Roman

He turned as I approached, his mouth already twisted into asmirk.

like he'd been waiting for me.

Except. I knew he wasn't.

That bastard always had that crocodile smile upon his face.

His mouth curved lazily. "Well, well. Didn't think I'd see you here.

What happened, Philly get too boring? Or did someone mention sweet

curves and a five-year-old with your eyes?"

"Ryan." I said his name like a curse.

He raised a brow, calm and cocky as ever. "Hello, little brother."

I stepped back when he stepped forward, arms spread wide.

"What? No hug for big bro? I'm hurt."

The hospital lobby around us seemed to blur, the muted shuffle of nurses and ringing phones drowned by the roar in my ears. My fists clenched at my sides. I hadn't seen him in years-not since the funeral.

And now here he was, pretending to be someone else, trying to rip a five-year-old girl from her mother in a hospital waiting room.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I barked, dragging him off to a secluded area.

"I could ask you the same."

"Gerald Potter?" I hissed. "That's the name you chose?"

Ryan shrugged, that same smug tilt of his chin that used to drive me mad as a teenager.

He hadn't changed. Not when Mom died. Not now. Still wearing arrogance like armor, like the world owed him something.

"Needed something clean. Something that wouldn't raise red flags.Besides, Gerald sounds... safe, don't you think?"

"You son of a-"

"Don't cause a scene, Roman. We're in a hospital, remember?" He turned his head just enough for me to catch the glint of a security camera above us. Always calculating. Always watching.

My voice dropped into a deadly whisper. "You have no right to be here. Emily isn't your property to claim, and Alyssa sure as hell doesn't want anything to do with you."

"She doesn't have to want anything," Ryan said coolly. "She carried my child. That gives me rights, Roman. Legal ones. I can make use of Emily when I want to."

My stomach coiled in disgust. "You're fucking sick."

"We both are."

"Out of every prick that had to be her father, it just had to be the worst of all. How did you even get to know Alyssa? I bet you deceived her."

He had that same look he wore at Mom's funeral-smug and

untouched, while I was trying to keep Dad and myself from falling apart.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that? You're supposed to be in Philadelphia, why are you here playing daddy for her?"

"I don't owe you any explanation. Not after you betrayed your own family."

His fingers trembled before he quickly stuffed them into his pockets. "T m here to get my kid. Mind telling me what you're doing in New Hope with my daughter's mother?"

I grabbed him by the collar, itching to disrupt that composure he oozed.

He just grinned.

"And you're supposed to be home with Charlotte. Mind telling me if your wife knows you have a child with another woman?"

Ryan chuckled. "Would it really make a difference? You know how it is-powerful men, messy appetites." He pushed off the wall and stepped closer. "But here's the part you'll love-Alyssa wasn't supposed to keep the baby. She blindsided me with that. Just like she blindsided you with her charm and that big,doe-eyed desperation."

My fists clenched. "You didn't want her then, you shouldn't want her now. Emily should be with her mother."

Ryan's gaze flicked to the tension in my arms. "Touchy. Are we playing hero now? Or just guilty?"

I didn't answer. I didn't need to. The silence said everything.

"Why now?"I finally asked. "Why come back? What's your endgame?"

Ryan arched a brow.

′′Agirl falls in a pool, and suddenly your name's on everyone's lips.Imagine my surprise-my own daughter almost dies and some suit from Philly shows up like he's the fucking father."

"What are you going on about?"

"You didn't think I'd find out? Chloe has a bigger mouth than you'd think."

Of course. Definitely Chloe.

My jaw locked. "I'm not letting you take Alyssa's daughter away from her."

Ryan laughed, dark and dismissive. "Take? Roman, I created her. You think being rich and throwing money at lawyers makes you the better man?"

"No," I said, voice low, lethal. "But it'll make you back the hell off."

For a second, neither of us moved. Then Ryan leaned in, his voice quiet. "You always did love cleaning up my messes. Let's see how well you do this time."

I stepped back, steel replacing my spine. "This isn't over."

Ryan gave a two-finger salute. "Oh, it's just getting started."

He began to walk off.

"Ifyou don't back off. I'll make sure you never see the sky again."

That halted his steps.

"Are you threatening your own brother because of a child you didn't know existed a month ago?"

I tilted my head,"Wanna bet?"

"Is this you playing knight in shining armor, or just tasting what I left behind? You always did love my leftovers."

My jaw tightened. "Keep talking and we'll find out how quickly that neck snaps under pressure."

Ryan's gaze flicked with something unreadable- almost a flinch-but he masked it fast. "You still have a thing for violence, I see."

I took a step closer, lowering my voice to something lethal."Watch your mouth."

Ryan leaned in, eyes sharp. "Or what? You'll go to the police? It's not that simple,bro."

He stabbed a finger in my chest.

"If I go down, we go down together. It does take twoto cover a crime.Rome." His smirk deepened.

"True. But it only takes one to keep a secret, Ryan."

His smirk faltered.

"If you come near Alyssa or Emily again, I won't threaten you. I won't scream. I won't even call the cops. You know I don't bluff, brother."

His nostrils flared as he dug his nails into his palms as usual.

I kept my voice calm and cold. "I'll bury you with the name Gerald Potter. And no one will even remember Ryan Blackwood ever existed."