The storm outside intensified, lashing against Lyndhurst’s windows as if the night itself were pounding to be let in. The wind moaned through the centuries-old beams of the estate, and thunder growled overhead like a beast prowling the dark.
Inside, tension was no less violent.
Mila stood just beyond the threshold, water dripping from her coat, her hands trembling but her eyes steady—fixed on Sasha with a mixture of hope and devastation.
Demetri broke the heavy silence first.
“We’ll do the DNA test tonight.”
His voice carried the authority of a man who wasn’t asking permission—he was announcing a course of fate.
Mila’s throat bobbed. “Tonight?”
“Yes,” Nora answered gently. “No more waiting. No more fear. One way or another, you both deserve the truth.”
Sasha wrapped her arms around
