"The child is yours."
Ariana slowly delivered the final verdict.
Adonis, for some reason—maybe it was just an illusion—felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted off his chest, and he let out a quiet breath.
But the next moment, he quickly snapped back to reality. No, impossible! How could he have a child when he didn't even have a girlfriend?!
Ariana also found it incredibly implausible. She might not have fully understood Adonis's personality, but after working with him for years, she knew what kind of person he was.
If he had ever had a girlfriend, there'd have been no reason to hide it. He wasn't the type to keep something like that secret—it simply wasn't necessary.
But where did this child come from if everything he said was true? A two-year-old child suddenly appeared beside Adonis just when his career had reached its peak...
Ariana felt like Adonis still wasn't telling the whole truth.
She would never have imagined that the absolute truth had already been told by Adonis—that the child had come from an egg, which had forced him to take a few weeks off work.
But it was so unbelievable that Ariana hadn't even considered it.
"I have never had a girlfriend. I already told you the truth—you just don't believe me." Adonis's voice was calm and indifferent.
Ariana frowned.
"It's also possible you were set up. Maybe someone obtained your sperm and used it for fertilization. It's not impossible."
Adonis let out a cold laugh.
"Do I look like the kind of guy who just randomly loses control of himself?"
Besides, there was one truth he hadn't spoken aloud—ever since he hit puberty, he'd never once experienced any desire in that area.
Of course, that didn't mean he was impotent—far from it. He just found such things unnecessary in his life.
He had never once felt lust toward anything or anyone and thus did not need to do anything about it.
Ariana would find it even harder to believe if he were to say all that out loud. So, there was no point in saying more.
"Alright, whatever the case, the result is already in front of us. What do you plan to do? About the child..."
"Of course, I'll make it public."
Ariana: "..."
She could already see it—Adonis wasn't all that upset about this child falling from the sky like he pretended to be.
He seemed to accept it all remarkably quickly.
Adonis spoke seriously:
"If he's my son, there's no reason to hide it. As for the circumstances and the child's mother—just let the internet speculate however it wants."
After all, they wouldn't find anything. No one would ever guess that his son had hatched from an egg.
"Alright. We'll make it public. I'll handle the paperwork and look for the right moment to make an official announcement. Until then, I hope you won't let the child be seen."
Adonis had complete confidence in Ariana's capabilities.
"Fine. I hope by the time I return to work, you'll have found that opportunity."
Adonis ended the call and looked at the child rolling around on the bed with a large bath towel.
Somehow, it had wrapped itself entirely in the towel and wriggled around like a cocoon.
"Pa!"
Suddenly, its head popped out.
Slightly damp black hair fanned out, and those mint-green eyes sparkled with joyful light as though they contained all the stars in the sky.
Its tiny mouth puckered, repeatedly calling "Pa, pa!" with a hopeful gaze toward Adonis.
When Adonis didn't respond, the child struggled harder to signal its current predicament.
His expression remained emotionless, but inside, it was as if an arrow of cuteness had struck him right in the heart—his soul practically floated into the clouds.
He lifted a hand to suppress the corners of his mouth, which had started to curl up, and said casually:
"You brought this on yourself."
As soon as he spoke, the child struggled even harder, its mouth full of "pa pa, chit chit," making indiscernible noises.
But somehow, Adonis knew, by pure instinct, that the kid was definitely "scolding" him.
And he was exactly right.
"Mean pa pa has changed! Pa pa doesn't love Joshua anymore! Joshua doesn't like pa pa now!"
Leo quickly tried to comfort him:
"Lord Adonis was only joking, little master. Please don't be upset."
"Papa doesn't love Joshua anymore…"
Joshua ignored Leo and continued mumbling to himself. The more he muttered, the more wronged he felt.
From suddenly being pulled into a whole new world to meeting a papa who had lost his memory to being unable to express himself adequately, Joshua felt deeply frustrated.
That frustration gradually turned into sadness. His little face fell, lips slightly pursed, and his large round eyes instantly welled up with tears, glistening like polished gemstones. Silent tears streamed down his cheeks.
It all happened so fast that Adonis didn't even have time to react.
Just as he was about to move forward to rescue the child from the tangled towel, the little one had already gone still, quietly crying in place.
His gaze toward Adonis was filled with sorrow and grievance.
Usually a mischievous little egg, he cried with strange, heartbreaking gentleness.
Adonis felt like a piece of his heart had just been sliced away. The pain wasn't something he was imagining—it was real.
Without even thinking, he strode forward and scooped the child into his arms, panicked and flustered as he tried to soothe him:
"Hey now, don't cry, I was only joking, I'm sorry, okay? Will you forgive me?"
Joshua buried his face into Adonis's chest, and Adonis immediately felt a large wet patch soak through his shirt.
The child's small body trembled slightly, and Adonis couldn't help but grow more anxious.
He gently patted the child's back and whispered:
"Come on, lift your head. It's okay to cry out loud."
He was scared the child might suffocate like this.
"Pa pa… chit… pa… chit… hhic."
The child turned his face toward Adonis, opened his mouth, and sobbed as he spoke—still, the same unintelligible sounds Adonis couldn't make sense of.
Joshua seemed to realize this, too. The grievance in his little heart grew worse the moment he did.
Tears spilled out like falling pearls, his sobs escaping in soft, pitiful bursts.
Adonis even started to feel a sting at the corners of his own eyes. Though his hands were trembling, he held the child with the gentlest force he could manage.
"Papa's here. I'm sorry. I promise I'll never do that again. Papa loves you most, okay? Don't cry anymore. It breaks Papa's heart."
Perhaps even Adonis's past co-stars had never heard such tenderness in his voice.
"Pa pa…"
Still choked with tears, that tiny voice rang softly in his ear.
His cheek was soaked.
Joshua had rubbed his cheek against Adonis's, his chubby little face pressing in gently—warm, soft, and sweet.
"Papa loves Joshua the most…" Joshua mumbled.
Adonis smiled, tilting his head to kiss the child's cheek. He whispered:
"Papa loves you the most."
Joshua immediately grinned, showing his two little front teeth like a tiny bunny. He wriggled happily in Adonis's arms.
Adonis couldn't help but laugh, exhaling in relief.
Thank goodness this little one recovered from sadness as quickly as he sank into it.
Without even realizing it, Adonis had accepted entirely the role of Papa—without a single objection.
He had to admit, at this point, he couldn't even pretend otherwise anymore.