A quiet exhale left her.
I drew a slow breath and straightened.
Ramiro hadn’t moved far. I could still sense him nearby—close enough to be present, far enough not to intrude.
But he still hadn’t said it.
The result.
The DNA test.
The answer that had been sitting between us since yesterday like a blade neither of us was acknowledging out loud.
My jaw tightened.
Maybe he liked it that way. Maybe leaving me suspended in uncertainty was easier than delivering whatever truth he had already learned.
“If you need anything,” he said at last, his tone even—“adjustments to the setup, introductions... even a quiet space for her, don’t hesitate.”
For a moment, I didn’t answer.
My fingers brushed Zara’s hair absently, grounding myself in her small, fevered warmth.
“I’ll manage,” I said finally.
A pause followed.
Then, softer: “Rafael values capability above all, Miss Loretta. You wouldn’t be here if he didn’t see it in you.”
That landed differently than reassurance usually did.
I turned slightly toward his voice. “I appreciate that.”
Another pause—this one shorter.
Then his footsteps shifted.
“I’ll be nearby,” he added, already stepping away. “If you need me.”
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
And then he was gone.
The sound of his departure faded into the wider hum of the executive floor, leaving me alone with Zara’s soft breathing and the subtle weight of the space around me.
I stood still for a moment longer than necessary.
Listening.
My fingers curled slightly at my side before I forced them to relax.
I moved carefully to the desk, lowering myself into the chair.
The leather was cool and expensive.
My hands found the keyboard immediately, fingertips brushing across each key until my mind anchored itself in familiar structure.
I straightened my posture, aligning myself with the workspace I had already memorized through touch alone.
