I didn't flinch. Didn't struggle. I craned my neck and met his glare head-on.
"I'm insane? Adrian, don't you know in your heart what filthy things you've done?"
His grip loosened. A flicker of panic entered his eyes.
In the brittle silence, my phone dinged.
The expedited paternity test results.
I glanced at the screen. The data confirmed everything.
The rage I'd been choking down erupted. I grabbed the heavy ceramic teacup from the nightstand and smashed it against his forehead.
*CRASH.*
"Adrian Vance, you *bastard*! How could you deceive me like this?"
Blood trickled down his brow, stark crimson against pale skin.
He stumbled back, hand pressed to the wound. Three long seconds passed.
Then something shifted in his expression. The mask slipped away. An eerie calm settled over his features.
"Hailey... so you know."
He frowned, his voice dropping to something cold and transactional.
"I admit I deceived you. But for the past two years, my care was real."
"Precisely because I wronged you, I tried my best to be a good husband. I gave you resources. I made sure your stepmother didn't dare look down on you. Isn't that more tangible than useless romance?"