Hazel's POV
"It is Diane Foster," the nurse said, and my heart lurched between fear and cautious hope as Julian rose carefully, Theodore still sleeping against his chest.
Diane stood waiting in the hallway, the same worn leather folder held loosely at her side, though her expression tonight carried something far gentler than the tension of that first porch light meeting.
"I did not want you hearing this from a headline," she said quietly. "Adrian's aunt has agreed to drop everything. No further threats. No further leaks. Marcus finalized the settlement an hour ago."
Julian's shoulders sagged with visible relief. "Why the change of heart."
"Because Adrian convinced her the family she wanted to punish no longer exists," Diane said. "He told her you chose honesty over hiding. That matter
