“They’re going to help your mom,” he said gently, though his heart pounded.

The ambulance arrived quickly. Paramedics confirmed severe dehydration and exhaustion. Lily was lifted onto a stretcher.

“I’m coming with you,” Nathan said without hesitation.

He carried the twins to his car. They clung to him instinctively, their tiny arms wrapping around his neck. The weight of them felt both light and overwhelming.

At the hospital, hours dragged by. The twins—now calmer—sat quietly with juice and crackers provided by nurses. Their soft laughter cut deeper than their cries had.

A doctor approached. “Lily Harper is stable. Malnourished, dehydrated, but she’ll recover. The children are hers. Are you family?”

Nathan swallowed. “I’m… I might be their father.”

The doctor gave him a measured look. “She’s been through a lot. So have they.”

Later, a nurse allowed him into Lily’s room.

She looked pale against the white sheets. When she saw him, shock crossed her face.

“Nathan?” she whispered.

“I’m here,” he said softly.

“The twins—are they okay?”

“They’re fine. I brought them.”

Tears slid down her cheeks. “Thank you.”

He stepped closer. “Why didn’t you tell me about them?”

Her tired eyes flashed. “I tried.”

She explained how she had come to his parents’ estate. How his mother had refused to let her inside. How his father handed her a check and warned her to disappear.

“He said you didn’t want us. That you laughed at me.”

Nathan felt the floor drop beneath him.

“That’s not true,” he said hoarsely. “They told me you took the money willingly.”

“Did you ever question it?” she asked quietly.

He hadn’t.

“I didn’t know about the twins,” he insisted. “If I had—”

“You chose not to know,” she interrupted. “Do you understand what it’s like raising two babies alone? Working nonstop? Being afraid every day?”

Her words were deserved.

“I’m sorry, Lily. I was wrong.”

“It doesn’t fix the past.”

“No,” he admitted. “But I can choose what happens next.”

The following morning, Nathan called his parents to the hospital.

When Richard and Margaret Reed arrived, composed and elegant, Nathan led them to the play area where the twins sat.

“Look at them,” he said.

The resemblance was undeniable.

Margaret’s hand trembled. “Nathan…”

“They’re your grandchildren.”

Silence fell like a hammer.

“You lied to me,” Nathan said coldly. “You told me she left. You told her I abandoned her.”

“We protected your future,” Richard insisted.