JULIANSPOV DidIjusthearherright,orweremyearsdeceivingme?Mymindstruggledtoprocessherwords asiftheywereforeignsoundsbouncingaroundinmyskull.
YOssay?Iasked,myvoiceuncertain What…what didyoujustsay?Iasked,myvoiceuncertain,almostshaky.Ineededtobesure,becausesurely,Icouldnthaveheardhercorrectly.
Fromtheotherendofthephone,Icouldhearhersoftsobs.Shewascrying.Notjustsnifflingortearingup,butgenuinelycrying.Thiswasserious.MyheartclenchedasIimaginedhersittingthere,tearsstreamingdownherface.
Liv,breathe.Calmdownforamoment,Isaidgently,tryingtosteadymyownracingheart.Takeaminute,thentellmewhatsgoingon.Whatdoyoumeanyoureadopted?Myvoicewaslow,concerned,andurginghertoexplain.
Shetookinashakybreath,thenanother,clearlytryingtocomposeherself.Icouldhearthesoundofherswallowingdownhersobs.
RememberwhenItoldyouIfoundsomethingatAdriansplace?AndIsaidIwasgoingtotellyouaboutit?shefinallymanagedtosay,hervoicestilltrembling.
Yes,Irepliedimmediately,mymindflashingbacktothatmoment.Shehadseemed.disturbed,butIneverimagineditwassomethingthisbig.
Well…Shepaused,andIcouldtellshewasgatheringhercourage.AfterIfoundoutwhatIdid,IwentovertoconfrontthemmysocalledparentsandwhileIwas there,Ioverheardthemtalking.ThatswhenIheardthemsayit.ThatIwasadopted.Hervoicecrackedslightlyattheend.AndwhentheyrealizedIhadoverheardthem,theyconfirmedit.They didntevendenyit.
Damn.Ifeltlikethefloorhaddroppedoutbeneathme.Mykneesbuckled,andIhadtositdown,runningahandthroughmyhairinfrustrationanddisbelief.Justearliertoday,Ihadbeenfeelinggoodhopeful,nowthatwegotoneofthem,Andnowthis?Mychesttightenedwithsympathyforher.

Thatmustbealottotakein…Imsosorry,Liv.Really,Iam,Isaidsoftly,myheartachingforher.
Theresnoneedforyoutoapologize,sherespondedquickly,hervoicetightwithpainandatraceofbitterness.Itsnotlikeyouweretheonewholiedtomealltheseyears.
Herwordsstung,notbecausetheyweredirectedatme,butbecauseoftherawhurtinhertone.IwishedtherewasmoreIcoulddotocomforther.
Doyouwantmetocomeover?Successfullyunlocked!>properly,Ioffered,hopingshedletme bethereforherinperson.
Butshequicklydeclined.No,Imatthehospitalrightnow,andAdriansherewithme .Ireallydontwanttocreateanotherscene,shereplied,hervoicesoundingexhausted.
1/3 CHAPTER074 Myconcernonlydeepened.Hospital?Wait,whyareyouatthe hospital?Iasked,mypulsequickening.
Shesighedheavily,andIcouldhearthe weightofherguiltinthatbreath.I…ImighthavesaidsomethingsIshouldnthavetoldmydad.Hegotworkedup,andhehadaheartattack,sheconfessedquietly.
Ouch.Eventhough,technically,hewasntherbiologicalfather,thenewsstillhitmehard.ItwascomplicatedpainfulandmessyinwaysIcouldhardlyimagine.Mymind.racedwithquestions,butallIcaredaboutatthatmomentwasher.
Liv…Ibegan,myvoicesoft,butthewordscaughtinmythroat.HowcouldIevenbegintomakethisbetterforher? Itsnotyourfault,hekeptsomethinglikethatfromyoualltheseyears,itsonlynaturaltoreactthatway,Irepliedtoher.
Silence ShedidntreplytowhatIsaid,IhopeIdidntsayanythingwrong.

