Adrian couldn't hear the traffic outside.
He couldn't hear the conversations in the NovaGene lobby.
He barely heard his own breathing.
His eyes remained fixed on the elderly man standing before Evelyn.
"My granddaughter."
The words echoed through his mind again and again.
Granddaughter.
He looked from the old man to Evelyn, waiting for someone to laugh and admit it was a misunderstanding.
Nobody did.
Evelyn stood perfectly still. For the first time since he had seen her sitting at the head of NovaGene's boardroom, genuine emotion crossed her face.
Confusion.
Then disbelief.
Then something softer.
The old man stepped closer.
His silver hair was neatly combed, his dark suit impeccably tailored. Though he appeared well into his seventies, there was strength in the way he carried
