The CEO’S Unplanned Heir novel (Aurelia and Leopold)

He'd been walking for what seemed like an eternity when the rain finally ceased, and up ahead, a white light pierced the gloom.

In the glow of that light, a little boy sat on the ground, clutching a white puppy in his arms. "White, Mom said I should get rid of

you, but you're my one true friend, and I can't do it. Don't be scared. I'll find a way to sneak you out, okay? You gotta run far and

never cback."

Leopold crouched down and gently patted the boy's head, "Geoffrey, can I help you get White out of here?"

The boy looked up, his eyes brimming with tears, "Are you gonna save White?"

"I can do that. But first, you've got to tellsomething. You've been hiding sstuff in the park, haven't you?"

The boy nodded, solemnly, "Toys that go boom?"

"Yeah, those ones. Where'd you put them?"

The boy was about to reveal the secret when a harsh voice cut through the air, "Don't tell him. He's the enemy, our greatest

enemy."

A man, his face obscured by a skeletal mask and cloaked in black, charged forward, shoving Leopold aside, "I will never tell you."

The boy's gaze fixed on Leopold, confusion written all over his face, "Mom said my enemy is in Elysium, named Leopold. I don't get

it. Why's he, my enemy? He's just a newborn baby."

"He's your enemy because he's your brother. Don't listen to your mom, and she's deceiving you," Leopold said, his voice firm yet

gentle.

"Shut up. Get out. Get out of here." The man was seething with rage.

Leopold ignored him and continued, "Those toys could kill a lot of people, Geoffrey. Kids like you, puppies like White You've got to

tellwhere they are."

The man let out a maniacal laugh, "Let them die. They all deserve to die. I want them to joinin the afterlife."

"lI don't wanna die. I don't want to." Little Geoffrey shook his head vigorously, "I want to go out and play. I've heard it's fun outside.

There's a zoo with lots of animals and amusement parks with carousels and trains..."

"Geoffrey, if you don't tell us, everyone might die, including you. After we get rid of the bombs, I'll take you out. We'll ride the

carousel and the train, okay?"

"Don't listen to him. He's the enemy. They're all liars. They all deserve to die." The man was hysterical.

Little Geoffrey blinked, his lips quivering, then whispered so softly it was almost inaudible, "In the cistern of the public restroom..."

"You fool." The man's scream was terrifying, and in an instant, the maze vanished, the child was gone, and everything returned to

normal.

The bomb squad arrived, working to defuse the device Geoffrey had described. Leopold hurriedly informed them of the other

bomb's location.

A potential catastrophe was averted, and calm was restored amidst the chaos.

Geoffrey collapsed to the ground in a heap, laughing and crying like a madman as his world, his very beliefs, crumbled around him.

The police took him away.

In the parking lot, Aurelia and the kids waited anxiously for Leopold and Skyler, relief flooding their faces as they returned

unharmed.

"Did they catch Geoffrey?"

Leopold nodded solemnly, "Yeah."

A weight lifted from Aurelia's heart.

"Did he say where Elfreda is being held?"

"Probably at Endless Echo Manor. SWAT's arranging a chopper to head there tonight," Leopold informed her.

Skyler's eyes were downcast. "You know, Geoffrey's kind of a victim too. It's all Tanya's fault. She ruined him."

"I'll make sure he stays alive to rethink his life behind bars," Leopold said with a heavy tone.

Aurelia sighed. Tanya's obsession had destroyed Geoffrey's life. She was the true monster.