Chapter 12 - VICTOR’S CONFESSION

Lily stared at Dr. Kim.

“I never authorized a prenatal paternity test.”

“I know,” Dr. Kim said.

Adam did not release Lily’s hand.

The report claimed he was not the baby’s father.

The first time doubt had appeared, he had allowed jealousy to freeze him.

He would not repeat that failure.

“The sample is false,” he said.

Dr. Kim nodded.

“That is my assessment.”

“How can you tell?” Lily asked.

“The collection date is three weeks ago.”

“I was never tested.”

“The record claims a procedure was performed at the Carter Prenatal Center.”

“I have never been there.”

Adam looked at the document.

“Who entered the order?”

“Dr. Mercer.”

“Then this is another attempt to discredit Lily.”

“Yes.”

“Can we prove the sample was not hers?”

“We can compare it with her blood.”

“How long?”

“Several hours.”

Lily’s face remained pale.

“They planned every doubt.”

Adam squeezed her hand.

“And we stop treating their paperwork as truth.”

Dr. Kim collected another sample under federal observation.

The false report had already reached Charles Wren.

He submitted it to the court with a renewed request for Evelyn to receive guardianship.

Judge Wren scheduled another hearing for the next morning.

Adam realized Evelyn’s strategy was not based on winning one argument.

She created so many competing claims that truth became difficult to identify.

If Adam was not Jonathan’s son, he lacked authority.

If Lily’s baby was not Adam’s, the trust might not activate.

If Lily was unstable, her testimony could be dismissed.

If Adam abducted Ortiz, he could be declared unfit.

Each lie supported another.

Victor asked to see Adam privately.

He had been moved to a secured hospital suite.

Adam entered alone.

Victor looked smaller beneath the white sheets.

A bandage covered his side.

“You saved Grace,” Adam said.

“I arrived late.”

“You still entered the boathouse.”

“I knew the service tunnel.”

“Why did Evelyn shoot you?”

“She was aiming at Grace.”

Adam’s jaw tightened.

“You moved between them.”

“Yes.”

“That does not erase what you did before.”

“No.”

Victor looked toward the window.

“I need to tell you about the second ledger.”

“You said Mercer had it.”

“He does.”

“What is in Lily’s record?”

“Samuel Brennan’s name.”

“Is he her father?”

“Probably.”

“That is not enough.”

“There is a recording.”

“Of Brennan?”

“Of Anne Donovan.”

Lily’s mother.

“What did she say?”

“She described Mercer’s arrangement.”

“Which arrangement?”

“Brennan represented several Bell House patients.”

“Did he know babies were being taken?”

“At first, no.”

“And later?”

“He discovered the truth after Anne became pregnant.”

“With Lily.”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t he expose Mercer?”

“Evelyn threatened Anne.”

Adam stared at him.

“Brennan chose silence.”

“He gathered evidence quietly.”

“Like my father.”

“Yes.”

“And both men died.”

Victor looked at him.

“Brennan’s stroke may not have been natural.”

“Mercer.”

“Most likely.”

“Why did Rebecca tell me someone stole the envelope?”

“Because Mercer did.”

“And you recovered it.”

“Yes.”

“But Margaret took it from your office.”

“Yes.”

“Where is she?”

“Federal custody.”

“Has she spoken?”

“She asked for immunity.”

“Will she receive it?”

“That depends on what she knows.”

“What does she know?”

Victor’s voice lowered.

“She knows where Mercer stores the second ledger.”

Adam leaned forward.

“Where?”

“An underground archive beneath the old Carter Women’s Clinic.”

“We were there.”

“You were on the upper level.”

“How do we enter the archive?”

“Mercer’s biometric key.”

“He is a fugitive.”

“Margaret has a copied fingerprint.”

Adam stood.

“Why did she help him?”

“She believed Evelyn would make her Foundation director.”

“She forged my signature.”

“She forged many.”

“Did she create the false prenatal record?”

“She entered it.”

“Whose sample did they use?”

Victor hesitated.

“Mine.”

Adam stared at him.

“Your DNA?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“To ensure the report excluded you.”

“Then the sample will show the child is related to me.”

Victor nodded.

