Adrian didn't waste time.
He ripped open a sterile patch and began tending to the wound he'd inflicted on Ryley's temple, his movements sharp and efficient.
"Clyde wasn't the only one complicit in keeping this truth from you," Adrian said, voice low as he worked.
Ryley didn't speak. He simply watched, the pain in his gaze speaking louder than any words.
"When you first came to me asking for the embryo transfer," Adrian continued, "I discovered something unusual. A dormant egg, untouched."
Ryley frowned, disbelief knitting his brows. "Is that even possible?"
Adrian sighed again, heavier this time. "I thought it was a fluke. I planned to study it, so I extracted it and froze it. I didn't tell anyone—not for years. Not until that night Clyde showed up at my lab."
He paused, the memory flashing in his eyes.
