جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 110

YULIAI had spent most of the morning curled beneath my blankets, staring at the same spot on the wall as if it could somehow give me an answer. My room was quiet except for the occasional sound of movement downstairs, but I had no desire to leave my bed. A soft knock sounded against my bedroom door before it opened.Adeline stepped inside and halted when she saw me. She marched toward my bed and placed her hands on her hips.“Girl, get up. You're not going to let Kendrick be the reason you lose your spark.”I managed a weak laugh that disappeared almost instantly. “It hurts so much, Adeline.”She sat beside me and studied my face. “I get it.”“No, you don't.” My voice wavered. “I don't even know what I'm supposed to feel anymore. One minute I thought we were finally going to have a future together, and the next I'm standing there listening to his mother announce that he's having a baby with someone else.”Adeline sighed and glanced around the room. Her eyes landed on the tray of f

KENDRICKMy project manager was still talking, but I had stopped hearing him several minutes ago.My eyes remained fixed on the documents spread across my desk, though I hadn't absorbed a single word on the page. Numbers, timelines, deliverables, projections—they all blurred together. Normally, I could spend hours dissecting a project down to its smallest detail, but today my mind refused to cooperate.Yulia.Her name had lived in my head for days.I had lost count of how many times I'd called her. Forty? Fifty? Maybe more. Every call ended the same way, straight to voicemail, and every message remained unanswered. I had tried giving her space, convincing myself that she needed time to process everything, but the silence was slowly driving me insane.“Sir!”I blinked and glanced up.My project manager shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I'm sorry for shouting, but you weren't listening.”I dragged a hand down my face before loosening my tie. “You're right. I'm sorry.”He cleared

KENDRICKThe envelope had been sitting on my desk for more than twenty minutes, and I still hadn't opened it.I stared at it as though it had personally offended me.The Cromwell Hospital logo was stamped across the front of the envelope; beneath it were my name and the reference number for the DNA test. Everything about it looked painfully official. There was no room for interpretation, no room for excuses, and certainly no room for the kind of miracle I had been hoping for.I finally reached for it.My fingers felt heavier than they should have as I tore the envelope open and pulled out the report.I scanned the first few lines. Then I saw it.Probability of Paternity: 99.99%.I stopped breathing for a second.I slouched back slowly in my chair, the report still between my fingers.Positive.I was the father.For weeks now, I'd told myself I was prepared for this.Seems I was a liar.A part of me had been praying for the opposite result. I'd imagined opening this report and seeing

KENDRICKI was getting ready for work when someone knocked on my bedroom door.“Come in,” I called out, thinking it was one of my staff, but it was my mother.My brows furrowed. “Mom, what are you doing here?”She carried a tablet. “The wedding planner needs your approval on the final arrangements.”She had pushed the wedding to another two weeks because she claimed she wanted everything perfect.“Mom, you brought the idea. You can go ahead and do it.”She placed the tablet beside her, glaring at me. “But you're the groom.”I gave her a flat look.“You're getting married in thirteen days, Kendrick.”“I know.”“You don't seem particularly thrilled.”“Should I be?”“Yes!”“Please, mother.” I laughed bitterly. “You knew I didn’t want this.”“You should.” She got up to leave. “I’m going to see the wedding planner with Britney now.”She kissed my cheek and turned to leave.“You've heard from Yulia?” I asked.“No, son.”I exhaled, strapping my watch. “Alright.”She gave me a pitying look. “

YULIAA MONTH LATER . . .“You're going to be late.”I lifted my eyes from the documents spread across the dining table. Daria stood across from me, eating an apple.“I'm not going to be late. I have another hour,” I murmured, winking at her.She narrowed her eyes. “You said that last week Friday.”“And I still stand by it,” I insisted.“Hmm.” She tapped her temple in thought.I slowly closed the file in front of me and cackled. “You're a strange child.”Daria gasped dramatically. “Mama!”From somewhere in the kitchen, my mother's voice floated toward us. “What happened?”“Yulia called me strange.”“I said she was a strange child,” I corrected.“That is worse!”I couldn't help laughing.Right then, my phone buzzed on the table. I glanced down and smiled.Adeline.Adeline's face appeared on my screen as soon as I tapped on the green button.“Oh, look who's alive.”I chuckled. “Nice to see you too.”“You haven't called me in three days.”“I have a job.”“And I have feelings.”“You're so