Chapter 12 - What Ethan Knew
Ethan woke in Mara’s safe house twelve hours later.
I was feeding Emma when he opened his eyes.
He looked at the baby for a long time.
“Her name?”
“Emma.”
He nodded.
“It fits.”
I said nothing.
He sat up slowly.
“I deserve whatever you want to say.”
“Yes.”
“I left you.”
“Yes.”
“I believed a lie.”
“Yes.”
“I brought Vanessa.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
I looked at him.
“Sorry is what you say when you forget an anniversary.”
His face tightened.
“What you did was abandonment.”
“I know.”
“You watched me stand there bleeding after giving birth.”
His eyes dropped.
“You walked away.”
“I know.”
“You didn’t even touch her.”
Ethan started crying.
Quietly.
I had never seen him cry.
“I thought she was another man’s child.”
“That would not have made her responsible.”
He closed his eyes.
“No.”
“That is the part you still don’t understand.”
I shifted Emma against my shoulder.
“You didn’t only punish me.”
“You punished a newborn because your pride was hurt.”
He had no defense.
Finally, he whispered.
“You’re right.”
I expected satisfaction.
I felt none.
“What did you know about Meridian?”
“Nothing until yesterday.”
“What about Vanessa?”
“She approached me three months ago.”
My chest tightened.
“So the affair lasted three months?”
“Yes.”
He did not lie.
That almost made it worse.
“Why?”
“I thought you were pulling away.”
“So you cheated.”
“Yes.”
“Convenient.”
“I’m not asking you to forgive me.”
“Good.”
Luka stood in the doorway.
Ethan looked at him.
“You signed the certificate.”
“Yes.”
“You know it isn’t legally valid.”
Luka shrugged.
“It made the correct people angry.”
For the first time, Ethan almost smiled.
Then his expression hardened.
“My father.”
“Alive.”
Luka said.
“And probably planning another move.”
Ethan looked at Emma.
“What does he want from her?”
I told him.
By the time I finished, he looked sick.
“He engineered us.”
“Yes.”
“My company.”
“Yes.”
“My investments.”
“Yes.”
“My entire life.”
“Apparently.”
Ethan stared at the floor.
Then he looked up.
“I can get into Northbridge.”
Mara entered.
“How?”
“My father gave me emergency access codes years ago.”
“He told me they were for estate planning.”
Luka crossed his arms.
“Why would he give you access?”
“In case he died.”
A bitter laugh escaped Ethan.
“Apparently he has a flexible definition of death.”
Mara brought over the laptop.
Ethan entered a sequence of passwords.
Northbridge’s private server opened.
Folders filled the screen.
MERIDIAN.
M-17.
CARTER.
COLE.
EMMA.
My blood went cold.
“They already named her.”
I whispered.
Ethan opened the folder.
Inside were prenatal scans.
Hospital reports.
Photographs of me sleeping.
Videos recorded inside our home.
I felt violated in a way I could not describe.
Then Ethan opened another file.
DNA COMPATIBILITY - FINAL.
The report contained three profiles.
Mine.
Ethan’s.
Emma’s.
At the bottom was a fourth profile.
FATHER CANDIDATE TRUE.
The name beside it was not Ethan Cole.
May you like
It was LUKA MORETTI.
Everyone in the room went silent.
