Chapter 3 - THE BLOOD TEST
Daniel Ross arrived twenty minutes later.
He had been Nathan’s attorney for eight years.
More importantly, he had known Nathan since college.
Daniel took one look at the police, Grace’s bruised shoulder, Victoria’s white face, and the burned documents.
Then he removed his glasses.
“I leave you alone for one afternoon.”
Nathan didn’t smile.
“Tell me what this is.”
Daniel studied the burned page.
His expression changed.
“Where did you get it?”
“Victoria was burning it.”
Victoria crossed her arms.
“It’s private family business.”
Daniel looked at her.
“That answer probably sounded better in your head.”
Victoria glared.
The doctor arrived shortly after.
Nathan and Lily each gave a cheek swab.
Lily looked at the cotton swab suspiciously.
“Is it medicine?”
Nathan crouched beside her.
“No.”
“Will it hurt?”
“Not even a little.”
She studied him.
“Promise?”
Nathan’s throat tightened.
“Promise.”
The doctor swabbed her cheek.
Lily giggled.
“That tickles.”
Nathan almost smiled.
Grace watched from across the room.
It was the first moment she had ever seen Nathan with his daughter.
It hurt more than Victoria’s blow.
Because it was beautiful.
And because it should have happened four years earlier.
The rapid test would take ninety minutes.
Daniel spent those ninety minutes tearing apart the police file.
“These flight records are suspicious.”
The detective frowned.
“How?”
“The payment source.”
Daniel pointed.
“Ticket purchased with a prepaid card registered in Grace’s name.”
“So?”
“Grace doesn’t have a credit history connected to this address.”
The detective looked.
Daniel continued.
“And according to this receipt, she purchased the card at 8:17 yesterday morning.”
Grace frowned.
“I was here.”
Nathan looked at the kitchen camera system.
“My home has security footage.”
Victoria suddenly spoke.
“The cameras were down yesterday.”
Nathan turned.
“How do you know?”
Victoria froze.
Nathan’s voice became soft.
“I didn’t know they were down.”
No one spoke.
“So how did you?”
Victoria stared at him.
“I noticed.”
“Why?”
She gave no answer.
Daniel slowly smiled.
“Well.”
He looked at the detective.
“I think we just found something more interesting than your fake plane tickets.”
The detective began taking notes.
Victoria walked away.
Nathan followed.
She spun around.
“You’re humiliating me.”
Nathan stared at her.
“You attacked a woman and her child.”
“That child is not yours.”
“Scared?”
Victoria’s face hardened.
“Of what?”
“The test.”
She laughed.
“You really think some waitress shows up with a kid who has dark eyes and suddenly she owns you?”
Nathan stepped closer.
“Grace never asked me for anything.”
“She didn’t need to.”
Victoria hissed.
“She brought the child into your house.”
“By accident.”
“You believe that?”
“I believe you tried to burn a contract connected to my firstborn child.”
Victoria’s eyes flashed.
“You don’t understand what’s at stake.”
“Then explain it.”
She looked toward the room where Grace sat.
“You could lose everything.”
Nathan frowned.
Victoria leaned in.
“The Cole company.”
“The estate.”
“Your voting control.”
“Everything your father built.”
Nathan studied her.
“And Lily threatens that?”
Victoria realized she had said too much.
Nathan nodded slowly.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For confirming it.”
Before she could respond, Daniel appeared.
“Nathan.”
He held the test results.
Grace stood behind him.
Lily clung to her hand.
Nathan’s heart started pounding.
Daniel looked down at the paper.
Then back at Nathan.
“Probability of paternity is 99.99 percent.”
No one spoke.
Nathan looked at Lily.
His daughter.
Not maybe.
Not possibly.
His.
Lily stared back.
“Daddy?”
Nathan’s eyes filled.
He crouched.
For a second he didn’t know what to do.
Then Lily walked toward him.
Slowly.
She put her tiny arms around his neck.
Nathan broke.
He hugged her carefully.
Grace turned away as tears slipped down her face.
Victoria stared at them with naked hatred.
Nathan whispered into Lily’s hair.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
Lily pulled back.
“You didn’t know.”
Nathan looked at Grace.
Those four words destroyed him.
A four-year-old had forgiven him before he had even forgiven himself.
Then Daniel’s phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
“What?”
Nathan stood.
Daniel looked at him.
“The company board just called an emergency meeting.”
“When?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
Nathan frowned.
“Why?”
Daniel hesitated.
“They’re voting on whether you’re still fit to serve as CEO.”
Victoria smiled.
Nathan saw it.
May you like
Daniel lowered his phone.
“And Victoria’s father requested the vote.”
