Chapter 5 - THE TEST
I didn’t sleep.
I watched Eli breathe.
Ten years.
Ten birthdays.
Ten Christmas mornings.
Ten years of scraped knees, school pictures, bad jokes, soccer games, stomach bugs, nightmares, and bedtime arguments.
He was my son.
Nothing could change that.
But by sunrise, I agreed to the DNA test.
Not because I doubted Eli.
Because I needed to know what had been done to us.
Camille collected samples from me, Eli, June, and Luke.
Detective Bennett expedited the testing.
Luke had been formally detained while investigators determined the extent of his involvement.
Rebecca remained missing.
Dr. Keller couldn’t be located.
At noon, Hannah visited.
She carried Olivia.
“I wanted to thank Eli.”
I smiled weakly.
“He saved both girls.”
Hannah’s eyes filled.
“Yes, he did.”
She looked at June.
“I keep thinking about what would’ve happened if he hadn’t woken up.”
“So do I.”
Hannah sat beside me.
“Police told me my name was on a list.”
“Mine too.”
“Why us?”
“I don’t know.”
She hesitated.
“My husband died seven months ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“He left a trust.”
That caught my attention.
“For Olivia?”
She nodded.
“Two million dollars.”
I stared at her.
Luke worked in insurance.
He knew exactly which families had policies, trusts, and financial arrangements.
“What company?”
Hannah told me.
Marshall Risk Partners.
Luke’s company.
My husband had handled her late husband’s life insurance claim.
My stomach dropped.
“Hannah.”
“What?”
“Luke knew who you were.”
Her face changed.
Before either of us could speak, Detective Bennett entered.
She already knew.
“We found the connection.”
Luke hadn’t randomly switched June and Olivia.
Both babies were connected to financial accounts.
June had a life insurance policy.
Olivia had a trust.
But that still didn’t explain why anyone wanted the babies exchanged.
Bennett placed documents on the table.
“If Olivia had been discharged under June’s identity, access to her trust could eventually have been challenged through guardianship fraud.”
“And June?”
“Her policy included an accidental death rider.”
I couldn’t breathe.
“How much?”
“Three million dollars.”
The room tilted.
“I didn’t know.”
“I believe you.”
“Luke did.”
“Yes.”
My husband had insured our newborn daughter for three million dollars.
Then he had secretly removed her from my room.
I turned toward the bathroom and vomited.
Camille helped me back into bed.
“I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
That afternoon, the DNA results arrived.
Bennett entered with Dr. Hale.
I knew from their faces.
“Tell me.”
“June is biologically yours.”
Relief hit me.
“And Luke’s?”
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes.
“Eli?”
Silence.
I opened them.
“Tell me.”
Bennett sat down.
“Eli is biologically your child.”
I exhaled.
Then she continued.
“But Luke is not his biological father.”
I stared at her.
“That’s impossible.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
“Claire—”
“I never cheated.”
“I’m not saying you did.”
“Then the test is wrong.”
“We repeated it.”
My hands shook.
I looked at Eli through the glass wall.
He was coloring with the child advocate.
Ten years ago, Luke had been beside me when Eli was born.
He had cut the cord.
He had held him first.
Unless...
My stomach turned.
“What if Eli was switched?”
Bennett nodded slowly.
“That’s what we’re investigating.”
Dr. Hale placed another document on the table.
“We located the delivery records from ten years ago.”
There had been four baby boys born within ninety minutes of Eli.
One had been delivered by Dr. Adrian Keller.
One family had moved overseas.
One infant had died at three months.
And one boy still lived thirty miles away.
His name was Noah Grant.
Bennett showed me his school photograph.
May you like
I stopped breathing.
He had Luke’s eyes.
