Chapter 76

• The morning sunlight streamed softly through the Sterling estate’s tall windows, painting the floor in warm gold. Danielle stirred on the couch in Theo’s room where she had dozed off. The little boy was still asleep, curled up with one hand clutching his blanket and the other resting loosely on his stuffed fox. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, the kind of peaceful innocence that tugged at Danielle’s heart every time she looked at him.
• She exhaled a quiet breath, brushing a lock of hair from her face. The events of the last two days still weighed heavily on her—Alexander’s confession, the shocking discovery that Theo was her child, the flood of betrayal and aching relief she could barely name. Yet, somehow, sitting here beside Theo gave her strength she didn’t know she had.
• The sound of the door opening made her tense, but she relaxed when Alexander’s tall frame appeared. He was dressed in a crisp shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, his hair slightly tousled as if he had been up half the night. His eyes softened when they landed on her.