Vincent Laurent gently stroked Evelyn Grandelle's trembling back, his voice warm as a spring breeze. "I believe you. Don't let anger harm your health."

He accepted the bottled water from the nurse and unscrewed the cap. "Here, rinse your mouth."

Evelyn took a sip, spitting blood-tinged water onto a tissue.

Vincent's eyes darkened. After helping her back to the ward, he turned to the nurse. "What happened earlier?"

The nurse lowered her voice. "Chairman Valentine questioned Aunt Evelyn about Sophia's parentage. He said she..."

Before she could finish, Vincent understood. His fingers trembled slightly as he pulled bills from his wallet, but the nurse declined.

"When can Evelyn be discharged?" His voice carried suppressed fury.

"After the doctor's evaluation..."

A week later, Vincent brought Evelyn home to a meticulously prepared villa. Pale lavender curtains fluttered in the breeze, and the walk-in closet brimmed with seasonal new arrivals.

"Try this." He lifted a violet cashmere sweater.

Evelyn traced the soft fabric, tears welling. After twenty-four years, she could finally wear normal clothes again.

Vincent fastened a pearl necklace around her throat and lightly defined her brows. The mirror reflected a woman weathered by time, yet still bearing traces of her former grace.

"Mom!" Sophia's cry sent the book slipping from Evelyn's grasp. She opened her arms, pulling her daughter into a fierce embrace.

"I kept fearing this was a dream..." Evelyn choked out.

Sophia buried her face against Evelyn's neck. "I'll always be here."

In the study, Vincent handed Ethan Sullivan a coffee. "Sophia isn't Theodore Valentine's daughter."

Ethan arched a brow. "Good news."

"She's a test-tube baby. The biological father is unknown."

"She only acknowledges you." Ethan sipped his coffee. "I'll help investigate."

Late that night, Sophia bolted upright after Ethan's explanation. "Really?"

She repeated "Thank God" three times, tears glistening. The relief of sharing no blood with that man lifted an invisible weight.

Overcome, she initiated a kiss, their breaths tangling into one in the darkness. In this moment, every void filled, leaving only primal yearning.

Moonlight through the curtains sketched entwined silhouettes across the floor.