Aria's POV
The penthouse was too quiet after the courier left. The thick white envelope was lying on the coffee table between us like a live grenade.
Neither of us had touched it again after the first reading. The words were already carved into my brain:
**Pending results, for public purposes, the defendants are prohibited from announcing the unborn child as that of the first defendant, herein known as Lucian Voss. Failure to comply will result in immediate custody proceedings initiated by petitioner Ethan Caldwell.**
I sat on the couch with my knees drawn up and arms wrapped around them, staring at the paper as if it might catch fire if I glared hard enough.
Lucian stood by the window, backing me. His shoulders rigid with hands clenched at his sides.
After long minutes of deafening silence,Lucian finally turned.
