Clara’s POVMy father asked me to come to the house in the afternoon, which should have been ordinary but instead felt like being summoned to a verdict.He received me in the study with the door half open and his glasses already in his hand. Marcus, mercifully, was not there. His absence did not feel like relief, on the contrary, It felt like the damage had already been done thoroughly enough that he no longer needed to be present for whatever happens next.“Sit down, Clara.”I sat. “If this is about the panel clip, I already know what you’re going to say.”“It’s not only about the panel my child.” He set the glasses on the desk. “It’s about the calls you’re making Clara, the way every adjustment looks, from the outside, like a fight for survival rather than a demonstration of readiness.”My mouth went dry. “I am fighting for survival?! Is that your personal opinion or another one of Marcus’s words that has managed to get to you.”“Enough.” The word was quiet and absolute. “I am not

Ace’s POVThe investigator called while I was still sitting in the car outside the office.“Just say it,” I told him.“I’ve got more than those medical results now.” He sounded careful. “Two things. First one is that Clara went to a cash clinic about eight weeks ago under a slightly different name. It wasn’t a normal pregnancy visit.”“Well I’ll be dammed.”“It was a consult about faking early signs and controlling the story. The person who told me won’t go public for obvious reasons, but the timing matches when she started pushing the pregnancy hard.”My hand tightened on the steering wheel. “And the second?”“Messages but they were not signed with her name, but tied to a phone from her office. Talk about keeping the timeline useful and not letting you force her into real proof.”“Why am I not even surprised?”“Hold up, It’s not a full confession. But it sure as hell doesn’t sound like an innocent woman.”“So I’ve got enough to face her with.”“Enough to stop being gentle but not eno