Adrian frowned.
“Doctor?”
Dr. Reynolds stared at the screen, then slowly removed his glasses.
“Mr. Castillo…” he said carefully, “before we continue, I need to ask something.”
Chloe suddenly looked nervous.
Adrian laughed awkwardly.
“What is it? Is something wrong with the baby?”
Nobody answered.
The doctor turned toward Chloe.
“Ma’am… according to the medical records submitted during testing…”
She went white.
Vanessa looked confused.
“Testing?”
Dr. Reynolds swallowed.
“The paternity results attached to your file don’t match Mr. Castillo.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Adrian blinked.
“What?”
Chloe stood up immediately.
“There must be some mistake.”
“There isn’t.”
“No—”
“The child isn’t yours, Mr. Castillo.”
Adrian stared at her.
Then stared at the doctor.
Then back at Chloe.
“No…” he whispered.
“No.”
Vanessa’s mouth slowly fell open.
Chloe started shaking.
“Adrian, I can explain—”
“Explain WHAT?!”
The entire clinic turned toward the room as his scream echoed down the hallway.
At that exact moment, thousands of feet above the ocean, Noah slept on my shoulder while Lily held my hand.
My phone vibrated one last time.
A message from Attorney Dawson.
“Everything just exploded.”
I looked out the airplane window and smiled.
Not because Adrian suffered.
But because for the first time in years—
My children and I were finally flying toward a future that belonged to us.
