“No objections!” Gregory declared, his excitement palpable.

Byron, noting the genuine thrill in Gregory’s eyes, turned to Christina. She pressed her lips together, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face before she nodded. “No objections. But…”

“But what?” Byron pressed, his gaze sharp.

Christina sniffed. “Who will the paternity test be done with? Enya… she never had a husband.”

The realization hit Gregory hard. Enya had been gone for over twenty years. “Her father,” Byron stated tersely, refusing to acknowledge Tyson as her husband.

Christina’s eyes widened. “He’s still alive?” She remembered Enya’s partner, a man of undeniable presence and quiet tenderness—a tenderness Gregory had never shown her. Ambitious, brilliant, he’d vanished years ago, leaving her to believe him dead.

“Yes,” Byron ground out.

“Do you know who Brittany’s father is?” Gregory asked, oblivious to Christina’s turmoil.

Christina’s heart clenched. She knew only his last name: Godard.

Byron’s jaw tightened. “Tyson Godard, of Montera.”

A gasp escaped both Gregory and Christina. The Godards of Montera—a family rivaling the Vanderbilts and Beaumonts, perhaps even surpassing them. Brittany’s mother was Beaumont, her father Godard? The sheer power of it stunned Gregory. Excitement warred with a crushing regret. He should have treated Brittany better.

He glanced at Christina, gratitude welling up. At least she’d always supported Brittany.

But Christina was lost in her own turmoil. Finding a lost daughter—a Godard daughter—would be thorough. Before, she’d thought she could control the narrative. Now…

“What’s wrong?” Byron asked, noticing Christina’s distress.

Christina shook her head. “Brittany faints at the sight of blood. Could we use hair or nails for the test?”

Gregory froze. Brittany fainted at the sight of blood? He hadn't known.

Byron shrugged. “Fine. I’ll inform the Godards. A positive test, and the child is reunited with her family.”

“Reunited…” Christina whispered.

“Yes,” Byron said, sensing her reluctance. “Tyson hasn’t remarried. Brittany will be his only child, the sole heir.”

The revelation hit Gregory and Christina like a thunderbolt. He would be the adoptive father of a Godard heir! Paisley, with her endless embarrassments, paled in comparison.

Christina’s heart pounded. “When can we do the test?”

“Tyson’s adopted son is back in Montera. Once things settle, they’ll come,” Byron replied.

Christina breathed a sigh of relief. Time. She needed time. First, she'd use the Beaumont connection to get Brittany out of the police station.

“Brittany’s still at the station,” Christina said, exaggerating slightly. “The Levines refuse to reconcile. Mr. Byron, as her uncle…”

Byron glanced at Brittany’s photo, a resemblance to his sister undeniable. “I’ll handle it.”