His Betrayal, Her Unborn Child

he horror was mixed with a jolt of adrenaline, a cold, clear purpose. This was a chess game, an

rule: get

dn't feign sleep. I got up, got dressed, and walke

inst my lips made my stomach churn, but I pushed it down. "I'm

, his face a perfect m

me good," I said, already grabb

plained that my husband and I were anxious for the results and that our email seemed to be down. I played the part of the

Patterson. Congratu

ers. I didn't dare look at them yet. I shoved the thick

, working on a new design, and I could feel his anticipation, his anx

ctor?" he asked casually around no

ce smooth as glass. "You

ked myself in the bathroom. My hands trembled so badly I could barely unfold the papers.

. I scanned the pages, my eyes searching for the summary, for the part a lay

Probability (Li

mind reeled. How was that possible? I had never been with anyo

st. Anomalous finding: The paternal DNA shows a significant ma

e relative. F

mory I had buried, convinced it was a nightmare. But it wasn't a nightmare. It was my uncle. My mother's brother. The family scandal they never spoke of. He wasn't a first-degree relative, but the genetic overlap was close eno

ipped from my numb fingers into the bathwater. I snatched them o

oe? Are you alright? You've been in

e of towels and opened the door. "Jus

aying in my mind. My family hadn't just tried to kill my c

s of water, leaving my purse on the living room sofa. When I ca

low. He pulled the damp, ruined report from my bag.

gone. The mon

d, his face contorting with rage. "

and ran. I didn't run for the back alley. I ran for the front door. I threw it open a

in the polished marble lobby. "SOME

ed gasps. The doors started to close just as Liam reached t

the lobby, her small dog yapping at her feet. She stared,

ing a shaking finger back at

rtion and rage. He saw Mrs. Gable and skidded to a halt,

s voice smooth and placating. "She's n

uted, backing away.

with suspicion at his aggressive pursuit. "Young man, you

t was thwarting him. Defeated for the moment, he pulled out his phone and

outhed at me silently, a cru

er, Daniel, try to grab Liam in a display of protective rage, but Liam subtly flashed the soggy, incriminating papers, an