Chapter 3

3.

As Anya and I reached the ground floor, two figures blocked our path in the main lobby.

Damian stood there, his suit jacket slung casually over his arm. Claire followed a step behind, a shadow at his heel. They stood between us and the revolving doors, backed by the darkening sky and the first glittering lights of Wall Street.

"Evelyn, you have two options," Damian's voice was like ice. "One, that child comes with me for a paternity test. Until the results are in, neither of you are going anywhere."

"Two, I have no problem using Sterling's legal and financial resources to make you and your little startup… disappear from this industry for good."

Claire stepped slightly forward, her voice a soft, venomous whisper.

"Evelyn, this will destroy your financing," she purred, her gaze falling with fake pity on Anya, who I kept protectively behind me. "This world is very small. I will make sure every venture capital firm, every potential client, knows exactly what a… disgraceful past the CTO of Abyssal Blue has. I’ll even hint at business fraud."

She paused, watching my face for a reaction, her voice dropping lower. "I will make it impossible for you to get a loan or land a single contract. How will you keep your company afloat? Don't gamble your team's future on your pride."

SLAP―!

The sharp, echoing crack of my hand across her face cut her off mid-threat.

I had put every ounce of my strength into it, and my palm stung from the impact.

The blow sent Claire stumbling sideways, a few strands of her perfectly styled hair falling messily across her cheek. She clutched her face, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Evelyn!"

Damian roared, instantly jumping in front of Claire to shield her. He grabbed my wrist, his fingers like a steel vise, squeezing so hard I thought the bones would shatter.

He didn't hit me or push me, but the raw disgust in his cold blue eyes was more violent than any physical blow.

"Evelyn," he growled, his voice a low, animalistic threat. "Don't you dare touch her again."

There it was again. Always, without hesitation, he chose to protect Claire. In his world, she was the fragile victim, and I was the aggressive, unpredictable problem.

"Hey!" Like an enraged panther cub, Anya shot out from behind me, her small fist aimed straight for Damian. "Asshole! Let go of my mom!"

"Anya, come back!"

His grip loosened for a split second, and I immediately pulled her back into my arms, shielding her with my body. I could feel her small frame trembling with rage.

I looked up, over Damian's shoulder, at the face that was once so familiar and now so alien.

"Damian," I began, my voice hoarse but crystal clear. "You know the truth about your medical condition better than anyone. Why are you playing this pathetic, self-deceiving game and dragging my child into it?"

His eyes flickered, his jaw tightening, but he didn't immediately deny it.

I slowly straightened up, still holding Anya's hand.

"You want a DNA test?" I met his scrutinizing gaze, my voice so calm it felt foreign even to me. "Fine. Tomorrow morning. Nine o'clock. See you at the main entrance of the downtown Mount Sinai genetics lab."

Without waiting to see the complex emotions flash across his face, I scooped Anya into my arms, turned my back on him, and walked step by step out of that suffocating lobby.

As I pushed open the heavy brass doors, the biting cold of the New York night air hit me like a punch.

Once in the car, I pulled a disposable burner phone from my canvas bag in the passenger seat.

"It's me."

"That information I asked you to find―if it's ready, send it to my encrypted email. Fast."