His Secret Baby: Six Months After Divorce (Mia and Ethan) novel Chapter 1

One single post. That was all it took to bring the devil straight to her doorstep.

Late that night, Mia Carter posted a photo of her best friend’s newborn on her social media.

Caption: Promoted to Mom. My little heir has arrived!

Less than an hour later, a sharp knock shattered the dead silence of her tiny apartment.

Mia swung the door open, and her blood ran freezing cold.

Ethan Hale.

Her ex—husband. The man she had divorced exactly six months ago.

The moment he stepped into the cramped hallway, the temperature plummeted. His custom—tailored black suit and polished Italian leather shoes looked painfully out of place against her cheap, peeling floorboards.

Mia's fingers white—knuckled the doorknob. "What are you doing here?"

Ethan didn’t answer. His sharp, ruthless gaze swept over her, dark and completely unreadable.

Behind him, his assistant, Leo, stepped forward with an apologetic grimace. He handed Mia a thick manila folder.

"Ms. Carter. Long time no see. This is the custody agreement Mr. Hale’s legal team drafted tonight."

Her heart slammed against her ribs. Mia snatched the file and flipped it open.

Clause 1: The firstborn heir of the Hale family must be placed under the immediate and exclusive custody of Ethan Hale.

The words blurred together. Just like she feared. He was here to take the baby.

To be fair, he wasn't being completely ruthless. The contract stated she could keep the child until he turned three—but only if she cooperated. If she refused, this billionaire would tear her life apart and take the baby tonight.

"By the timeline," he said calmly, "you were already pregnant when you demanded the divorce. If that’s true, why run?"

Because of Chloe. The name tasted like ash in Mia's mouth.

"I was clearing the road for Ms. Bennett," Mia drawled, tilting her head with a fake smile. "If you brought a bastard child home, do you think your precious true love would still marry you? What if she gets mad and dumps you again?"

Everyone in Northbrook knew Chloe was the only woman Ethan Hale had ever loved. He had stayed single for years, waiting for her to come back.

Ethan’s eyes darkened, a dangerous storm brewing in those amber depths.

"That has nothing to do with you," he said coldly. "You're smart, Mia. The child shouldn't grow up in a slum like this. Hand him over. Coming back to the Hale family is your only sensible choice."