MasukCHAPTER 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 ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-FIVEDamon shook his head slowly, "No.""Did you promise her anything?"Damon hesitated briefly. "She asked whether I would come back. I told her I would try."Katelyn closed her eyes for a moment. It was a small promise, but it was still a promise made to a child who had no idea what it meant. She thought of Avery waiting for him at another event, perhaps wondering why he had not returned, and felt her frustration deepen. "You should not have put her in that position.""I wasn't trying to hurt her.""I didn't say you were. But intentions don't erase the consequences of what you do."He accepted the criticism without arguing. He had no defence that would make his choices less troubling, and he knew that trying to justify them would only make the conversation worse. "I didn't want to take her away from you," he said eventually. "I wasn't planning to demand custody or change where she lives. I wanted to understand her before I made any decisions that wou
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY FOUR"Yes.""Why?""Because she wanted confirmation of something she had suspected."Katelyn looked at him for a long moment. She already knew who Avery's biological father was. She had known from the beginning, and it had been one of the reasons she had kept the truth from Damon for so many years. What she had not known was that Sarah had begun investigating her daughter, or that the older woman had taken the matter far enough to arrange a test. The thought made her stomach tighten. "Sarah had no right to investigate my child without my knowledge," she said. "Who gave her the information? How did she even find out?""I don't know exactly how she first came across Avery. She told me she began looking into your life and discovered you had a daughter. She didn't tell me every step she took, and I haven't seen all the information she gathered.""Your mother hired someone to look into my daughter, and you're telling me you don't know how she did it?""I'm
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY THREEDamon was halfway through a meeting when Ethan entered his office with an expression that immediately drew his attention. The assistant waited until the other executives had finished presenting their figures before placing a folder beside Damon's laptop. He did not interrupt the meeting, but the brief note he slid across the desk made it clear that the matter required attention. Damon glanced down and read the message, his expression becoming increasingly rigid as he reached the final line. Mara Ellison had approached Katelyn at St. Catherine's Hospital. She had asked questions about the cancelled engagement and mentioned the private investigation concerning Avery. Damon looked up at Ethan, who remained standing beside the table."How much did she tell Katelyn?""According to the information we've been able to obtain, she said Sarah commissioned an investigation involving her daughter. She did not mention the paternity report, and we have no co
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-TWOMara did not immediately answer. "I've spoken to someone familiar with the investigation, but I haven't been given permission to disclose that person's identity. I also haven't seen the report or any private documents. I'm trying to verify what happened before drawing conclusions.""Then you don't know what you're talking about.""That's why I'm asking you.""No." Katelyn's voice was firmer now. "You're asking me questions about my daughter in the middle of my workplace, based on information you admit you haven't verified. Whatever Sarah Winchester may or may not have done, you have no business bringing it to me here."Mara looked at her for a moment, apparently considering whether to continue. She eventually nodded, but before she could respond, Katelyn spoke again. "I would also appreciate it if you didn't approach my colleagues or patients about this. This is a hospital, not a place for you to investigate somebody's family.""I understand. I didn
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-ONEThe morning at St. Catherine's Hospital began with the familiar rush of activity that had become part of Katelyn's daily routine. The pediatric wing was already busy when she arrived, with nurses moving between rooms, parents waiting anxiously for updates, and the occasional cry of a child breaking through the steady hum of conversations in the corridor. Katelyn had barely settled into her duties when she was called to review a young patient whose fever had refused to respond to the initial treatment. She spent several minutes speaking with the child's mother, examining the patient, and reviewing the notes before giving instructions to the attending nurse. It was the kind of work that demanded her full attention, and she preferred it that way. Whatever complications existed outside the hospital, the children under her care deserved a doctor who could focus on them without allowing personal concerns to interfere.She was returning a patient's char
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







