She explained how she had come to his parents’ estate. How his mother had refused to let her inside. How his father handed her a check and warned her to disappear.
“He said you didn’t want us. That you laughed at me.”
Nathan felt the floor drop beneath him.
“That’s not true,” he said hoarsely. “They told me you took the money willingly.”
“Did you ever question it?” she asked quietly.
He hadn’t.
“I didn’t know about the twins,” he insisted. “If I had—”
“You chose not to know,” she interrupted. “Do you understand what it’s like raising two babies alone? Working nonstop? Being afraid every day?”
Her words were deserved.
“I’m sorry, Lily. I was wrong.”
“It doesn’t fix the past.”
“No,” he admitted. “But I can choose what happens next.”
The following morning, Nathan called his parents to the hospital.
When Richard and Margaret Reed arrived, composed and elegant, Nathan led them to the play area where the twins sat.
“Look at them,” he said.
The resemblance was undeniable.
Margaret’s hand trembled. “Nathan…”
“They’re your grandchildren.”
Silence fell like a hammer.
“You lied to me,” Nathan said coldly. “You told me she left. You told her I abandoned her.”
“We protected your future,” Richard insisted.