Chapter 86

• Determination coursed through Damien as he left behind the closed door that had kept him from understanding the truth about Charlotte’s life. He felt a storm brewing inside him, propelling him forward, chasing the mystery that hovered like a specter in the shadow of their past. The unanswered questions gnawed at him, each one compounded with a complexity that threatened to overwhelm him. Why had Charlotte kept her child hidden? What had driven her to this point of secrecy? And most pressing of all, who was the father?
• He had to know. There was no turning back.
• As he walked through the dimly lit streets, his mind raced with possibilities. Images of Jake and Charlotte surfaced unbidden—a moment shared over coffee or laughter that seemed harmless enough at the time. But now, every memory flickered with doubt. Could Jake be the father? It felt like a dagger to his heart, and yet, he couldn’t help but wonder if that connection was simply platonic. Regardless, the thought of it twisted his stomach into knots. He had to put the pieces together.