Chapter 7
“Shut your mouth before I purchase your entire company just to fire you,” Gavin snapped coldly.
One of his attorneys stepped forward without a word and dropped a heavy leather folder onto the table.
The shining gold lettering on the front cover read clearly:
SERENA ROCHESTER — DNA VERIFICATION: MATCH 99.9%.
Patrick stumbled backward as if he had been pushed.
He looked at me, then at Gavin, and finally down at the official documents resting on the wood.
“Oh my God,” he whispered as his face lost all color.
CHAPTER 6
09/10/2026
Gavin ignored his reaction completely. He carefully lowered his heavy frame down onto one knee beside my chair, balancing his weight on his cane.
I was completely unable to move or speak. My mind was completely overwhelmed by the divorce verdict, the terrifying fear of homelessness, and the unbelievable appearance of this powerful stranger claiming to be my real father.
He did not attempt to embrace me right away.
He clearly understood how traumatized people react to sudden touch.
His large, scarred hand hovered a few inches above my belly without touching my dress.
“I spent twenty-four long years searching for the criminals who took you away from your mother,” he said in a low voice, his eyes glistening with emotional tears. “I spent billions of dollars searching through every dark corner of the world. I am so sorry I am late, my little bird. But I am here now, and I swear on my life that no one will ever touch you again.”
A broken sob finally escaped from my tight throat.
Gavin stood up smoothly and gestured to his team. Two professional female security guards came forward and gently assisted me up from the chair, supporting my weight as we walked slowly down the aisle.
Patrick and Chloe remained standing completely frozen in the middle of the room, surrounded by the ruins of their short-lived victory.
Outside the grand stone building, a fleet of jet-black armored SUVs waited right at the curb. I was helped into the luxurious interior of a custom vehicle.
As the heavy door began to slide shut, I looked through the dark glass.
Patrick was standing on the wide marble steps, typing furiously on his mobile phone with a panicked look on his face. That frantic expression was already morphing into something else entirely. I recognized that look instantly. It was pure greed and desperate calculation.