Chapter 1

On our sixth wedding anniversary, I took my family on a beach vacation.

Halfway through the trip, all three of our children suffered severe allergic reactions.

After rushing them to the hospital, the tests revealed it was triggered by almond oil in their sunscreen.

Neither my wife, Chloe, nor I had an almond allergy. Why were all three of our kids allergic?

A friend of mine had joked with me once.

"How come none of your kids look like you? They don't look like you at all."

I brushed it off back then, assuming they just took after their mother.

Staring at the three boys who shared not a single feature with me, I went behind Chloe's back and ordered a paternity test.

When the results came in, my world shattered.

Not a single one of them was mine.

Clutching the report, I confronted my wife:

"Whose children are they?!"

Chloe sighed and grabbed my arm.

"Does it really matter who fathered them? You're their dad. Why are you making such a huge fuss over this?"

"Trust me, the boys and I truly love you."

I shoved her hand away.

"I want a divorce."

Chloe dropped to her knees, begging me.

"We can't divorce! I'm pregnant again. I swear, this time the baby is definitely yours!"

As an OB-GYN, I had seen my fair share of hospital drama.

Fathers running off after a baby was born with birth defects, cheating spouses exposed in delivery rooms...

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that none of my three children would share my blood.

When I walked through the front door with the test results, Chloe's stepbrother, Mason, was lounging on the sofa with his arm around her, watching TV.

My three boys were playing quietly with Legos nearby.

To anyone looking, they were a picture-perfect family.

Refusing to lose my temper in front of the kids and a guest, I dragged Chloe into our bedroom.

I slammed the report onto the bed.

"Whose kids are they? You better give me an explanation right now!"

I braced myself for her excuses or some clumsy lie.

Deep down, I was still praying for a clerical error at the lab.

Instead, Chloe admitted it without batting an eye.

"Fine, they aren't yours. But how could you go behind my back and run a paternity test?"

"Even if they don't share your DNA, you're still their father."

"We've been married for six years. Can't you tell how much we love you?"

I was completely dumbfounded. She betrayed me, had another man's babies, and somehow turned herself into the victim?

Hearing our raised voices, Mason pushed the bedroom door open and walked in.

"Logan, what's going on? Keep it down. You're going to scare the kids."

I glared at him.

"This is between my wife and me. It has nothing to do with you. Get out."

Chloe immediately jumped to his defense.

"Mason is family. We don't have secrets between us."

Fury boiled over inside me.

"I'm asking one last time. Who is the biological father?"

Chloe glanced at Mason, a flicker of panic in her eyes, before blurting out:

"I dated three guys before we got married! I don't even know which one did it!"

"And you have no right to judge me. I never once complained about your performance in bed!"

"You probably can't even get someone pregnant anyway. Is it that hard to raise these three boys as your own?"

Mason chimed in, playing the voice of reason:

"Logan, she's right. The kids already see you as their father. You should count your blessings."

"Blood isn't everything. Besides, hasn't Chloe taken amazing care of this home for the past five years?"

Chloe crossed her arms, looking utterly smug.

A bitter laugh escaped my throat. She was the one who cheated, yet they were acting like I was starting trouble over nothing.

Right then, my oldest son ran into the room.

He wrapped his arms around my leg. "Daddy, stop bullying Mommy!"

I looked down at the boy, then glanced back up at Mason.

Wait.

Why did my son resemble Mason so much?

Especially that distinct, wide nose!

Mason was supposed to be Chloe's stepbrother.

Could they really be that disgusting?