Chapter 13 - The Lie Marcus Kept
I nearly dropped the phone.
"What does that mean?"
Peter breathed slowly.
"Not over the phone."
"Everything happens over the phone with you."
"Emily."
"No."
I put him on speaker.
"Say it."
Marcus watched.
Victoria folded her arms.
Peter said, "Your original birth record was altered."
My mouth went dry.
"By who?"
"Michael Cross."
"Why?"
"Because he needed a Hale heir tied to the trust."
I laughed.
"I am Jonathan Hale's daughter."
Silence.
"Peter."
"You were raised as his daughter."
The distinction cut.
Marcus stepped forward.
"Stop."
Peter ignored him.
"Jonathan loved you. Do not question that."
"Then answer."
"I cannot prove paternity."
Victoria whispered, "Jesus."
I gripped the phone.
"Who was my mother?"
"Margaret Hale."
"My mother."
"Yes."
"And my father?"
Peter hesitated.
That was the cliff edge.
Then he said, "Samuel Vance may have been."
Victoria's face emptied.
I stared at her.
No.
No.
If Samuel was my father, Victoria was my half-sister.
Patricia too.
The entire nightmare collapsed inward.
Marcus snatched the phone.
"Where is the proof?"
"Jonathan found the hospital records."
"You have copies?"
"Yes."
"Send them."
"No."
"Peter."
"I need Emily alone."
I grabbed the phone back.
"Not happening."
"Then you do not get the file."
He disconnected.
I looked at Victoria.
She looked at me.
Neither knew what to say.
Marcus said, "We verify independently."
"How?"
"DNA."
Victoria laughed once.
"Of course."
I looked at her.
She did not look angry.
She looked scared.
"Do you want to know?"
She asked it quietly.
I nodded.
"Yes."
She did too.
We used a private lab outside the Hale network.
No trust insurance.
No family doctors.
No electronic request.
Just swabs.
Names coded.
Hours later, Marcus brought another file.
Not results.
A restored recording from Jonathan.
He had cached parts of the archive offline.
We watched.
Jonathan looked worse.
"This message is for Marcus."
Marcus froze.
"If Emily has reached the birth question, do not hide the marriage contingency any longer."
I looked at him.
He swallowed.
Jonathan continued.
"Patricia's plan did not begin with Daniel."
My pulse hammered.
"She began watching Emily before Emily was born."
I sat.
"Because Margaret's pregnancy threatened ownership claims Patricia intended to make through Michael."
Marcus whispered, "The original trust."
Jonathan continued.
"Michael entered the hospital using Peter's identity."
That explained the social security number.
"He attempted to access the newborn record."
I gripped the chair.
"Samuel stopped him."
Victoria stared.
"My father."
Jonathan nodded on screen.
"Samuel believed Michael intended to substitute records."
My stomach twisted.
"Substitute what?"
The video answered.
"Paternity."
The room went silent.
Jonathan continued.
"Samuel was not Emily's father."
I closed my eyes.
Relief came so hard it hurt.
Victoria exhaled.
Then Jonathan said:
"But neither was I."
My eyes opened.
Marcus whispered, "What?"
Jonathan's face tightened with pain.
"Margaret told me the truth the night Emily was born."
I could hear my own heartbeat.
"Emily's biological father was Peter Hale."
The room vanished.
My uncle.
My supposedly dead uncle.
Jonathan's younger brother.
I stood too fast.
The chair fell.
Victoria covered her mouth.
Marcus said my name.
I could not hear him.
The phone rang.
Peter.
Again.
I answered.
"Is it true?"
Silence.
"Peter."
His voice broke.
"Yes."
May you like
CUT.
