Giselle waved the photo briefly in front of Maddison and Tina before swiftly tucking it away, ensuring they couldn't scrutinize it too closely.
Maddison's eyes remained fixed on the screen. Though the glimpse was fleeting, it was enough for her to catch the details: rows of medical values at the top and a bold diagnosis at the bottom.
It read: Sperm Inactive—Permanently Infertile.
"Permanently... infertile?" Maddison murmured, her voice trembling with disbelief and dread. A chill ran down her spine at the thought that this might be true.
Herbert was Maddison's last hope for continuing the family lineage. Her elder son, who had come out as gay years ago, had adopted Tina, leaving Maddison desperate for a biological heir. Her younger son, Herbert, was the product of a late-in-life IVF at
