Toby puffed out his small chest, crossing his arms over his pajamas just like he had seen Theo do outside the school gates."You used to get me water whenever I asked!" Toby chimed in, his five-year-old voice sharp and full of childish arrogance. "You're mean now! Mommy said you're just throwing a fit because you have to move out!"Garrett stood near the entryway, his hands resting naturally in his pockets. He didn't move an inch. He didn't react.In his mind, the bold red text from the Veritas Forensics report replayed in an unbroken loop of letters:PROBABILITY OF PATERNITY: 0.00%Memories came crashing back: staying up through feverish nights, carrying the boy on his shoulders until his back throbbed, and washing his clothes by hand in cold water. Garrett had sacrificed his health, his dignity, and five years of his youth for this child. Now, the proof sitting in his inbox showed that it had all been a calculated lie.Yet, as he looked at the boy standing on the living room rug, Ga

Evelyn’s words hung in the quiet living room. She tilted her head, studying Garrett’s face for any crack in his composure—a flicker of anger, a hint of regret, or the familiar look of defeat she had seen in him for the past five years. She found none. Garrett stood near the entryway, his shoulders squared, his expression unreadable. Seeing how little her words affected him only aggravated her further. She smoothed the front of her cloth and lifted her chin, her expression turning cold and authoritative. “I have the signed agreement right here in my bag, Garrett,” Evelyn said, her tone dripping with patronizing calm. “The house goes to me and Toby. The car stays with me. You waived your rights to our joint savings, and you agreed to take responsibility for your parents’ remaining debts. That’s the reality. You don’t have the leverage to change a single line of it.” Garrett met her gaze, his eyes dark and steady. “Have you actually considered what happens if I refuse to accep

In the quiet darkness of his car, Garrett listened as static hummed faintly through the line."What movement?" Garrett asked, his grip tightening around the steering wheel."Yesterday afternoon, right after Hudson picked up Evelyn and Toby from school," Jason said, his voice measured and calm."Our traffic feed logs show his Bentley didn't head straight to the amusement park like Evelyn told you on the phone. They made a forty-minute stop at a private notary and estate office on 12th Street."Garrett's brows drew together."A notary?""That's not all," Jason continued. "While my team was pulling toll records and traffic camera archives for Hudson's vehicle, we found something much older. Eighteen months ago—and again two years before that—Hudson's Bentley was repeatedly logged at a medical plaza on the north side of the city. SpringHill Women's Health Center."The name hit Garrett like a cold drop of water.SpringHill.Garrett sat frozen in the driver's seat as his mind raced back fiv

Garrett ended his call with Julian, his thumb pressing hard against the phone screen until it went dark.His eyes remained fixed on the dashboard.Evelyn and her lawyer had played a dirty game, hiding a dangerous clause in the fine print that could strip him of his right to fight back once Friday passed. If he had still been the naive, heartbroken man he was three days ago, he would have signed his life away without reading a page.Before he could put the car into gear, his phone screen lit up again.Victoria Mercer was calling.Garrett picked it up immediately. “Victoria.”“Garrett,” Victoria’s voice came through, crisp, smooth, and full of steady authority. “I’m calling to give you a direct update on the liquidation process. My team in Singapore has worked through the night. The offshore holding company is officially registered, and the trading desk is ready to handle the first batch of Bitcoin.”“What’s the timeline?” Garrett asked, keeping his voice quiet.“Everything is moving on

The front door of Garrett’s childhood home shuddered under a series of sharp, aggressive knocks.Inside the living room, Garrett stood by the small table, zipping shut a sleek travel bag containing his passport, tax records, and a change of clothes.He checked his watch. It was barely eleven in the morning.His private charter to Singapore was scheduled to depart at two o’clock.The banging came again, louder this time, followed by the shrill sound of a doorbell that hadn’t worked properly in a decade.Garrett set his bag down, walked calmly across the creaking floorboards, and pulled the door open.Evelyn stood on the porch, her arm wrapped around Toby’s shoulders. Her face was flushed with anger, her lips pressed into a thin line.The moment the door swung open, her eyes swept over the faded wallpaper and dusty hallway with disgust.“You’re ignoring my calls now?” Evelyn demanded, stepping past him into the entrance without waiting for an invitation. “I sent you a text two hours ag