"Ivanna''s run away!"


    Susanna stared at her phone in disbelief. “What?!”


    Ivanna? The same Ivanna who had just gotten trounced by her during their phone argument—ran away? Seriously...?


    "Well, that settles it. There''s no way she''s Derek''s daughter," Susanna said


    decisively. “If she really were, she''d just take the paternity test—why bother running? Now, even if by some chance she is Derek''s kid, this makes it look like she isn''t."


    She paused, frowning as another idea dawned on her. "Hold on, though. If they were going to run a paternity test, and considering how much clout Mrs. Murray has in Litamark, can''t she just pull some strings and fix the results? Why push her own daughter so hard that she''d flee?"


    "Tampering with a DNA test isn''t exactly impossible. There''s time, and if that''s the n, there''s definitely room to mess with things."


    Hull frowned, deep in thought. "What if... there''s simply no way to falsify it?"


    “Huh?” Susanna blinked. “What do you mean, no way? Are you saying Adelle never had any kids with Derek in the first ce?"


    "But that can''t be... She had three children, didn''t she? She had twins-not his, fine -but what about the other one?"


    Was it possible? Did Finch, her son, not belong to Derek either? The thought sent a chill down Susanna''s spine. She gaped at Hull, mind whirring.


    "Oh my god..."


    What was she even supposed to say? If Adelle really couldn''t meddle in the DNA test, then maybe just maybe she''d truly never had a child with Derek.


    Susanna''s thoughts spun for a moment before, atst, she found her words. “That''s rough."


    "The love of his life gave him three children—he pampered her through every month of postpartum recovery-and now it turns out not a single one is his!" Hull fell silent, struck by the weight of her words. If Susanna was right, Derek''s situation wasn''t just sad-it was a tragedy.


    "Wait a second..."


    Hull nced at her. "What now?"


    "My mom called earlier,” Susanna said, suddenly remembering, "and told me I''m not Derek''s daughter, either!"


    He gawked at her, dumbstruck. Her mother had actually called, and she''d just neglected to mention it?


    Apparently, Susanna''s life had gottenplicated while Hull was away.


    Susanna let out a soft whistle, stille reeling. So, I''m not his Adelle''s three arent his... then who the hell


    is?"  s?novels


    Four kids between two women-none of them his. Suddenly, Susanna had a truly oundish suspicion.


    She leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "You think... maybe he''s infertile?"


    If not a single one of those four kids was biologically his, there had to be something wrong with him, right?


    Her eyes lit up in delight at the juicy gossip, even as cktower spiraled into utter chaos.


    Derek sat stone-faced on the sofa, his entire body emanating a cial, menacing chill. Adelle and Finch.


    The atmosphere in the living


    Hovered nearby silent and t


    was so heavy, it was hard to even breathe.


    Leroy, the butler, entered quietly. "Sir, Miss Ivanna left—and she took Miss Leanne with her."


    The room went dead silent. If the mood had been heavy before, now it was positively suffocating.


    Derek''s icy re shot across the room, settling on Adelle. His stare was so cold Adelle visibly shuddered and ducked her head knowing all too well, that after everything that had just happened, tears would get her nowhere with him.