MALIA’S POV

“I didn’t want to ruin that for you. So I raised her on my own,” I said

Zach’s hands clenched into fists as he listened. “You shouldn’t have had to do that. I should have been there for both of you.”

“I thought I was doing the right thing,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I thought I was protecting her. But now… I see that I should have told you. You deserved to know.”

Zach exhaled deeply, the anger and hurt clear on his face. “Yeah, I deserved to know. But more than that, Ella deserved to know. She deserved to have both of her parents.”

I nodded,...