Chapter 21

Tessa sat in an elegant Michelin-starred restaurant, staring down at a beautifully plated Franco meal she used to love. But now, she had no appetite at all. Clifford sat across from her, watching her nervously. "Tess… don't you like the food? Should we go somewhere else?" "No." She looked at him emotionlessly. "Say what you need to say. After today, we're done for good and will never see each other again." "Done for good?" Those words hit him like a punch to the gut. His eyes welled up with tears, and a low sob slipped from his throat. "Tess… can you just let go of the 20 years of relationship we had?" "What is there left to say, Clifford?" Her voice was cold. "I've already stepped aside for your happy little family of three." "Tess, that child was never mine." His expression conveyed his deep remorse. "I told you before that the only child I'd ever acknowledge is yours…" He stared at her desperately, searching her face for any sign of lingering affection. But her expression was