The revelation of the astronaut’s story broke Alex’s heart.

His son, believing in a fantasy to justify his absence. He, the tech magnate, reduced to a white lie. The debt he felt wasn’t financial; it was a debt of the soul, a million-dollar debt of love and time.

“Please, Sofia,” Alex pleaded, approaching her, his hands outstretched in supplication. “Give me a chance. Let me show you that I’ve changed. That I’m not the same man. That I want to be a father to Daniel. And to you… I want to show you my remorse.”

Sofia stepped back, her eyes filled with a warning. “It’s not that simple, Alex. Not after what happened. After my brother, Miguel, tried to contact you, and you or your lawyers sent him a cease and desist letter, threatening to sue him for harassment if he insisted on talking to you about ‘personal matters.’ That’s what made me swear I’d never look for you again.”

Alex froze. “A cease and desist letter? I didn’t… I never ordered such a thing.” His mind raced back through the events of five years ago. He had given his legal team general instructions on how to handle any “distractions” related to his past, but never a specific order against Sofia or her family. Who had done it? And why?

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