The lawyer stepped closer to the bed where Arthur sat, his expression still worn down by the hospitalization. With a respectful gesture, he extended the brown envelope toward him.

“Everything is here, Dr. Arthur. Everything was handled exactly as requested,” he said, his gaze steady and professional.

Arthur took the envelope in silence. A dense tension filled the room, the sound of tearing paper feeling far too loud. He removed each document slowly, his eyes scanning the words, the figures, the names. First, the ultrasound. Then the beta-hCG report. Finally, the DNA test.

Arthur’s eyes stopped on the result.

“Compatible. A 99.99% probability,” he murmured — barely above a whisper, yet everyone heard it.

“There was no objection on her part. That confirmed she was telling the truth and that the child is yours. Everything was done within the law, as your father requested. She already has copies of these exams. What happens now is entirely up to you,” the lawyer explained.

Otto sprang up