He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 1043

Yardley's chest heaved as he completely lost control. He could accept losing his business empire. He could accept hitting rock bottom. He could even accept losing Scarlett forever. But he absolutely could not accept another man dictating his rights to see his own flesh and blood.

Dawn was his child. She was the last tether to hope he had left in this miserable existence.

Julian raised a hand and, with calm, measured strength, pried Yardley’s fingers off his shirt. "Whether I have the right or not isn't up to you."

He looked down at the unravelling man before him, his voice flat but hitting like a sledgehammer. "Ask yourself, Yardley. Where were you when Dawn needed protecting the most?"

"When she was a fragile newborn, you chose to be completely absent. When she was sick and crying, needing someone to care for her, you were too busy letting your toxic family run wild. Every ounce of warmth, love, and protection she’s had growing up has come from Scarlett and me."

"You are her biological donor. I’ve never denied that, and I’ve never tried to erase it," Julian continued, his gaze unrelenting. "But you missed every single moment of her life. You haven't spent a single day acting like a father. So what makes you think you get to waltz in and claim all the rights just because you share DNA?"

Yardley shook with rage, his face cycling from pale to a deep, bruised purple. The breath caught painfully in his throat. "I am her father! Blood is enough!" he hissed through gritted teeth. "I admit I was a bastard before! I admit I failed! But I've changed! I can make it up to her! We can start over!"

"Make it up to her?" Julian let out a dark, humorless chuckle. "There is no reset button on a child's life. What you missed is gone forever. Now that you've hit rock bottom and found some late-stage regret, you want to use a little girl to patch up your own guilt? Is that fair to Dawn?"

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