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Chapter 39. Father's Secrets

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T H I R D

The room fell into an uneasy silence.

Nova's breathing came in uneven, shaky bursts as she sat frozen at the metal table. Her hands remained clenched so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.

Everything Ricardo had told her replayed over and over inside her head.

Her parents.

Her mother.

The night they met.

The promise he'd made before she had ever been born.

None of it fit with the story she'd believed her entire life.

Questions piled on top of one another so quickly that she couldn't even decide which one to ask first.

Why hadn't he come for her?

Why had he let her disappear into foster care?

Why had everyone lied?

Why—

The sudden eruption of shouting outside shattered the silence.

"...She's in there!"

"I don't care what your orders are!"

Heavy boots thundered down the hallway outside the visiting room.

Several guards barked commands over one another.

"Sir, stop!"

"You cannot go in there!"

A loud shove echoed through the corridor.

Then another.

Metal scraped against concrete.

The visiting-room door flew open with enough force to slam against the wall.

Christian stormed inside first.

Ronaldo was only a step behind him.

Both of their faces were twisted with panic and anger.

The guards instinctively reached for them, preparing to intervene.

Ricardo simply lifted one restrained hand.

"It's fine."

The room quieted immediately.

Though hesitant, the guards slowly backed away, remaining close enough to intervene if necessary.

Christian's eyes landed on Nova.

For the briefest second, relief softened his expression.

She was alive.

She was standing.

She was okay.

Then that relief vanished just as quickly, replaced by fury.

He crossed the room in three long strides.

"Do you have any idea where the fuck we've been looking for you?"

Before Nova could answer, his hand wrapped firmly around her forearm.

Not hard enough to hurt.

Just enough to stop her from walking away.

Nova instantly jerked against his grip.

"I didn't need your fucking permission to come here!"

"You disappeared!"

"I came here because none of you would tell me the truth!"

She yanked one arm free and pointed directly toward Ricardo.

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