Chapter 3

The clinic was silent, except for the soft hum of machines and the occasional shuffle of footsteps down the sterile hallway.

Luna sat stiffly in the waiting room, her hands clenched in her lap. The walls were white. Too white. Her fingers trembled as she clutched Emery’s stuffed bunny to her chest, the one thing her daughter hadn’t let go of until the nurse carried her away for another round of tests.

She could hear Emery’s voice in her head.

Mommy, don’t leave.

Will it hurt?

Can I be brave if you hold my hand?

Atlas sat across from her, legs crossed, his expression unreadable. He hadn’t spoken a word since they arrived. Not even when the nurse swabbed his cheek for the DNA test. He hadn’t looked at her or asked about Emery.

Luna broke the silence.

“You haven’t asked how she is.”

His gaze snapped to hers. “Because I’m waiting to find out if she’s even mine.”

She flinched. “I didn’t lie,” she said quietly. “Not this time. You think I’d drag myself all the way here just to fake something like this?”

Atlas leaned back in the chair. “You’d be surprised what people fake when it benefits them.”

“You faked a lot of things before,” he said coldly.

“I didn’t fake that video,” she shot back, her voice rising. “Your brother did, or someone else. I don’t know. But I wasn’t lying. You just didn’t want to listen.”

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “You’re telling me I destroyed you for nothing.”

“Yes,” she whispered. “Exactly that.”

For a moment, something flickered in his eyes. Regret? Guilt? She couldn’t tell. He blinked, and the expression vanished.

“You should’ve told me,” he muttered.

“I was going to,” Luna admitted. “But after what happened, I couldn’t. You humiliated me. You called me a liar in front of everyone I knew. You made me feel like trash. How was I supposed to tell you I was pregnant?”

He sat back, jaw tight. “You think that was easy for me? Watching that footage, thinking the one person I trusted betrayed me?”

Luna's voice cracked. “You didn’t trust me, not even for a second.”

“I trusted you too much,” he muttered bitterly. “That was the problem.”

“I was twenty-one,” Luna added. “Alone. Broke. I didn’t even know where to go. So I left. I changed my name. I disappeared.”

Atlas stared at her. 

“I wasn’t trying to hurt you,” she said. “I was trying to protect her.”

His fingers curled into fists on his knees. “And you didn’t think she deserved a father?”

“She deserved better than what you were then.”

The nurse returned, saving them both from whatever might’ve been said next.

“Mr. Thorne, Ms. Rivera. The results are ready.”

Luna’s breath caught. Her knees went weak as she stood. Atlas remained stone-faced, rising slowly.

They followed the nurse down a corridor to a private office. A doctor waited behind the desk, a thick file open in front of him.

He smiled politely. “Please. Sit.”

Luna’s heart beat like a war drum in her chest. She didn’t know how she stayed upright.

The doctor folded his hands. “We ran the DNA comparison using the cheek swab and the sample from your daughter. The results are conclusive.”

He looked at Atlas. “You are the biological father of Emery Rivera.”

Luna closed her eyes. Relief and fear crashed over her all at once.

Atlas didn’t move.

He stared at the file, at the doctor. Then at Luna.

“She’s mine,” he said quietly, like he couldn’t believe it.

“Yes,” Luna replied. “She always was.”

The doctor continued. “We’ve also started the compatibility testing for the transplant. So far, your blood work shows promising results. We’ll run further tests, but you’re likely a match.”

Atlas’s jaw clenched. “And if I am?”

“We’ll prepare you for the donation process. But more importantly, we need to get your daughter stabilized first.”

“Can I see her?” he asked suddenly.

Luna blinked, surprised. “You want to?”

“She’s my daughter,” he said. “I have a right.”

Luna didn’t argue. “She’s sleeping. But… yes. You can.”

They walked in silence again, the air thick with tension. 

Inside the pediatric unit, Emery lay in a small hospital bed, her skin too pale, her body too small. A bandage covered the crook of her arm where they’d drawn blood earlier. Her chest rose and fell slowly.

Atlas froze in the doorway.

Luna watched him.

His eyes softened.

“She looks like you,” he said quietly.

“No,” Luna whispered. “She has your eyes.”

Atlas stepped closer, unsure, like he didn’t know how to move in a room like this. As if he’d never stood next to a hospital bed before. As if he didn’t know how to look at a child that belonged to him.

“Can I… touch her?” he asked.

“She’s a light sleeper, but yeah. Go ahead.”

Atlas reached out and brushed a hand through Emery’s dark hair. His fingers lingered.

Luna saw the shift. The moment something cracked open inside him.

“She’s so small,” he murmured. “I didn’t… I didn’t expect this.”

“I didn’t either,” Luna said. “But she’s strong. Stronger than both of us.”

He swallowed hard. “How long has she been sick?”

“I noticed things a few months ago. Fatigue, loss of appetite. I thought it was nothing. But it wasn’t.”

Atlas didn’t speak for a long time.

Finally, he turned to Luna. “We’ll do the transplant.”

Relief washed over here. 

“But I meant what I said,” he added, standing straighter. “I’m not going to let you walk away again.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re not just doing a transplant, Luna. You’re moving in, with her. Tonight.”

“What?” she blinked. “Tonight? I haven’t even packed anything….”

“Then buy what you need later. My driver is waiting outside.”

“You can’t just drag us into your world overnight!”

“She’s my daughter,” he growled. “You kept her from me. Now I’m keeping her close.”

“And what about the marriage thing? Was that a threat or….”

“It was a promise,” he said darkly. “And I always keep mine.”

Luna’s heart twisted. “Why are you really doing this?”

Atlas stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Because I don’t know if I want to forgive you… or ruin you.”