Page 100 of Secret Baby Daddy

Roman doesn’t move.

“The address I selected for Jonah. The address I gave to exactly one other person.”

I open the file.

“Your firm had it four days before Jonah died.”

Something changes behind Roman’s eyes.

Not fear.

Calculation.

Always calculation.

“You’re still doing it,” he says.

“Doing what?”

“Looking for someone else to carry your guilt.”

I expected the sentence.

For twelve years, it would have worked.

Today it lands and goes nowhere.

“I made the decision to move Jonah.”

Roman waits.

“I should have listened to him. I didn’t.”

His expression shifts almost imperceptibly.

He expected resistance.

He doesn’t know what to do with agreement.

“That part belongs to me,” I continue. “I’ve spent twelve years pretending the only options were total guilt or total innocence. They aren’t.”

I push the file toward him.

“You gave them the address.”

Roman looks down at it.

Then back at me.

“You cannot prove what happened after that address left my office.”

There it is.

Hayes goes perfectly still behind the wall.

My pulse doesn’t change.

I don’t let my face change either.