Chapter 8 - THE NIGHT MATTEO LEARNED THE TRUTH
The paternity results arrived in early spring.
Isabella's child was not Matteo's.
The independent test established that the biological father was Adrian Voss.
Matteo stared at the report.
For several seconds, he felt nothing.
Then anger.
Then shame.
He had destroyed his marriage for a woman who had lied about the pregnancy.
But the lie didn't excuse him.
He had still betrayed Natalie.
He had still humiliated her.
He had still chosen to believe what was convenient.
He called Isabella.
She answered immediately.
“Matteo?”
“I received the results.”
Silence.
Then she whispered, “I can explain.”
He closed his eyes.
“No.”
“Matteo—”
“The child deserves honesty.”
She began crying.
He continued.
“And so does Adrian.”
He ended the call.
Then sat alone in his office.
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For the first time, he understood that discovering Isabella's lie did not make him innocent.
It only removed the last excuse he'd been hiding behind.
