CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT – DENYING THE CHILD

The silence in the room was heavy, pressing down on them both. Kayla took a deep breath, her voice hardening with resolve. "I was leaving the spa with my friends," she began, "when I bumped into someone I didn't expect to see – Raya." Lance's face contorted in a flash of anger, a dark cloud descending on his previously stoic expression. "Raya?" he spat. "Was she harassing you?" Kayla shook her head, her gaze unwavering. "No, but she did tell me something… something rather shocking." Lance's jaw clenched visibly, a muscle in his cheek twitching with suppressed fury. "What did she say?" he demanded, his voice an icy growl. Kayla met his gaze head-on. "She has a daughter, Lance. A little girl named Maya. And she… she claimed you're the father." The air crackled with tension. For a moment, the only sound was the erratic thumping of Kayla's heart. Then, a harsh, disbelieving laugh erupted from Lance. It was a cold, humorless sound that sent shivers down her spine. "Raya?" he scoffed,