William nodded, his eyes glistening. "I know how it sounds," he said, his voice rough. "That's why I didn't want to say this lightly. I wouldn't dare."
He turned slightly, extending his hand. His secretary immediately placed a thick folder into William's grasp. William held it for a moment, staring at it, then reached out toward Bella.
"Please," he said softly. "Read it."
Bella's hands trembled as she accepted the folder. The weight of it felt wrong, too heavy for paper alone. Her fingers hovered over the cover for a moment, her chest tight, her breathing shallow.
Leo watched her closely.
"Bella," he said quietly, ready to stop this the second she asked.
She swallowed and nodded, barely perceptible. "I… I'm okay."
Slowly, with unsteady fingers, Bella opened the folder.
The pages rustled softly in the quiet room, far too loud in her ears. Her eyes moved across the medical stamps, the official seals, the cold, precise words that did not care about feelings.
DNA report.
