Chapter 13: The Second DNA Report
Nathan stood behind Brielle, holding the report as though it were a weapon.
His face looked exhausted. His tie was loose, his eyes bloodshot, and the confidence that had once made him seem untouchable was gone.
Brielle turned toward him.
"Go ahead," she said.
"Tell her.""
I looked at the paper in his hand.
"What is that?""
Nathan didn't answer immediately.
Daniel stepped between us.
"Whatever you have, you can give it to your attorney.""
"This isn't a legal document," Nathan said.
"It's a family matter.""
I almost laughed.
"Family? You mean the family you stole from?""
Brielle's smile faded.
Nathan looked at her, then at me.
"The baby isn't mine.""
For a moment, the room went completely silent.
I stared at him.
"What?""
He held up the report.
"I had another test done. The first one Brielle showed me was falsified.""
Brielle's face hardened.
"That's a lie.""
"The laboratory confirmed the first report wasn't issued by them.""
"You don't know what you're talking about.""
"I have the original results.""
I looked at the paper.
The report identified Nathan as the tested individual and listed a different biological father.
I didn't recognize the name.
"Who is he?"" I asked.
Nathan looked at Brielle.
"Thomas Vance.""
Patricia made a strangled sound.
Brielle stepped backward.
"That's impossible.""
Nathan's voice became sharper.
"You told me the baby was mine. You said you were pregnant before we could make our relationship public. You let me spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on you.""
Brielle's eyes flashed.
"You wanted to believe it.""
Nathan stared at her.
"What?""
"You wanted to believe you were going to have a new family. You wanted an excuse to leave Emily without looking like the villain.""
I watched him absorb that.
For once, he had no response.
Then Brielle pointed at me.
"Don't pretend you're innocent. You were never there for him.""
I shook my head.
"You don't get to use my marriage as an excuse for your choices.""
"You think you're better than me?""
"No. I think I'm done being dragged into your lies.""
Daniel quietly asked the trustee's representative to document the exchange.
Brielle noticed.
"What's that supposed to mean?""
"It means we're preserving evidence," he replied.
Nathan looked at the report again.
"How long?""
Brielle crossed her arms.
"How long what?""
"How long have you been seeing Thomas?""
She looked away.
Nathan stepped closer.
"How long?""
"Before the anniversary.""
His expression changed.
"Before?""
"Yes.""
I felt a strange, distant sadness.
Not for Nathan.
For the woman I had been, the one who had spent twelve years believing that if she worked hard enough, loved deeply enough, and forgave often enough, she could make a marriage safe.
Nathan had not simply betrayed me.
He had built an entire second life while using my money to finance it.
And even that second life had been a lie.
"Why did you tell me the baby was mine?"" Nathan asked.
Brielle laughed bitterly.
"Because you were paying for everything.""
"You said you loved me.""
"I said what you wanted to hear.""
Patricia sank into a chair.
"Stop this. Both of you.""
Brielle turned on her.
"Don't tell me to stop. You helped him.""
Patricia looked stunned.
"You said you wanted a future with Nathan.""
"I wanted the house. I wanted the money. I wanted to be the woman who finally got everything Emily had.""
She pointed toward the documents on the desk.
"And now look. She's still standing here.""
Nathan grabbed her wrist.
"Enough.""
Brielle jerked away.
"Don't touch me.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Everyone needs to remain calm. This property is subject to a legal dispute, and no one is authorized to remove documents.""
Brielle looked at me.
"You think winning a piece of paper makes you powerful?""
I held her gaze.
"No. Knowing the truth makes me free.""
She laughed.
Then she did something none of us expected.
She pulled a small flash drive from her purse and placed it on Robert's desk.
"Ask Thomas what happened that night," she said.
Nathan stared at it.
"What is that?""
"Something he told me to keep.""
"Why?""
"Because he doesn't trust you either.""
She turned toward the stairs.
Nathan tried to stop her, but she pushed past him and left.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Daniel picked up the flash drive using a clean evidence envelope.
"We'll have this examined properly.""
Nathan sat down.
He looked suddenly much older.
I turned toward him.
"Did you know?""
He didn't look up.
"Know what?""
"That Thomas was involved with Brielle.""
He shook his head.
"No.""
"Did you know what happened to your father?""
His face tightened.
"Emily, please.""
"Did you?""
He rubbed his forehead.
"I knew Thomas had been at the hospital.""
"Why?""
"Because he was handling the documents.""
"Which documents?""
"The trust amendment.""
"Robert refused to sign it.""
Nathan nodded.
"And then?""
His silence answered before he did.
"Thomas called me.""
I stared at him.
"What did he say?""
"He said Dad had collapsed. He told me to come to the hospital.""
"Did you?""
"Yes.""
"When?""
"After the ambulance arrived.""
"Did you know your father was asking for me?""
Nathan closed his eyes.
"Yes.""
My chest tightened.
"Did you tell the nurses not to call me?""
He finally looked at me.
"I told them you didn't need to be involved.""
I felt something inside me go very still.
"Why?""
"Because Dad was going to tell you about the money. About the business. About everything.""
"So you kept me away while he was dying?""
"I thought I could fix it.""
"You thought you could control it.""
Nathan began crying.
"I was scared.""
I looked at him for a long moment.
Then I asked the question I had been afraid to ask.
"Did you know what Thomas gave your father?""
Nathan shook his head.
"I swear I didn't.""
"Did you know Patricia brought medication?""
He looked toward his mother.
Patricia was crying silently.
"I knew she had brought something. I didn't know what it was.""
"Did you ask?""
"No.""
I nodded slowly.
"That was enough, Nathan.""
He stood.
"Emily, we can still work this out. The company, the house, the money—we can find a way to settle everything.""
I almost pitied him.
"You still think this is about money.""
"It's about our children.""
"Then start acting like their father.""
I walked toward the stairs.
Behind me, Nathan said, "I never stopped loving you.""
I stopped.
I didn't turn around.
"Love doesn't require someone to destroy another person to keep it.""
Then I left.
Outside, Daniel's phone rang.
He listened, said very little, and hung up.
"What happened?"" I asked.
"The investigator reviewed the first documents from the flash drive.""
"And?""
Daniel's expression was grave.
"It contains an audio recording from the hospital parking lot the night Robert died.""
"Who is speaking?""
He looked at me.
"Thomas Vance and Nathan.""
I felt my stomach drop.
"Does it say what happened?""
Daniel hesitated.
"There's one sentence that concerns me.""
"What sentence?""
He looked directly at me.
Thomas's voice, according to the investigator, was unmistakable.
If Robert dies, the only person who can connect us to the medication is Margaret.
May you like
And Nathan's reply was even worse.
Then make sure she never talks.
