LOGINCHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND ONEThe call ended before Sarah could respond.She remained by the window, her phone still in her hand. For years, Genevieve had been someone she could influence through shared interests and carefully measured promises. Their alliance had never been built on affection, but it had been useful. Sarah had believed that Genevieve's feelings for Damon would make her dependable, that the actress would continue to protect the same narrative because admitting the truth would mean admitting how much she had sacrificed for a man who no longer wanted her. But the engagement was over, and Genevieve had begun to separate herself from the consequences.Sarah returned to her desk and called the investigative service she had used. The receptionist transferred her to the department that had handled the enquiry, and after several minutes she was speaking to a senior representative."I need to know whether anyone has requested information concerning the investigation into Katel
CHAPTER TWO HUNDREDSarah Winchester had spent most of her life understanding the value of silence.In her world, scandals were not always prevented; sometimes they were simply managed before they could become public. A discreet conversation, a carefully worded statement, a payment made through the right intermediary, or a warning delivered to the right person could keep an uncomfortable matter from becoming a problem. She had relied on those methods for years, and they had served her well enough to make her believe that almost every situation could be controlled if she acted early. But lately, the people around her had begun making decisions without consulting her, and the consequences were no longer staying where she wanted them. The engagement had collapsed, Damon had turned against her, and now a journalist was asking questions about an investigation she had commissioned in the belief that the information would remain within the family.The envelope Ethan had arranged to have
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-NINEI'm not going to pretend I have no feelings about it. I love that little girl, Katelyn. I've been part of her life for a long time, and I don't want her to feel confused or hurt. I don't want her to wonder whether the people who have loved her all this time are suddenly less important because she has learned something new about her biological father." He paused, choosing his next words carefully. "But I also don't want my feelings to become another thing she has to worry about. This isn't about me proving that I belong in her life. She already knows I do."Katelyn felt the tightness in her chest ease slightly. She reached across the table and covered his hand with hers."I don't want you to feel as though you have to step aside.""I'm not stepping aside." His thumb moved gently over her knuckles. "And I'm not going to make Avery choose between people she loves. If she has questions about Damon, we'll answer them. If she wants to know more about him
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY EIGHTKatelyn had always believed that knowing the truth was better than living with uncertainty. It was a principle she relied on in medicine, where an unanswered question could mean the difference between making the right decision and overlooking something important. But as she sat at the dining table that evening, staring at the blank page in front of her, she found herself wishing that the truth she needed to share with Avery could be made simpler. There was no medical explanation she could prepare in advance, no carefully chosen words that could guarantee her daughter would understand immediately. Avery was eight. She had grown up knowing Kevin as one of the people who loved and cared for her, and she had never questioned the shape of the family they had built together. Now Katelyn had to introduce a new piece of information without making the little girl feel that the life she knew was suddenly incomplete.She had written three sentences on th
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY SEVEN Katelyn exhaled slowly. "I don't know yet. I need to think about how we're going to tell Avery, and I need to understand what Damon expects from here. I don't want him making promises he can't keep, and I don't want Avery becoming attached to a situation that might change suddenly."Kevin leaned against the counter, considering her words. "Then those are things you need to discuss before anything changes. He can want to be involved, but wanting something doesn't mean he gets to decide how it happens."She looked at him, grateful that he was approaching the situation without making it about himself. Kevin had been part of Avery's life for long enough to understand her routines, her fears, and the little things that could turn an ordinary day into a difficult one. He had never tried to claim a place that belonged to someone else, but he had also never treated his relationship with Avery as temporary. Katelyn knew the news could eventually raise q
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-SIXKatelyn barely remembered the drive home. Her hands remained steady on the steering wheel, and she followed the familiar route without making a wrong turn, but her thoughts were elsewhere for most of the journey. Damon's admission had left her with more than one thing to process, and each time she tried to settle on a particular thought, another detail forced its way into her mind. He had known about Avery for several weeks. He had gone to her school, spoken to her, and allowed her to believe he was simply a man she had met through Bright Horizons. He had also attended events where Avery had approached him, all while keeping the paternity report to himself. Katelyn had not imagined that his interest in her daughter was entirely ordinary, but she had never considered that he already knew the truth and had deliberately chosen not to tell her.By the time she reached home, she had decided not to bring the conversation into the house immediately. A
CHAPTER SEVEN*TRIGGER WARNING: ASSAULT, GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS***********Katelyn hated being idle. It always left her mind open for unwanted thoughts and bad memories. She had done every single thing she could think of to keep herself busy, including visiting the hospital to check her fertility st
CHAPTER THREEDamon’s expression remained as hard as steel, unmoved by her words. Was Katelyn trying to be funny? Or was she trying to stall signing the divorce agreement? He refused to give her the satisfaction of falling for her silly joke. Instead, he waited, totally unimpressed, for her to get s
CHAPTER TWOThe woman’s question went unanswered for a solid ten seconds before her gaze shifted to the bags that Katelyn was carrying and recognition flashed in her blue eyes. “Oh, it’s you.” The woman scoffed and then sashayed back into the house, leaving the door open. Without another word, Ka
CHAPTER ONE“You murderer!”A resounding slap followed those words from Katelyn’s Mother-in-law. The entire extended family gasped in shock but no one made a move to help. Not even Katelyn’s husband, Damon Winchester. He just stood there, watching lazily, like he always did while his mother berated