“We share family markers through Evelyn.”

“Evelyn is not my biological mother.”

Victor’s expression changed.

“You are right.”

“Then why use your sample?”

“Mercer believed Evelyn was your mother.”

“No.”

Adam studied him.

“You knew she was not.”

“Yes.”

“Mercer knew too.”

“Maybe the sample came from someone else.”

“Who?”

Victor looked uncomfortable.

“There is one possibility.”

“Say it.”

“Daniel Price.”

“My assistant?”

“Evelyn paid him.”

Adam remembered that Daniel knew about his early flight.

He had access to schedules, medical insurance records, and family accounts.

“Is he the biological father?” Adam asked.

“No.”

“Did Lily know him personally?”

“He worked with her on Foundation archives.”

Lily had taken calls on the balcony.

Evelyn had pointed to those calls.

Adam felt the old mechanism activating.

Doubt.

Suggestion.

Suspicion.

He stopped it.

“Evelyn wants me to believe they had an affair.”

“Yes.”

“Did they?”

“I do not know.”

“Then you should not have raised it.”

Victor lowered his eyes.

“You are learning faster than I did.”

Adam left the room and returned to Lily.

He told her about Daniel.

She did not appear surprised.

“He helped me find Claire,” she said.

“Why did you hide that?”

“I did not hide it.”

“You never mentioned him.”

“You never asked who helped with the archive search.”

Adam breathed slowly.

This was the moment Evelyn had designed.

“He knew I was coming home early,” Adam said.

“Yes.”

“Victor says Evelyn paid him.”

Lily’s face tightened.

“I did not know that.”

“Did you meet him outside work?”

“Twice.”

“Where?”

“A coffee shop.”

“Why?”

“He brought records he would not send electronically.”

“Did he ever come to the apartment?”

“No.”

“Did he touch you?”

Lily stared at him.

“Adam.”

“I am asking because they used someone’s sample.”

“That is not what you are asking.”

He stopped.

She was right.

He had allowed the question to become accusation.

“I’m sorry.”

“You promised.”

“I know.”

“You promised not to treat doubt like evidence.”

“I failed.”

“You paused.”

“It sounded like suspicion.”

“It felt like suspicion.”

Adam sat beside her.

“I believe the baby is mine.”

“Do you?”

“Yes.”

“Because you trust me or because you think the report is forged?”

“Both.”

Lily looked away.

“That should have been your first answer.”

“I am still unlearning thirty-eight years of my mother’s voice.”

“She nearly cost us our child.”

“I know.”

“I need you to understand that your hesitation is not harmless to me.”

He nodded.

“You are right.”

She looked back at him.

“I met Daniel because he told me Claire was in danger.”

“Was she?”

“Yes.”

“Where is she?”

“Daniel said Mercer moved her.”

“Did he say where?”

“No.”

“When did you last speak to him?”

“Yesterday afternoon.”

“Before the attack.”

“Yes.”

“What did he say?”

“That he found the second ledger.”

Adam stood.

“Where?”

“He would only tell me in person.”

“Did you arrange to meet?”

“Today.”

“What time?”

“Eight.”

The wall clock showed 7:42.

“Where?”

“A parking garage beneath the Foundation archive.”

Adam called Ortiz.

They left ten minutes later.

The garage was nearly empty.

Daniel’s car sat near the lower level.

The driver’s door was open.

Adam approached with Ortiz beside him.

Daniel lay against the steering wheel.

He was alive but barely conscious.

Ortiz called for medical assistance.

Adam found a flash drive clenched in Daniel’s hand.

Daniel opened his eyes.

“Lily?”

“She is safe.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I gave Evelyn your flight information.”

Adam controlled his anger.

“Why?”

“She said she wanted to repair your marriage.”

“You believed her?”

“She threatened my sister.”

“What happened here?”

“Mercer.”

“Where is the ledger?”

Daniel looked toward the concrete wall.

“Below.”

“Below the garage?”

He nodded weakly.

“There is a freight elevator.”

“What opens it?”

Daniel lifted his hand.

A small key card rested beneath the flash drive.

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Before losing consciousness, he whispered one final warning.

“Do not let Victor enter the archive.”