And I, like a fool, had laughed it off and teased him for being more sensitive than I was.
Those hadn't been precautions. They'd been previews.
My nails dug into my palms. The pain barely registered.
I couldn't look away. I forced myself to watch.
Herman frowned.
"Don't use our son as an excuse to come to me asking for a title. I told you—Daniela Gill is the only woman I will ever marry. Whatever I felt for you is long gone."
Janet's downcast eyes reddened almost instantly.
"That's not what I meant. You know I'm terminally ill. I just want to make sure my son has somewhere to go before I die. I don't want him to lose his mother and then be rejected by his father too."
The moment the words left her mouth, Herman's expression softened.
"Focus on your treatment. No matter what happens, he's my son. I'll take care of him."
Janet shifted closer, pressing her forehead against his shoulder, her body trembling.
"But you're about to get married. I'm so afraid he'll be..."
Herman—who always kept his distance from other women—didn't push her away.
He looked resigned.