#Chapter 24: One Man’s Despair

Alexander's POV I stared at the letter for what felt like hours, though I knew it had only been minutes. The paper was stiff in my hands, the bold text glaring back at me: DNA test results: Owen is biologically related to Sophia. It didn’t make sense. Yet it did. This was the truth I’d always known. Me, Sophia, Owen. A family. Maybe I’d just been hoping for a different ending. I ran my hand through my hair, the motion more forceful than I meant. The paper crinkled in my grip. What kind of father, partner, man did that make me? I slammed the letter down on my desk. The sharp sound echoed in the silence. I couldn’t sit still. My thoughts were a broken record, chaotic and endless. I stood, pacing across the room, my hands shaking at my sides. A dull ache settled deep in my chest, replacing my rage. I ran my fingers over my face, trying to process it all. Owen. My son. I could still hear his laughter, see his eyes light up when he looked at me. He was my son. Mine. But S