FIVE

GREGOR

I could be a prick. No denying that, but I stood by what I’d said. We’d shared a night, somewhere in the blur of my past, and now I was left piecing together where I’d gone wrong. The thought of my mother finding out she had a grandson made my stomach twist. Everything I knew was about to turn upside down. Part of me almost wished this was some elaborate setup, a ploy to drag me into chaos. If that were true, maybe I could have spared her the drama. But every time I saw her, I knew she wasn’t after money. There was something else, something I couldn’t name. I started the car, hands shaking. Tonight, I couldn’t face my mother, not after the avalanche of revelations. What if there were more secrets waiting? The fear crept in, sharp and cold. What I’d done back then was reckless, stupid. It didn’t erase the mistake, but if I could rewind time, I would. I’d been a kid with a new empire, thinking I was untouchable. It all felt like a game then. My phone rang, jolting me out of my spiral. I pulled over by the harbor, answering just to quiet my mother’s relentless worry.

"I'm home. You know you don't have to constantly check up on me, right?"

"Excuse me for being a concerned parent," she retorted. "I called your PA hours ago. She said you weren't in the office, so tell me where the hell you went."

Relentless didn’t even begin to cover it.

"Business, Mom. Even if I don't owe you an explanation."

I ended the call, let out a heavy sigh, and honked. The hulking brick house loomed ahead—my so-called home. My mother burst outside in her nightdress to open the gates, even though all it took was a button. She looked furious, probably mourning her lost beauty sleep. That was my cue: tonight was definitely not the night to unload my day on her.

I stopped the car in front of the house, ignoring the glare my mother was aiming at me. Before I could even climb out, she hit me with the question I knew had been sitting on her tongue.

"It's ten. Half your workers wouldn't even be in the office this late. So where were you?"

"Like I told you, Mom. Business." I gave her nothing more, already retreating toward my room.

I heard her call after me before I made it inside. "Charissa called."

I let out a sigh and flopped onto the bed. I’d call her tomorrow. Charissa never called first these days, not since she realized I was still seething over her picking contracts over me. I yanked the duvet over my head, too drained to bother with the air conditioner. Just as sleep started to claim me, my phone buzzed. I checked it, barely interested.

An email.

From the hospital. My blood ran cold as I guessed what it might be. I opened it, bracing myself, and then exhaled in relief.

Your DNA is now in lab processing. We'll send you an email when the results are ready.

Too close for comfort.

***

JUSTINA

I woke up sprawled on the cold floor, the kind of wake-up call that left my bones aching. Warm light slipped through the cheap blinds, and for a moment I had no idea where I was. Oh, Lord. I hadn’t meant to crash here, not with Adonis still in the hospital. My stomach growled, a sharp reminder I hadn’t eaten. In the kitchen, I found instant ramen—our last hope. As it cooked, anxiety twisted inside me. Mr. Vallis. The adoption authorities could never find out about Adonis’s father. I’d already lied, told them I had no contact with him or his family. It seemed harmless then, but now the weight of that lie threatened everything Adonis and I had built. The acrid smell of burning ramen yanked me back. I lunged, rescuing what I could of our last meal. He was getting under my skin. I tried to shove him out of my thoughts. Maybe he’d already forgotten me. If not, I just hoped Adonis would get well enough to come home soon. I forced myself to stop picturing the man whose charm had become my undoing. I packed the salvaged noodles into a container and crammed it into my bag, already bursting with assignments due before nine. Just another day in the life of Justina Biro. Or it would be, if Mr. Vallis would just disappear. Five minutes later, I was out the door, sprinting until I was doubled over, breathless, at the hospital entrance.

"Justina Biro. Mother to Adonis Biro, ward eighteen," I told the receptionist.

She looked thoroughly done with her job, but she kept typing, glasses sliding down her nose. "Welcome back, Mrs. Biro. The doctor will be with you shortly."

I flashed her a grateful smile and hurried down the hallway, a flutter of hope in my chest. Maybe Adonis would be well enough to greet me with that gummy, toothless grin.

"Adonis..." I called, pushing open the door, and froze. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. For a heartbeat, I just stood there, torn between making a scene and pinching myself to see if I was awake.

Gregor Vallis. Feeding Adonis. The sight hit me like a punch.

"Miss Justina… Nice to see you again."

He was a force to be reckoned with, no question. A sharp, defiant voice in my head told me exactly how to handle this. I wouldn’t let him see me flinch. I’d keep my cool and end this quickly.

"Adonis, haven't I warned you about taking things from strangers?" I said tightly, dropping my bag and grabbing the noodles.

Adonis’s face crumpled. He started to protest, but I silenced him with a glare. He wasn’t the reason for my misery. That title belonged to the man standing across from me.

"But I'm his father. Isn't this my right?" Gregor said, dropping the line without so much as a flinch. Adonis looked between us like he was waiting for confirmation. My face fell. My heart pounded.

Charis wouldn't have approved of this.

"You lost that right a long time ago, Mr. Vallis."