Adrian knelt in front of Jamie. “I missed your first words, your first steps. But if you’ll let me, I’d like to be here for the rest.”

Jamie blinked, curious. “Are you really my dad?”

Adrian nodded. “Yes, and I’m sorry for being late.”

Elena’s heart ached. For years, she had pictured this moment sometimes with hope, sometimes with anger. But seeing the sincerity in his eyes, she felt something inside her soften.

Adrian turned to the villagers who had gathered. “This woman raised my son on her own. She did what I should have done. You should be proud to know her.”

The murmurs quieted. Those who had mocked her now lowered their eyes.

That evening, Adrian invited them to dinner at a nearby hotel. For the first time, Jamie rode in a luxury car, his face pressed against the window as the lights of the city blurred past. Elena sat beside Adrian, her mind spinning.