Sensing it was his moment, Declan approached her.

“Good evening. It's pretty late for you to be out by yourself. Isn't it a bit risky?"

She shot back, “What about you? Flying solo too?"

"I'm here waiting for some colleagues," he replied, shifting the conversation to his business endeavors.

"You're impressive," she responded. "You know, it's a tad chilly tonight. Care to join me in my booth?" She gestured to the vacant seat beside her.

Caught off guard by her forwardness, Declan took a moment before sliding in next to her, smiling.

But as he settled in, a sudden sharp pain erupted from his scalp.

Declan eyed the woman, perplexed. She seemed completely normal, leading him to dismiss his initial discomfort and dive back into the conversation.

She responded with nods of approval.

Feeling triumphant, Declan was about to suggest going to a hotel when she abruptly stood and headed to the restroom.

So, he patiently waited.

Thirty minutes ticked by with no sign of her. Growing uneasy, he ventured toward the ladies' room, but a cleaning staff member informed him it was empty.

His face clouded with suspicion. Had he been duped?

Meanwhile, outside, Lilah shed her disguise in her car, clutching the hair sample she'd secured. She hurried to get the DNA analysis done.

The results aligned with her suspicions-Adaline was indeed Declan's daughter.

Days blurred into weeks, and the date for Adaline's public hearing drew near, with the looming possibility of imprisonment.

Helga, frantic, turned to Matthew for a solution, but he was at a loss.

"I tried reaching out to Lilah, but she's nowhere to be found."

"Why not stake out her office? She has to show up eventually," Helga prodded.

The mere idea made Matthew cringe.

Having been with Matthew for so long, Helga could read him like a book. "Do you just want to stand by and watch Adaline go to jail?

I'll kill myself if she gets imprisoned."

"I'm thinking, alright?" Matthew snapped.

"Wait outside Lilah's office. You're her father. With the cold setting in, if she ignores you, she'll look terrible in the eyes of others." Helga was desperate.