His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.

“Because your mother told me you wanted nothing to do with us,” I said.

“She showed me the signed divorce papers, Dominic. She said you wanted a clean slate.”

He shook his head, a look of pure confusion crossing his features.

“I never signed any papers to abandon a child,” he said. “I didn’t even know you were pregnant.”

A shadow fell over our table before I could answer.

Dr. Miriam Hale stood there, her tan trench coat dripping wet onto the floor.

She held a thick, yellow manila envelope tightly under her arm.

“He is telling the truth, Elena,” Dr. Hale said, her voice shaking slightly.

Dominic looked at the older physician, his brow furrowing deeply.

“Dr. Hale? What are you doing here?”

She placed the damp envelope on the white tablecloth, right over Lucia’s drawing.

“I came to correct a five-year-old mistake,” Dr. Hale said.

“Your mother paid our clinic to falsify your medical files, Dominic.”

“She made sure you received test results showing Elena could never have children.”

“And then she threatened to destroy my career if I ever told you the truth.”

Dominic reached for the envelope, his fingers trembling slightly as he tore it open.

He pulled out the medical reports, his eyes scanning the forged documents.

The anger in him was a physical force, making the air in the room feel heavy.

“Caterina did this,” he murmured, his voice deadly quiet.

“She tore my family apart.”

I looked at him, feeling the old, familiar ache in my chest.

“It doesn’t change what happened, Dominic,” I said. “We survived five years without you.”

He looked at Lucia, who was now staring at him with curious, wide eyes.

He reached out a hand to touch her cheek, then hesitated, pulling it back.