Chapter 9 - THE DNA TEST THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Roman looked at me.
I looked at him.
Neither of us spoke.
Vittorio Moretti.
The man who had controlled a criminal network.
The man whose name appeared throughout the adoption ledger.
The man whose daughter Elena had been taken away.
Could he really be my father?
I felt sick.
"That's impossible."
Detective Bennett remained calm.
"Cassandra's claim needs verification."
Roman nodded immediately.
"Then verify it."
For once, he didn't demand answers.
He asked for evidence.
Independent genetic testing was arranged with the consent of everyone involved.
Roman.
Me.
Owen.
Elena.
And Beatrice.
The waiting was unbearable.
I spent three days imagining every possible outcome.
What if Roman was my brother?
What if Beatrice was my biological mother?
What if the people who raised me were protecting me from my own father?
Every possibility seemed worse than the last.
Roman gave me space.
He didn't call constantly.
Didn't send expensive gifts.
Didn't try to manage my emotions.
But each morning, he sent one simple message.
Are you okay?
And each morning, I answered honestly.
Not really.
He never tried to fix it with money.
He simply replied:
I'm here if you need anything.
On the fourth morning, the results arrived.
Detective Bennett arranged a meeting.
My hands shook as she opened the envelope.
Roman sat across from me.
His expression was unreadable.
The detective began.
"The testing does not support Cassandra's claim that Vittorio Moretti was Harper's biological father."
I exhaled.
Roman closed his eyes.
Relief washed through the room.
Then she continued.
"However, the testing indicates Harper and Owen are biological siblings."
I looked toward Owen.
He smiled through tears.
I hugged him.
Whatever else was uncertain, he was my brother.
My family.
Then the detective opened another page.
"There's more."
My stomach tightened.
"What?"
"The comparison with available family reference samples identified another possible relationship."
Roman looked up.
"Who?"
The detective hesitated.
Then said:
"Harper appears to be related to Cassandra Voss through her maternal line."
I frowned.
"So Cassandra really is our mother?"
"That's what the results strongly support."
I stared at the table.
Then Detective Bennett continued.
"We also identified your biological father's name through additional records."
My heart pounded.
"Who?"
"Michael Voss."
I swallowed.
"Where is he?"
The detective's expression changed.
"He disappeared twenty years ago."
I closed my eyes.
Another missing person.
Another secret.
Then she handed me a photograph.
A man stood outside a shipping warehouse.
Dark hair.
A gentle smile.
Holding two small children.
Me.
And Owen.
On the back was a message.
For my babies. I'll come back.
I began crying.
But the final document changed everything.
Michael Voss had been listed as a confidential witness in a federal investigation against Vittorio Moretti.
And the final entry in his file read:
"Protected witness compromised by internal leak."
Roman stared at the page.
May you like
Then whispered:
"Someone inside the government helped my father find him."
