"No."
Amelia's voice echoed through the room.
Weak.
Broken.
Disbelieving.
"No."
The word came again.
Because it was the only thing her mind could produce.
The only defense she had against the impossible.
Daniel Hart wasn't Jethro's biological father.
The statement refused to make sense.
Refused to fit into reality.
For six years, Daniel had been Jethro's father.
He had carried him.
Fed him.
Protected him.
Loved him.
Nothing could change that.
Nothing.
Yet Ethan's expression remained painfully serious.
No smugness.
No manipulation.
No victory.
Only regret.
And somehow that frightened Amelia more.
"You are lying."
Her voice trembled.
"You have lied from the beginning."
Ethan nodded slowly.
"Yes."
A pause.
"I have."
The admission stunned everyone.
Then he cont
