Lily’s face lit up through her tears. “Daddy!” she cried, reaching for him. “Daddy,
hold me!”
Julian’s eyes brightened, and he foolishly opened his own arms. “1. sweetie. Come to Daddy.”
A low, humorless chuckle cut through the air.
Light
“I’ve never seen a man so eager to be a stepfather,” Adrian said, his voice smoo-
th and dangerous.
Julian’s head snapped toward him. “Who the hell are you?”
Adrian didn’t flinch. If anything, his presence seemed to grow, radiating a quiet,
unshakeable authority. “I’m Adrian Hale. Her legal husband,” he said, nodding
toward me, “and Lily’s biological father.”
The words “legal husband” and “biological father” struck Julian like a physical
blow. He looked Adrian up and down, taking in the bespoke suit, the confident
stance, desperately searching for a weakness.
Finding none, he resorted to bluster. “Selling a good story, are you? You’d better
be smart and give me my daughter back before my family’s lawyers bury you!”
Adrian simply smiled. “Is that so? Then I welcome you to try. We’ll see you in
court.”
