Chapter 28

After handling an urgent military task, Julian hurried back to his townhouse, still clinging to a faint, unrealistic hope. Maybe with the baby as a bond between them, Trina would slowly soften. Maybe there was still a chance for them. He pushed open the door and was met with a deep, hollow silence. It felt emptier than the last time she had left. All of her personal belongings had vanished without a trace. Only a velvet box and a folded piece of paper sat alone on the living room coffee table. Julian's heart sank instantly, a crushing sense of dread seizing him without warning. His hands trembled as he picked up the paper. It was a termination-of-pregnancy procedure record from a private clinic, and the date printed on it was unmistakable—it was that very day. In the section for the procedure's reason, cold, clinical letters stated that the patient firmly requested termination of the pregnancy. The words on the page hit Julian like a physical blow, and his vision blurred. His mi