Chapter 7 - JULIAN WAS NEVER A WHITMORE
Julian learned the truth from me.
Not Richard.
Not Margaret.
Me.
We sat in Daniel’s office after midnight.
I put the paternity report in front of him.
“The babies are yours.”
His eyes filled instantly.
For a moment, everything else disappeared.
Four children.
His.
Mine.
Ours.
Then he saw the second report.
“What is this?”
“Your genetic comparison with Richard.”
He read it.
His expression changed.
“No.”
“Julian.”
“No.”
He stood.
“This is wrong.”
“The lab repeated it.”
“My father is my father.”
“Biologically, he isn’t.”
Julian stared at me as if I had just erased his name.
“Does my mother know?”
“I don’t know.”
He left before I could stop him.
At six the next morning, Margaret called.
“He knows.”
“Yes.”
“She told him everything?” I asked.
Margaret started crying.
“I did.”
“Who is his father?”
A long silence.
Then:
“Elias Cross.”
Adrian’s father.
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
Margaret explained.
Thirty-four years earlier, before marrying Richard, she had an affair with Dr. Elias Cross.
She became pregnant.
Richard knew.
And married her anyway.
“Why?”
“Because Elias was brilliant, and Richard wanted control of the research.”
“You let Richard raise Julian.”
“Yes.”
“Did Elias know?”
“Not until years later.”
“What happened then?”
“He threatened to tell Julian.”
“And Richard destroyed him.”
Margaret sobbed.
Richard used financial pressure, accusations of research misconduct, and lawsuits to ruin Elias.
Elias lost his career.
Then disappeared.
“He died when Adrian was twelve,” Margaret said.
“Suicide?”
She hesitated.
“Officially.”
Of course.
Nothing in this family had a simple death.
Adrian had grown up believing Richard stole his father’s career, reputation, and son.
Julian.
His biological half-brother.
Suddenly Adrian’s actions changed shape.
He wasn’t merely seeking revenge.
He might have been trying to expose Julian’s true identity.
That afternoon, Julian returned.
He looked hollow.
“Margaret told me.”
“You called her Margaret.”
“She lied to me my entire life.”
“So did Richard.”
“Yes.”
He sat.
“I’m not a Whitmore.”
“You’re still you.”
“That sounds comforting.”
“It’s also true.”
His eyes moved to my stomach.
“Our children aren’t Whitmore heirs.”
“Maybe that’s a blessing.”
He almost smiled.
Then Daniel entered.
“We found Adrian.”
Julian stood.
“Where?”
“He contacted investigators voluntarily.”
That surprised everyone.
Adrian agreed to surrender if he could speak to Julian first.
Supervised.
We went to a federal building.
Adrian Cross looked nothing like Richard.
Dark hair.
Gray eyes.
Calm expression.
When Julian entered, Adrian stared at him for a long time.
“You look like him.”
“Elias?”
“Our father.”
Julian flinched.
“You knew?”
“For years.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Would you have believed me?”
Julian didn’t answer.
Adrian turned toward me.
“I’m sorry Vanessa used you.”
“You were working with her.”
“Yes.”
“Did you kidnap her?”
“No.”
“Where is she?”
“She’s hiding.”
“From Richard?”
“Yes.”
Adrian explained that Vanessa initially worked for Richard.
Then discovered the embryos were genetically Richard’s and realized the legal implications.
She contacted Adrian.
He promised to help her escape the agreement.
“Why steal Richard’s samples?”
“To prevent him from creating more children.”
Julian’s face twisted.
“Children.”
“Assets,” Adrian corrected. “That’s how Richard sees them.”
Adrian handed investigators a drive.
“This contains proof Richard falsified Elias’s research scandal and evidence connecting him to two deaths.”
“My father’s?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“And Elias?”
Adrian nodded.
“He didn’t commit suicide.”
The room went still.
Richard had allegedly paid a private medical contractor to stage an overdose.
Adrian had spent twenty years proving it.
Then he looked at Julian.
“There’s more.”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“What?”
“Richard knew you weren’t his biological son before you were born.”
“I know.”
“No.”
Adrian leaned forward.
“You don’t understand.”
“He did not marry Margaret out of generosity.”
“Then why?”
“Because Elias had created a fertility breakthrough.”
“What breakthrough?”
Adrian’s expression hardened.
“You.”
Julian stared.
Adrian explained that Elias carried the same infertility risk Richard believed threatened the Whitmore line.
But Elias had undergone an experimental treatment before Julian’s conception.
Julian was proof it could work.
Richard spent decades trying to recreate it.
My pregnancy was the first evidence that he had succeeded.
I placed a hand over my stomach.
“Without our consent.”
“Yes.”
May you like
Then Adrian said:
“And that is why Richard will never let those four babies go.”
