The silence in Dario’s office after Isabella left felt heavier than any boardroom negotiation I had endured. The ultrasound image still sat on the desk like an unwelcome guest, its grainy details mocking the fragile peace we had built. I stared at it, my mind spinning through timelines, trying to reconcile the woman who had just stood in front of us with the life Dario and I had been creating together.
Dario rose from his chair and came around the desk again, this time pulling me into a full embrace. His arms were steady, his heartbeat strong against my ear, but I could feel the tension coiled in his shoulders. “Asha,” he said quietly, “I know this looks bad. But I swear to you, the timeline she’s claiming is wrong. We ended things more than a year ago. There was no contact after that. Th
