Derek snorted and shot Dan a furious re.


    Danughed out loud—a sound sharp and mocking in the heavy air between them.


    Watching Dan so blithely amused only made Derek''s blood boil hotter. In a sh of anger, he hurled the lighter in his fist straight at Dan''s face.


    "Oh, you think this is funny? You knew all about this, didn''t you?" Derek snapped.


    The realization hit him-Dan had been the one pushing for the report, going to lengths to make sure no one could falsify the results. The truth was evident: Dan had known everything all along, down to the way he''d kept prodding Finch with that biting sarcasm.


    "You little bastard,” Derek spat. The more his mind spun, the more his temper


    spiraled, his chest heaving as his rage threatened to choke him. How had he ended up with a son like this?


    "I did know," Dan said without a hint of guilt. "I''ve always known."


    That just about sent Derek over the edge.


    Dan went on, “But even if I''d told you then, would you have believed me?"


    Derek stared, lost for words as the silence pressed in a thick hush that felt almost usatory.


    Of course Dan was right. All these years, anything Dan said, Derek had dismissed as pure jealousy—the resentment of a son who''d always thought Finch and the twins got all of his father''s love. That''s all it ever seemed to be: more of Dan''s sour moods and cutting remarks.


    But even so...


    "So you just kept your mouth shut?" Derek demanded, anger and bitter disappointment mingling in his voice.


    That silence-Dan''s years of silence gnawed at Derek even more deeply now, until the fury finally became too much. His vision swam as his heart hammered against his ribs, and he copsed onto the sofa, gasping for air.


    Having just returned from taking Adelle and Finch to the basement, Leroy walked in to see Derek copsed and unresponsive.


    "Sir! Sir!” Leroy called urgently, his face draining of color as he rushed to Derek''s side.


    Within seconds, a doctor hurried in, frantically starting emergency treatment. Dan, meanwhile, stood up at his own unhurried pace and turned to Leroy. "Keep a sharp eye on Finch and Adelle. I don''t want anybody slipping away."


    With the parentage drama atst behind him, Dan walked out.


    Leroy wasted no time getting Derek moved to the clinic, and after an hour, Derek finally regained consciousness. But in just that short time, he looked as if he''d aged a decade.


    As Derek blinked awake, his eyes swept the room. "Where''s that damn Dan?” he croaked.


    "He''s gone, sir," Leroy replied, ever respectful.


    Derek''s face grew ashen all over again. "Would you look at that? The ones who aren''t even my blood try to act like family while my own son might as well be a stranger!" He spoke with bitter irony, nearly choking on the words.


    Leroy couldn''t answer. There was nothing to say the sting of it was too close to home.


    Still fuming, Derek barked, "Call him! Tell him to get back here right this minute!"


    The situation was aplete disaster. Sure, the mess with Adelle, Finch, and the others was finallyid bare... but the chaos tearing ck Gate apart was far from over.


    "Yes, sir. I''ll call now," Leroy said quickly.


    Derek downed a ss of water in two gulps, but it barely scratched the surface of his fury.


    "And send more men after Ivanna and Leanne. I want everyst stone turned over!"


    Now, when Derek spoke of them, there was none of the fondness or tenderness he''d once shown—only venom and a bone-deep hatred that sounded ready for violence.


    The instant the results came out at cktower, Susanna got the news. She was perched on the window ledge casually picking at a fruit bowl as she watched the drama unfold when her phone buzzed.


    She skimmed the message, brow furrowing in disbelief. “Well, that''s just ridiculous. Adelle had three kids with the guy, and none of them are his—so how is Dan his son?"


    It made no sense. The woman he''d supposedly loved hadn''t given him a single child, yet the one he couldn''t care less for had somehow done the impossible?


    Sitting across the room, Hull raised an eyebrow. "So you don''t think Dan is really his?"


    "I don''t see how he could be!"


    Susanna eximed, puzzled. If none


    of Adelle''s children belonged to


    Derek and she e herself didn''t either, then how on earth was Dan the real deal?