I never went to the clinic. I'd done the math. Even if I raised this child on my own, I could give them a good life.

Hudson Dickerson had been working fast. All the necessary documents were ready to go.

Any new evidence I found, I'd send his way immediately.

On top of that, I hired a private investigator to dig into Darrell and Naomi's history. Thoroughly.

What came back surprised me.

Naomi hadn't come back alone. She'd brought a six-year-old child with her.

The timeline made me think. They'd broken up seven years ago. Maybe it was that one-year gap that convinced Darrell the child was his.

Which meant his will almost certainly had something to do with that kid.

But Darrell and I were the legally married couple. Even if Naomi's child turned out to be his, the kid would only be considered illegitimate.

I messaged Hudson right away to fill him in.

His reply came quickly: An illegitimate child still has inheritance rights. If Darrell has a will on top of that, the odds tip in their favor.

The situation was looking grim for me. But until the final card was played, anything was still possible.