“I understand that,” Edmund said. “As I’m sure you’re aware, the agreement was made regarding Eva. The addition of a second child to the equation made it necessary for us to have another discussion.”
“Wait a minute,” Stuart said. “My understanding is that Mr. Moretti refused to acknowledge the child as his and vowed to Mrs. Douglas that he would not seek visitation. Are you saying that Mr. Moretti is acknowledging that Mrs. Douglas’s second child is his, as well?”
“Yes, he is,” Edmund replied.
Luca’s gaze was set on Claire’s face as his lawyer delivered the news. Her gray eyes widened with surprise, then she turned to him with her mouth agape. He could only nod, hoping his contrite expression let her know just how sorry he was about all of this.
“Is Mr. Moretti requiring any kind of testing to confirm the paternity of this child?” Stuart continued.
“No, he is not.” Edmund’s irritation was clear in his voice.
Stuart sat back in his chair, completely deflated by the whole situation. Apparently, they had come here expecting a battle and were caught off guard. Luca watched Claire’s lawyer lean into her and say a few words. They quietly conversed for a moment with Claire’s eyes meeting his a time or two.
“I’m sorry,” Stuart said at last. “The last time our clients spoke, it was very clear that Mr. Moretti believed the child was not his. While we appreciate that your client is no longer accusing Mrs. Douglas of lying, may we ask what caused the sudden change of heart?”
Edmund turned to look at Luca. His lawyer had been strongly opposed to sharing Luca’s private medical information with the other side, but Luca insisted. He nodded and Edmund took a deep breath. “Mr. Moretti has undergone medical testing to confirm his previous diagnosis. It was determined that he is a valid candidate for fathering Mrs. Douglas’s second child.”
Claire’s mouth dropped open. There was a momentary light of excitement in her eyes, as though she wanted to congratulate him on the amazing news. The light dimmed quickly. She already knew he could have children, considering she was pregnant. The only thing that had changed was that he acknowledged it, as well.
Stuart ignored both clients, trying to focus on the confusing negotiations. “Now that Mr. Moretti is acknowledging the child, how does this change the custody agreement?”
Edmund slid the folder of paperwork across the table with their updated agreement. “You can take your time looking it over. We presume that your client will find these new terms acceptable.”
Luca watched as Claire and Stuart reviewed the paperwork, talking quietly between one another. It was agonizing to sit silently and watch as Claire shook her head and her gaze flickered curiously over him from time to time.
He wasn’t entirely sure what was taking them so long to make a decision. He had given Claire everything she wanted. He’d granted her sole physical and legal custody of the children. He’d asked for minimal visitation, less than half of what they’d agreed to, as to not cause an interruption to the children’s routines. He’d tripled the amount of requested child support—even though he knew she wasn’t interested in his money—and offered to pay for the private schooling of her choice. He’d even set up large, generous trust funds for both of the children. What more could she possibly want? He didn’t want to walk away entirely or the children would think he didn’t care about them. He did. More than anything. There was a fine line between giving Claire what she wanted and abandoning his children.
Finally, Stuart shook his head. “I’m sorry, but this offer is unacceptable. My client wants more.”
* * *
Claire watched Luca’s expression crumble at her lawyer’s declaration. She knew it was a risk, but it was one she had to take. Yes, the offer was everything she could’ve hoped for when they first started this process, but now everything had changed. It was missing once crucial element—Luca.
With what he was offering, she could easily raise the two children on her own. She could hire Daisy as a live-in nanny and even give her a bigger raise than she could ever afford on her own. They could attend the best schools in New York and have everything they ever wanted. Everything but a father.
“What do you want, Claire? Do you want me to open up a vein and bleed for you? Because I will.”
It was the first time he’d spoken since he’d asked how she was. There was a pleading in his eyes that made her chest ache. It felt so awkward to have these legal mouthpieces between them. Everything felt so stiff and official with Edmund and Stuart doing all their talking for them. She wished she could just make the lawyers go away for ten minutes so they could talk—really talk—without all the legal protections in the way.