r Tr

le hated

uncertainty. And uncertainty,

r, the city lights reflecting faintly against the glass. Below him, traffic mo

been flagged years

el cleared his throat. "It was categorized as

Adrian replied. "Explai

looking into it. The hospital has archived most

tightened.

s,

desk, where the surrogacy file lay open.

a M

aris

. Not the childhood friend who'd agreed-practically insisted-on car

s someo

ges methodically. Consent for

ng else

e em

hear

ded comp

ngers

woman had b

hing unfamiliar. Not panic. So

of co

*

d the shift

k. A quiet HR email asking her to confirm her employment history. A compl

was alarmin

ke pressure building

ing wrong. She worked hard. She followed r

e curled in

er supervisor sto

junior admin staff files," she

s paused over

" she

andard p

ng calm into her p

or smiled an

hake the chill that

he dreamed of

The clipboard. Th

d down at the signature l

h a gasp, he

whispered sleep

t beside her children. She brushed Elena's hair back gentl

long after they f

at across from the hospi

an he remembered from the file. He

e was no confusion?"

ystem back then. Names, file num

an repeated. "Wha

flicker

" she admitted. "A delay

ard slightly. "Did

ence st

ember," she

answer," Adrian

two Moores scheduled that morning," she

blood w

the nurse continued. "One was flagged for sur

hem up," Adr

dn't know. I swear. By the time we realized somethin

after?" Ad

d. "By then... i

an s

e said, alread

im, panic rising in her voice. "I lo

aused at

en begun to," h

d began to

different elevators. Left work precisel

dn't n

up her desk, her phone buzzed wi

gnore

ang

third

ckled alon

answ

male voice said. "

oom t

Lina

u in person," he continued

eath c

rstand," she

lied. "Tomorrow. M

ne wen

phone long after th

call and sat ba

n had come fast

es. Birth certificates obtained

chil

ple

date the surrogacy

his eyes

exi

ldren e

ised by a woman who ha

rs, Adrian Hale didn't kn

knew on

done

't sleep

morized her children's faces like she mi

rning, she stood outsid

The same man who had caught her arm wee

he k

epped

ehind his desk, hi

aid quietly. "Tha

ed hard. "Wh

a folder acr

"three years ago,

shook as sh

aw he

sign

he had never be