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

In the soft glow of the streetlights, a lanky figure approached, his pallid complexion casting an eerie luminescence in the night. A

hint of a smirk played at the corners of his lips, as if he knew a secret the world didn't.

"Nice lantern you've got there. Where'd you pick it up?"

"Just sshop down the street," Skyler replied casually, giving the stranger a once-over. The guy was strangely alluring, almost

prettier than any supermodel he'd ever seen. For a split second, Skyler mistook him for a woman.

The man walked away but quickly returned, holding a lantern of his own, slightly larger than Skyler's.

"I got one too. Bigger than yours, since I'm the big brother after all."

Big brother? Skyler jolted, lifting his gaze to study the man more closely.

"Big brother? Why are you calling yourself that?"

A devilish grin spread across the man's face as he said, "Haven't you always wanted to meet me?"

A sharp pang shot through Skyler's chest, and he leaped up from the bench.

"Are you Geoffrey?"

He couldn't be sure. The man was notorious for his elusive appearances, often masked, and for all Skyler knew, this could be

another one of his disguises or perhaps an impostor.

Geoffrey seemed to read his thoughts instantly.

"Are you doubting whether I'm wearing a mask or if I'm a fake brother?"

Skyler blinked, his grip tightening slightly on the lantern handle.

"Are you really Geoffrey?"

It was hard to believe that Geoffrey would just show up out of the blue, unmasked, and in the flesh.

"But you don't look anything like me, so how can you be my twin?"

"Who says twins have to look alike? We're not identical," Geoffrey retorted.

Skyler was skeptical. All signs pointed to Tanya only having one child; it was possible they were half-brothers with the sfather.

As he pondered, the night transformed around him. The crowds vanished, the festive lights dimmed, and a foggy haze enveloped

him as if he were suspended in chaos.

Geoffrey emerged from the mist, "Skyler, I've built this playground just for you. From now on, this is where you'll have your fun."

With those words, the ground beneath Skyler gave way, and he plummeted as if falling through clouds.

During the dizzying fall, he yelled, "Geoffrey, are we going bungee jumping? I hate bungee jumping."

He crashed into the ocean, the water flooding his mouth, nearly choking him. Desperately swimming, he managed to surface.

Suddenly, a colossal octopus appeared, its tentacles wrapping around his neck, cutting off his breath, his face turning a shade of

purple.

"Geoffrey, this is too much."

"Skyler, you asked for it. You betrayed me, siding with Leopold. You deserve to die," Geoffrey's voice echoed menacingly.

Taking a deep breath, Skyler ceased his struggles, and the octopus vanished. He spread his arms and let himself float on the sea's

surface.

Then, a monstrous wave swept over him, crashing him onto the beach where his head struck a rock, the pain searing through him.

He recognized this as a memory from his childhood when he had nearly drowned in the sea, only to be washed ashore, injured and

unconscious for hours.

"So, Geoffrey, you want to play? Fine, let's play. Let's see how you handle this," Skyler retorted. He rose from the sand, closed his

eyes, and the surroundings shifted. The beach beca dark fortress, the fog dissipating.

Skyler stepped into the fortress, and in a corner of the great hall, he saw a frail child curled up in the shadows.