Page 64 of Unfaithful

He stood as I entered.

"Leo Young?" I asked, extending my hand.

"Yes," he said, offering a small smile as he shook my hand. "Sorry for showing up unannounced. I wasn't sure you'd agree to meet me if I called first."

"Take a seat," I said, lowering myself into the chair across from him. "What can I do for you?"

Leo exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck, his sudden nervousness setting me on edge.

"This is... awkward," he admitted. "But I think it's something you need to know."

I arched a brow. "About?"

He hesitated for only a second before saying, "There's a real possibility that your child is biologically mine."

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Cole

I stared at the guy for a moment, blinking slowly as his words sank in.

Then, suddenly, I shot to my feet, my chair scraping harshly against the floor.

"What? What the fuck are you talking about?!" I thundered.

Leo seemed startled. He looked up, his hands shooting forward as if to block himself from my wrath.

"Elsa..." he said carefully. "She was my girlfriend. She cheated on me—with you."

My jaw tightened, fists curling at my sides as I waited for him to go on.

"Then she left me," he continued quickly. "Said she was pregnant and the baby wasn't mine. But I swear to you, I was fucking certain that it was. I told her that. Then, out of nowhere, she came back, shoving a paternity test in my face, proving it was yours." He spoke with bitterness. "She told me about you all the time. How obsessed she was. How she kept trying to seduce you, but you never gave in. Until that night at the party."

I shot him a sharp look, startled.

He let out a hollow laugh. "Yeah. She told me everything. That's Elsa. Nothing but an empty shell, no heart inside her."

"I don't know who the fuck you are," I ground out. "So why the hell should I believe you?"

His expression remained composed. "Trust me, I'm not asking you for anything." He let out a sharp exhale. "She played both of us, Mr. Sterling. Slept with me and you at the same time. So there's a chance the child is mine. And if she is, then I want my daughter."

A shiver traced its way down my spine, cold as the whisper of a storm on the horizon. My pulse stuttered, a fleeting hesitation before it raced forward, wildly sporadic. I felt my head spinning.

No.

I fought against it, unwilling to accept his words.

Yet they seeped in, settling deep, no matter how much I resisted. My fingers curled, nails biting into my palms, but even the sting couldn't ground me. Because if he was right... then—fuck. I couldn't even let myself finish the thought.

I forced myself to speak. "If she already showed the DNA test, why are you here?"

"About a week ago, I ran into Elsa by accident. She was with the baby and her nanny." He paused, locking his gaze on mine. "I got a good look at her, Mr. Sterling. Even though she was only a month old, I could see it. She's mine. She has my features."

My eyes scanned his face, searching for any resemblance. But I couldn't see it. Or maybe... I just didn't want to.

"Because of that, I got curious," he went on. "So I dug a little deeper. I have people who could help, and I did some research on you." His lips pressed into a thin line. "That's when I found out you were petitioning for custody. And so, here I am."

"How did you get in here? Into my office?" I asked, my jaw tightening. Who the fuck let him in?

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