Three days later.
Lyra had been avoiding her phone like it held a bomb. She jumped every time it vibrated, every time it rang. She didn't want to know. Not yet.
She wasn't ready.
But the world didn't wait for her to be ready.
When her phone finally rang that morning, she was holding Noah's lunchbox, halfway through tying his shoelaces. She answered on instinct, not checking the number.
"Hello?"
"Miss Lawson, this is Dr. Henley's office. The paternity test results are in."
She closed her eyes. "And?"
There was a pause.
"The DNA results confirm a 99.9% probability. Mr. Zane Hogan is the biological father of Noah Lawson."
Lyra didn't respond. She couldn't. Her legs gave out slowly, and she sat on the floor, phone pressed to her ear.
"Thank you," she whispered.
An hour later, she was standing outside Zane's office — a high-rise tower that felt like it belonged to another world. She didn't call ahead. She didn't text. She just showed up.
The receptionist recognized her instantly. "He's expecting you," the woman said quietly, nodding toward the private elevator.
Of course he was.
Zane was leaning against his desk when she walked in, arms folded, jaw tight.
"You got the call," he said.
"I did."
He nodded, stepping closer. "So, it's official."
Lyra looked down. "Yes."
There was silence for a beat. Then he asked, "What now?"
She met his eyes. "That's your question? Not why I didn't tell you? Not how it happened?"
"I figured I'd get answers eventually. But first… I want to see him. Spend real time with him."
Lyra's voice dropped. "Zane, I'm not just going to hand Noah over like he's a trophy."
"I'm not asking you to. But I want to be in his life. I want to know my son."
She looked at him long and hard. "What are you really after, Zane? Guilt? Control? Redemption?"
His jaw clenched. "What are you so afraid of, Lyra?"
Her voice trembled as she answered, "Losing him. Losing everything I built on my own."
For the first time, he looked at her not with anger or accusation — but with something softer. Almost regret.
"I'm not here to take him away," he said. "I'm here to be his father. If you'll let me."