Consultation room

Adrian's POV

We followed Olivia for nearly twenty minutes before the taxi finally turned through the gates of Maplewood General Hospital.

I slowed the SUV and let the taxi disappear beneath the covered entrance.

Olivia climbed out first, then opened the rear door, carefully lifting Lily into her arms, and hurried inside without looking around.

I watched until the glass doors swallowed them.

"Five minutes," I said.

Ethan glanced at me. "You want to go in now?"

"No….if she sees us, she'll leave."

He nodded and pulled into a parking space farther down the lot.

Five minutes felt longer than it should have. I kept looking toward the entrance, trying to make sense of what I had seen at the school. Lily's face had been burned into my mind, especially those eyes. I had spent years convincing myself that Olivia had simply chosen another life without me. Now there was a child who looked like she had been pulled straight out of my childhood photographs.

When the five minutes were up, Ethan and I entered the hospital.

He had already found the doctor's name.

"Dr. Bennett," he said quietly as we walked down the corridor. "Pediatric medicine. Olivia and Lily were registered with him."

I stopped outside the consultation room. The door was closed but through the narrow glass panel, I could see Olivia sitting beside Lily's bed. She was listening carefully while the doctor examined the girl.

Several minutes later, Olivia stepped out. She was distracted, reading something on her phone as she walked toward the nurses' station. She didn't look in our direction.

Ethan waited until she disappeared around the corner. "Now?"

I opened the doctor's door. 

Dr. Bennett looked up sharply. He was an older man with silver hair and a tired expression. His eyes moved from me to Ethan, then back again.

It took him a minute or two to recognize me. His eyes widened. "Mr. Kingston.”

The Kingston Foundation had funded the pediatric wing three years ago, and I'd attended the opening ceremony myself.

His name had been on the plaque beside my father's.

“Dr Bennett.” I greeted.

"I wasn't expecting you."

"I know." I closed the door behind us.

He frowned. "Is there a problem?"

"There is something I need you to do." I placed a folder on his desk. "I believe there is a possibility that I'm the child's biological father. I want a paternity test arranged as quickly as legally possible."

He didn't touch the folder. "Whose child?"

"Olivia Carter's daughter."

His eyes narrowed. "Mr. Kingston, patient information is confidential…and I can't perform genetic testing on a minor simply because you requested it."

I leaned against the edge of the desk. For the first time since entering the room, I let him see how serious I was. "Then tell me what you need."

The doctor studied me. "Consent from the appropriate guardian, or a lawful order authorizing the test. Depending on the circumstances, there are procedures we can follow if paternity is being legally established."

"How quickly?"

"Normally?"

“No, I want it as soon as possible.”

He exhaled through his nose. "With the proper authorization, I can have the laboratory prioritize it. But I won't compromise the child's records or perform an unauthorized collection."

I nodded. "Good."

I turned toward the door, then stopped. "Have the paperwork prepared tonight."

He looked at me carefully. "Mr. Kingston…"

"I want the test processed at the earliest possible time tomorrow."

He hesitated before finally nodding. "I'll have my staff coordinate the required authorization and arrange the earliest available collection."

That was good enough. I opened the door, Ethan followed behind me into the corridor.

Neither of us spoke until we reached the elevator.

Then he glanced at me. "If the result confirms what we think..."

I pressed the elevator button, stepping inside. "I don't know……"

  --------------Olivia's POV-----------------

When I returned to the consultation room, Lily was sitting up on the examination bed, swinging her legs while the doctor finished writing something on a prescription pad.

He looked up when I entered. "Everything is fine," he said. "It's a mild infection, nothing serious."

The tension I'd been carrying in my shoulders eased a little. "So she doesn't need to stay?"

"No, give her the medication as directed, make sure she gets enough rest, and keep her hydrated. If the fever comes back or her symptoms get worse, bring her back."

I nodded as I took the prescription from him. "Okay…Thank you, Doctor."

He gave me a small reassuring smile before looking toward Lily. "She should be back to normal in a few days."

I smiled at her. "Did you hear that?"

Lily gave him a suspicious look. "Does that mean I still have to go to school tomorrow?"

The doctor laughed softly. "I'm afraid so."

She groaned, and despite everything, I smiled.

I slipped the prescription into my bag, reaching for Lily's jacket. "Come on. Let's go home."

I had almost reached for her hand when the doctor spoke again. "Mrs. Carter?"

I turned back to him."Yes?"

His eyes moved briefly toward Lily before returning to me. "Who's her father?"

The question was so unexpected. For a moment, I couldn't move.

Adrian's voice echoed in my head. The words I'd heard but never allowed myself to forget. “It's just a game….”

I tightened my fingers around the prescription. "No," I said quietly, forcing a small smile.

"It's just me. I'm her mother and her father."

His expression softened. "All right." He nodded.

I picked up Lily's bag. "Thank you, Doctor."

This time, I didn't wait for another question. I took Lily's hand and walked out.