Chapter 7 - THE PATERNITY LIE
I could not breathe.
“Say that again.”
Ethan’s face looked destroyed.
“Leo isn’t biologically mine.”
I slapped him.
Again.
This time harder.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“DNA test.”
“When?”
“Before the crash.”
My legs weakened.
Roman moved closer but did not touch me.
“Who is Leo’s father?”
Ethan looked toward the window.
Adrian waited beyond the gate.
“No.”
“Ethan.”
“You need to hear the whole thing.”
“I need a name.”
He swallowed.
“Daniel Kesler.”
David’s older brother.
My manager’s brother.
My head spun.
“I dated Daniel once.”
“More than once.”
I stared.
Two months before Ethan and I became serious, I had dated Daniel briefly.
Three dates.
One impulsive night.
Then he disappeared.
Never called again.
I found out I was pregnant weeks later.
I assumed Ethan was the father because timing overlapped.
He never questioned it.
At least not publicly.
“Daniel knew?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“He came to me.”
“When?”
“Three months into your pregnancy.”
My body went cold.
“He told you?”
“He suspected.”
“Why didn’t he tell me?”
“He was married.”
Of course.
Of course.
“And you?”
“I loved you.”
“So you decided not to tell me?”
“I thought biology didn’t matter.”
“It mattered because you lied.”
“Yes.”
Every man in my life apparently believed love granted them the right to rewrite reality.
“What happened to Daniel?”
Ethan looked toward Roman.
“Adrian recruited him.”
“For what?”
“Financial access.”
Daniel worked in private banking.
Suddenly everything connected.
“He helped move the money.”
“Yes.”
“Then?”
“He wanted out.”
“Did Adrian kill him?”
Ethan nodded.
“When?”
“Five years ago.”
My stomach dropped.
“Before Leo was born?”
“Two weeks before.”
I covered my mouth.
Daniel had died without knowing Leo.
Or maybe knowing.
“Why did Adrian mention him?”
“Because Daniel set up the trust under Leo’s biological identity.”
I stared.
“Meaning?”
Ethan answered.
“The master account does not recognize Leo Carter.”
Roman went still.
“What name?”
Ethan looked at me.
“Leo Kesler.”
My head pounded.
David.
My manager.
Leo’s biological uncle.
No wonder he had access to employee records.
No wonder Laura had been used.
“Did David know?”
Ethan hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
Adrian’s voice came through the gate intercom again.
“He does.”
We all turned.
Adrian smiled into the camera.
“David knew exactly who the boy was.”
My stomach twisted.
Roman activated the speaker.
“What do you want?”
“Ethan.”
“No.”
“The boy.”
“No.”
“Then the account remains locked.”
“Good.”
Adrian laughed.
“You think I only want money?”
Roman’s face hardened.
“What else?”
“Proof.”
“Of what?”
“That our father killed Daniel.”
Silence.
Ethan stared.
“You told me Adrian did it.”
Adrian’s smile disappeared.
“I ordered nothing.”
Roman looked between them.
I felt sick.
Who was lying?
Adrian continued.
“Daniel discovered Vittorio had known about the theft from the beginning.”
Roman’s face changed.
“He knew?”
“He knew everything.”
“What did he do?”
“He let it continue.”
“Why?”
“To identify everyone stealing from him.”
Roman stepped closer to the monitor.
“And Daniel?”
“Collateral.”
My skin went cold.
Vittorio had apparently allowed Daniel to die to preserve an operation.
Adrian held up the envelope.
“Inside is the recording.”
“What recording?”
“Daniel’s last conversation with Vittorio.”
My heart hammered.
“Why give it to us?”
Adrian smiled.
“Because Roman deserves to know what kind of empire he inherited.”
Then he placed the envelope on the ground.
Returned to his car.
And drove away.
Inside the envelope was a flash drive.
Daniel’s voice.
Vittorio’s voice.
And one sentence that changed everything.
Daniel said:
“If you kill me, Megan’s son becomes the only person who can unlock the account.”
Vittorio responded:
“Then the boy becomes Roman’s responsibility.”
Roman stared at the recording.
May you like
His father had known about Leo before Leo was born.
And apparently he had left my son to Roman deliberately.
