---- Chapter 37 Liv found a fragile peace on the secluded island. The days were quiet, punctuated by the rhythm of the tides and the cries of seabirds. She walked the beaches, collected shells, and read books, her belly swelling with the new life within her. Her parents had hired a small, discreet staff for the island home: a housekeeper, a groundskeeper, and a chef. The chef, a quiet, unassuming man named "Martin," was new. He had come highly recommended, known for his simple, nourishing cuisine. Liv rarely saw him, but the meals he prepared were delicious, tailored to her pregnancy cravings and nutritional needs. She was unaware that "Martin" was Michael. He had used Jennings' information, his last bit of money, and a desperate plea to secure the temporary chef position, his identity concealed by a scruffy beard, glasses, and the name on a fake ID he'd procured. He cooked for her, cleaned for her from a distance, watched over her secretly. It was a strange, silent penance. He saw her growing stronger, more serene. He saw the protective way she cradled her belly. His heart ached with a mixture of profound love, regret, and a ---- desperate longing to be part of their lives. He knew it was impossible. He had forfeited that right. But he could protect them. From afar. One evening, as he was clearing away her dinner tray from outside her room, he heard her cry out. He froze, his heart pounding. Then, the housekeeper rushed past him, calling for the midwife Elizabeth had arranged to be on standby. Liv was in labor. He spent the night in an agony of waiting, hidden in the shadows of the kitchen, listening to the muffled sounds from Liv's room Hours later, just before dawn, he heard it. The first cry of a newborn baby. His baby. Tears streamed down Michael's face. An overwhelming wave of emotion - joy, relief, profound sadness - washed over him. He had a child. A son or a daughter. Healthy and alive. He sank to his knees, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. He would never hold his child, never hear them call him father. But he could be their hidden guardian. Their silent protector. It was all he had left to offer.