His voice climbed.

“I’m Felix’s father!”

“You are,” I agreed.

“And you’ll have every lawful opportunity to be one, in front of a judge, on the record.

What you will not do is hold our son up in front of you like a shield to hide the fraud behind.

Those are two separate matters, and I intend to keep them separate.”

Chapter 13 — No Favoritism

My father stood up from the rocking chair, still holding Felix, and Rowan straightened on instinct, the way a junior man does when the chairman rises.