her away from the courthouse steps. Her

t again,

oat. She looked around at the reporters gathering by

ting in a ca

s you want the whole city to hea

She stopped at a coffee shop, but I didn't go ins

," I

ke she wanted to spit on me. She looked tired. "Julian has acute myeloid leu

divorce. Before Victoria. Befo

told me,

ould have run." Eleanor shook her head. "He's been doing chemo in secret. But

baby is

analyzed. The genetic markers are a near-perfect match." Eleanor's voice cracked. "

. The cold wind

ld digger. You told Julian I was a mistake. And

ng about you. I see that now. But

ustody because he wants a child. He filed because he need

But if you refuse, you'll be the woman who let her husband die.

about my reputation? I spent three years being in

y. Eleanor called after

-

. He had the flash drive in his hand

said. "The custody case is dismis

said. "Why do you lo

ion. They're claiming that since the baby is a medical match, Julian has a constitutional r

Twice. The words

ey want to force me to h

y're going to leak it to the press. It's going to look like

he threatened me. It doesn't matter that he tried to take my

answer. He d

wearing a plain grey sweater and no makeup

he said. "I heard a

nds to explain why

velope. "Because Julian's

at her.

rland to fake the diagnosis. The same doctor who wrote the letter about your pregnancy.

nd screenshots. "She's right. I'm looking at the payments. Two million

bed the edge of the

dying husband. The dying father. Th

o get you to hand over the company. If you refuse

lian hadn't changed. He was still the same man who handed me a di

he now?"

lding a press conference. He's going to announc

. "Then we need t

-

s already at the podium. He looked pale. He had practiced his sick f

m also asking for compassion. My wife has taken my child and

ed. A reporter sh

out. "Is it true you're refusi

room. The cameras turned to

ng," I said.

oom e

or in Switzerland to fake his diagnosis. There is no leukemia. There is no bo

outing. "That's a

inic. Check the doctor. You'll see the

's lawyer tried to pull him a

were wild. Desperate. And then

ere?" he said. "I have

at him.

still flashing. "A paternity test. The ba

like a punch. I

e was holding. A DNA test. Th

lud