Chapter 52
Alexander
She was still asleep. The soft rise and fall of her breathing were the only sound in our bedroom, her body curled under the linen sheets like a painting. Peaceful. Untouched by the darkness that stained my name.
I stood by the window, shirt half-buttoned, phone pressed to my ear. Aiden’s voice was low, tense. “We confirmed the match.”
My jaw flexed. “You’re sure?”
“We have facial recognition, DNA links, and financial records. The man who signed the orphanage handover papers as next of kin? Evelyn’s biological father. Name: Anthony Ward.”
The name made bile rise in my throat.
“He was paid,” Aiden continued, voice clipped. “Twice. Once before dropping her off, and again a few months later by the ‘family’ who took her. It wasn’t just abandonment, Alex. It was a sale.”
I stared out the window, the city below sparkling like it had no idea how ugly the world really was. “I’m handling this one myself,” I said.
“Alex—”
“I said. I’m handling it.”
I ended the call and slipped the phone into my pocket. For a moment, I just stood there, watching the Sunday midday sun paint golden light across her skin. My pregnant lover. My Evelyn. My everything. She had no idea the monsters I’d already buried for her.
But this one?
This was family. This one needed to suffer.