No Strings Attached

His words pierced Katherine's heart like a needle. If Brodie really was Teo's son, then they must have betrayed Leonora in a way that should have never happened. She immediately withdrew her hand, shaking her head with vigor. "No way. He can't be your son!"

Teo immediately tried to calm her with a gentle voice. "Don't get worked up. I was just thinking out loud. I'm looking into this. I promise I'll give you and Brodie an explanation."

Overwhelmed, Katherine struggled to keep her composure. Teo quickly called a doctor, who administered a sedative to help her relax.

As she slept, a tear clung to the corner of her eye, and something twisted sharply in Teo's chest. How much pain had she endured to become the person she was now?

He reached out his hand and tenderly wiped away the tear. Just then, his phone rang. He stepped out of the room, and a man's voice came through on the other end. "Teo, the results for the sample you sent in are back."

At these words, Teo felt a hitch in his heart. His breath was momentarily caught. He urgently asked, "What's the result?"

DNA samples confirm a

wall with a thud as he heard this. Just as he suspected, Brodie

surprise, guilt, and above all, a profound sense of heartache, for all that Katherine and

alone in the corridor. His fingers were trembling. He pulled out a cigarette from his pocket. His hands were shaking as he lit it. He took a deep drag, and the nicotine stung his throat,

Katherine and Brodie.

at first sight. He was the deadbeat dad Brodie had spoken of, the one

had known all along that he was his

sharp pain in his chest. He tried to numb the pain with

cutting through the air. "You know smoking isn't allowed in