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Dontstressyourselftoomuch,okay?Allofthis…itsnotgoodforyourightnow,1added,myvoicefullofconcern.Icouldstillhearhersobbingquietlyontheotherend,andittoreatme.Iwishedmorethan anythingthatIcouldbetherebesideher,tocomforther,totakesomeoftheweightoffhershoulders.
Imfine,she replied,thoughhervoicebetrayedherwords.Shewastryingtosoundstrong,tryingtoholdherselftogether.Icouldtellshewasfightingtokeepherselffromcryingevenharder.Dontworryaboutme.Imgood,sheadded,butIwasnt convinced.
Please,Liv…reallytrytobefine.Notjustforyourownsake,butalsoforyourbaby,Iremindedhergently.Itwasntjustheranymore Alright,Iwill,shepromisedsoftly,thoughhervoicestilltrembledundertheweightofheremotions.
Tryingtoshiftthefocusslightly,Iupdatedheronthesituation.
Myprivate investigatorsarestillworkingongettingthatdrivertoconfess,Iinformedher.Buthesprovingtobemorestubbornthanweexpected.Everytimewequestionhim,hejustclamsuptighter.
Itrustyou,Oliviasaidwithabitmorestrengthinhervoice.Icouldhearaflickerofdeterminationreturning.Youllgethimtotalk,Julian.Iknowyouwill.Hellbreakeventually.
Iwasactuallyon mywaytocheckontheirprogressbeforeIsawyourcall,Iadmitted.Truthfully,Idbeeneagertoseeiftheyhadmadeanyheadway,buthearingfromherhadtakenimmediatepriority.
Julian,Ineedaquickfavor,shesaid,hertoneshifting,ahintofhesitationlacedwithhopefulness.
CHAPTER074 Anything,Irepliedwithoutasecondthought.Whatisit? Shetookadeepbreath,asthoughpreparingherselfforthe wordsshewasabouttosay.SinceIgottothehospital,Ivebeenthinking…myrealparents.Aretheystillouttheresomewhere?ShouldItrytoreachouttothem?Hervoicewaveredbetweenfearandlonging.Idontknowifyoucoulddosomedigging,maybefindoutsomethingaboutthem? Ipausedforamoment,weighingherrequestcarefullyUm…Olivia,thatsgoingtobereallydifficult,Iadmittedhonestly.Evenforsomeonelikeme.Totrackthemdown,Idneedatlea

stsomeinformation.Anythingatall.Withoutevenastartingpoint,itslikelookingforaneedleinahaystack.
ButhowamIsupposedtofindanyinformationaboutpeopleInever evenknewexisted?shereplied,frustration creeping intohervoice.Itwasafairquestion,one!wishedIhadasimpleanswerto.
Well,Isaid,thinkingoutloud,anotherroutewecouldtakeisgoingto thefosterhomethattookyouinbeforeyouradoption.They mighthavesomerecords,somethingwecouldworkwith.
SoIstillhavetogotalktomyadoptiveparents…evenwhenIdontwantto,shesaidbitterly.Thethoughtclearlypainedher,andIcouldntblameher.Afterwhattheydbiddenfromheralltheseyears.
Iknowitsnotwhatyouwanttohear,Isaidgently,buttheymightholdthemissingpiecesweneed.Justthinkaboutit,Liv.
SheletoutasighagainthensaidWhenmydadwakesupIllgoaskhimaboutit.Shesaid,Icouldhearfromhertonehowshedidntwanttodoit.
Allalrightthen,justgivemeacallwhenyouredone,andpleasereplytomymessagesfastersomyheartwontleavemychesteverysecond,Isaidtoher.
AndIheardherletoutasmalllaugh,atleastthatwould livinghermoodabit.
WithoutanotherwordIendedthecall,untilshecalledmebackIhadanotherproblem.totakecareof.
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