with an uncontrollable twitch. His clenched fist, resting on the table, was white-knuckled, the bones pressing hard

against the wood. “What did you just say?”

Nathan, too consumed by his own nerves to notice the storm brewing in Damon, repeated his question hastily: “I

said, could Anya possibly be your daughter with Yulia?”

He couldn’t finish his sentence before a solid punch collided with his face. His nose felt like it was about to shatter.

“Damn it.” Nathan clutched his throbbing nose, bending over and tears streamed down his face. It wasn’t the pain

that made him cry. It was totally sheer reflex.

Damon had no sympathy for him, stepping closer as Nathan stumbled back, pleading. “Hold on, hold on, man, this

really sucks.”

Anya, perched on the table, blinked her wide eyes, not quite grasping the situation. She’d assumed they were just

messing around.d1

As she turned to follow Nathan’s retreat, confusion clouded her gaze. When she saw the blood trickling between

Nathan’s fingers, she let out a startled yelp. “Don’t be mean to Nathan.”

Anya scrambled to her feet, flailing her little arms, jumping anxiously on the table.

Nathan, noticing the blood gushing from his nose and Damon still fuming, backed away, looking for an escape. “I

was just asking. Just tell me yes or no. Even if she is your daughter, I wouldn’t tell Chloe, man.”

Damon’s face went from dark to downright thunderous.

Nathan sighed desperately, nearly in tears as Damon closed in on him.

“We’re blood, man. If I keep mum and you keep mum, and Yulia keeps mum, Chloe will never have to know. We’re

family here, right? What’s yours

tight, took a step forward, and grabbed Nathan

gut.

yours…” He paused, his entire body tensed, his

associating him with Yulia sent him into a

could he picture his woman with

messed up,

ounce of Damon’s willpower to suppress the fury inside. He raised his eyes, and those

shivers down

tell me, does Anya really look like you? I’m just being

of your wild days?”

brain-dead? She looks like me? Have you

dad, duh.” Nathan blurted out, then took a deep breath. “You’re not suggesting that Anya’s

sound of Damon’s teeth grinding

crawled. “Can I… can I go clean up this bloody mess?” He figured

it out

him a cold

grasped Damon’s wrist and nudged it aside. “You don’t want the blood to

those pristine hands.”

smell, man. You don’t want Chloe to

you?”

a nerve. Damon abruptly let go, and Nathan

on the table, watching Nathan run with his bloody nose until

left alone in the study. Damon also turned around, his piercing

meeting Anya’s wide-eyed look.

shivered, blinked back tears, but they swelled over the brim. Without

toward her, Anya burst into

a child’s sudden crying had an

and Chloe were chatting when Anya’s cries

upstairs.

stay here. I’ll check

was already on the move, reaching the staircase

though worried, didn’t heed Yulia’s advice and followed. Yulia slowed to assist her, wary of Chloe’s

belly.

Anya’s

in unison, pausing. Chloe’s eyes widened in surprise to see

other wiping away her tears with an awkward tenderness. She

a child, and with

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