The silence inside the Vale estate felt heavier than the crying had been.
Nobody moved nor utter a word.
Because both babies had already made their choice without understanding the damage behind it.
Vivian stood holding the child she had raised for five months — Vale's biological son — while the baby clung tightly to her clothes happily now, tiny hands gripping her like he had finally found safety again.
At the same time—The child in Isabella's arms, Vivian's biological son, had completely stopped crying too.
The baby buried his face deeply against Isabella's chest with tiny relieved sounds escaping him.
Comfort.
Recognition.
Home.
And suddenly—The entire nightmare looked uglier than before.
Not because the truth remained hidden.
But because the truth had arrived too late.
Sebastian slowly dragged his fingers across his jaw while watching the scene unfold.
Beside him, Alexander Vale looked equally shaken.
