting in front of him. Matteo stepped in, his noble and dominating presence commanding as always, though his heart was beating fast, for reasons he didn't know.

“Mr. Lior,” Russo greeted, standing briefly before gesturing to Matteo to sit.

“Cut to the chase, Rus.” Matteo said curtly, settling into the chair. “What did you find?”

The Investigator nodded, sliding the envelopes across the table. Matteo opened it and pulled out a series of documents, photos and timeline. His sharp eyes scanned the contents, his expression slightly darkened.

Back in the office, Leo swung his legs back and forth under the table, as he happily munched on a chocolate chip cookie. Amelia watched him with a soft smile, her own barely touched, as he slipped on a glass of juice.

“Slow down, sweetheart,” she said gently. “You'll get crumbs everywhere.”

Leo grinned, his face smeared with chocolate. “But it's good, mommy. You should try one.”

Amelia laughed and shook her head. “Maybe later, I'm not hungry right now.”

Leo tilted his head, studying her with a seriousness that always surprised her. “You're not hungry because you're worried about work, huh?”

Amelia blinked, taken back. “What makes you say that?”

“You always drink juice whenever you're nervous,” Leo said matter-of-factly, popping the last piece of his cookie into his mouth.

Amelia sighed, a little unnerved by how perceptive her son was. “I'm not nervous, Leo. Just…. thinking.”

“About Uncle Matt?” He asked innocently.

Amelia choked on her juice, her eyes widening. “What? No! Why would you think that?”

Leo shrugged, his expression mischievous like he was saying the most random thing. “You look at him a lot. And he looks at you too, like all the time.”

Amelia's cheeks flushed and she quickly changed the subject. “Finish your cookie, Leo, and stop speaking rubbish.”

Leo gave her a knowing smile but didn't push forward.

******

“This is everything I could find, sir.” Russo said, his voice low and serious. “Amelia Harper left the country four years ago, around that same time her fiancé publicly announced her engagement to her stepsister. There were rumors, but the real story was buried.”

Matteo opened a folder and scanned its contents, his eyes narrowing. There were flight records, hospital bills.

“Take a look.” Russo said, showing him a photo of Amelia in front of a hospital, but what caught Matteo's attention was her belly, although it wasn't too big, the baby pump was showing.

“This is three months after she left the country,” Russo said, glancing slightly at Matteo, hoping he was understanding his point.

“She was pregnant before leaving the country?”

“Yes. She left shortly after discovering her pregnancy.”

“Is there any record of the child's father or her husband?”

“No, sir. There's no such record. She lived alone and trained her son alone all the times she was abroad.”

“Sir, have a look.” Russo said, showing him a medical record.

Matteo's eyes widened as his gaze landed on the bold text at the top of the page. POSITIVE PREGNANCY TEST RESULTS - MAY 30TH, FOUR YEARS AGO.

Matteo's mind raced, doing the math in his head. Leo was now four years old. The timeline matched almost too perfectly. He flipped through the pages, finding a record of a hospital discharge a year later, with details about child complications.

“You're telling me Amelia was pregnant before she left and all this information, are you saying that her son could be mine?”

Russo didn't answer directly, as he was unsure of what Matteo was feeling. “Given the dates and what we know, it's likely that the child was born shortly after she left the country. Besides, there's no father listed on the birth certificate.”

Matteo brushed back his hand with his fingers as he leaned back in the chair. His heart thudded heavily in his chest, replaying every interaction with Leo, the boy's sharp gaze, his mannerism, even his smirk at times, he couldn't deny the fact that it all mirrored his. But, it was just one night?

His chest tightened as memories of that night with Amelia flooded his mind. Her teasing and sharp mouth, her vulnerability made him drawn to her in a way he couldn't explain. The was fleet, but filled with pleasure. To think Leo could be the result of that night both terrified and thrilled him.

“Do you really believe that boy is mine?” He asked again, clearly stunned at the revelation.

“It's not definite, sir, but evidence points in that direction. You'd need a DNA test to confirm it. But…I've seen the boy, he's the right age and the resemblance? Even old Elias won't request for DNA.”

Matteo closed the folder, his jaw clenched. “No one else can know about this. Not yet. I need to confirm it first.”

Russo nodded. “I understand.”

Matteo stood up, his gaze lingering briefly on the folder. “Thank you, Russo. I'll take it from here.”