Chapter 2

Sera blinked, a flicker of surprise in her eyes at my composure.

Damien, however, puffed up, ready for his role.

"The truth is the truth, Marc," he said, his voice dripping with false sincerity.

Before he could continue, Leo, who had been frozen in shock, exploded.

"What are you talking about?" he yelled, his voice cracking with fury. He pushed past me, confronting Sera and Damien.

"He is my father!" Leo pointed at me, his whole body trembling. "Marcus Thorne is my father! The only father I've ever known! He was there for every lesson, every practice, every competition! He believed in me!"

His eyes, so like mine, blazed at Sera. "How dare you? How dare you say this, here, tonight?"

Sera flinched from his anger but quickly recovered her martyr act.

"Leo, darling, I did it for you, for us," she cooed, reaching for him.

Leo recoiled as if burned. "Don't touch me!"

The guests were eating it up, a live drama unfolding before their eyes.

Sera turned back to the crowd, her voice rising in pitch, playing for sympathy and outrage.

"Marc can't have children!" she declared, her voice ringing through the ballroom. "He knows it! He was diagnosed with azoospermia years ago! Complete male sterility!"

A wave of whispers, more pointed now, swept the room. Heads turned towards me, pity, scorn, amusement in their eyes.

"I saved him!" Sera cried, gesturing dramatically. "I saved him from the shame, the emptiness! I ensured we could have a child, our beautiful Leo, even if it meant... this deception. It was a sacrifice!"

The Vanderbilts nodded vigorously, some dabbing at their eyes.

"She's so brave," one of them stage-whispered, loud enough for many to hear.

"Such a heavy burden to carry," another added.

I watched them, a faint smile playing on my lips, which probably looked like a grimace of pain to most.

Leo was still defending me, his voice hoarse. "He's the best father anyone could ask for! This is a lie! A disgusting lie!"

Sera ignored him, focusing on her audience.

"You think I would make such a claim without proof?" she asked, her voice triumphant.

She looked directly at me, a sneer replacing her sorrowful mask.

"I had a DNA test done weeks ago. Leo's hair, Damien's sample. The results are being delivered by a private courier right now. Any minute, they will arrive, and everyone will know the truth!"

She smiled, a predator' s smile. "Then we'll see who's lying, Marc."

The anticipation in the room was a palpable thing. All eyes were on the entrance.