Chapter 5: The Secret in the Hospital Room
I booked the first flight to New York.
Noah argued against it.
Catherine strongly advised against it.
Even Olivia offered to arrange a secure video conference instead.
But I couldn't sit in California while another person used my stolen embryos as a bargaining chip.
I needed answers.
And I needed them from the people who had spent years lying to me.
The flight landed at LaGuardia shortly before noon.
Noah accompanied me.
He had arranged a driver and two security personnel, which I initially protested.
“I'm not a celebrity,” I told him.
“No,” he replied.
“You're a woman who has just discovered that someone may have stolen her identity, her medical records, and hundreds of millions of dollars.””
“That's a terrible introduction.””
“It's also accurate.””
I didn't argue.
At the hospital, Catherine's associate was waiting in the lobby.
Her name was Rebecca Sloan.
She handed me a visitor badge.
“Madison is in the maternal-fetal unit. Her father is here, and Grant arrived about twenty minutes ago.””
“Evelyn?””
“Already inside.””
I looked at Noah.
“Of course she is.””
Rebecca lowered her voice.
“Claire, there's something you should know before you go up. Madison specifically requested to see you.””
“Why?””
“She wouldn't say.””
The elevator doors opened.
We stepped out onto the maternity floor.
The corridor smelled of disinfectant and coffee. A television played quietly in the waiting room.
Grant stood near the nurses' station.
He looked terrible.
His tie was loose. His hair was uncombed. His eyes were red.
When he saw me, he took a step forward.
“Claire.””
I stopped.
“Don't.””
He looked at Noah.
“What is he doing here?””
“Something you should have done years ago,” I said.
“Telling me the truth.””
Grant's jaw tightened.
“This isn't the place.””
“You made it the place when you used my embryos.””
A nurse looked up.
Grant lowered his voice.
“Can we talk privately?””
“No.””
He glanced at the people around us.
“Claire, please. Madison is fragile. The babies are at risk. We need to handle this carefully.””
I stared at him.
“You didn't handle anything carefully when you stole my chance to become a mother.””
He flinched.
For a moment, I thought he might apologize.
Instead, he said, “I never wanted you to find out this way.””
I shook my head.
“You never wanted me to find out at all.””
A door opened behind him.
Evelyn emerged.
She wore a cream-colored suit and a pearl necklace. Even in a hospital corridor, she looked as if she were attending a board meeting.
“Claire.””
Her eyes moved to Noah.
“I see you've brought company.””
“I'm not here for you.””
Evelyn smiled coldly.
“Then perhaps you should leave. This is a family matter.””
I looked at her.
“Funny. You didn't consider me family when you paid Madison to replace me.””
Her face changed.
Grant stepped between us.
“Stop it.””
I looked at him.
“Move.””
He hesitated.
Then Madison appeared in the doorway.
She was sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a hospital gown. Her face was pale, and there were dark circles beneath her eyes.
Her hand rested protectively over her stomach.
“Let her come in,” she said.
Evelyn turned sharply.
“Madison, you need to rest.””
“I said let her come in.””
The room fell silent.
I followed Madison inside.
Noah remained near the doorway while Rebecca spoke with the hospital staff.
Madison gestured toward a chair.
I sat opposite her.
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then she said something I hadn't expected.
“I'm sorry.””
I studied her face.
“Which part?””
Her eyes filled.
“All of it.””
I folded my hands.
“Start with the embryos.””
Madison looked toward the window.
“I didn't know at first.””
“When did you find out?””
“About a year after I started working for Grant.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“You worked for him?””
“His mother hired me as an executive assistant. She said I had potential. She paid for my apartment and my education.””
“Was that before or after you started sleeping with my husband?””
Madison looked down.
“Before.””
I waited.
She swallowed.
“Evelyn told me Grant's marriage was already over. She said you had agreed to a divorce, but the timing wasn't right because of the company.””
I laughed without humor.
“I was still attending fertility appointments.””
“I know.””
“Did you know I was trying to have a baby?””
Madison nodded.
I stared at her.
“And you still went ahead?””
Her lips trembled.
“I was told the embryos had been legally donated.””
“By whom?””
“Evelyn.””
“Did you see the paperwork?””
“Yes.””
“Did you see my signature?””
She hesitated.
Then she nodded.
I leaned forward.
“Was it real?””
“No.””
The answer came so quietly I almost missed it.
I sat back.
“Who forged it?””
“Evelyn's attorney arranged it.””
My hands curled into fists beneath the table.
“Why?””
Madison wiped her cheek.
“Because she wanted Grant to have children before the divorce. She believed that if he had biological heirs, the company would remain under the Whitmore family name.””
I looked at her.
“But Grant isn't the only person with the Whitmore name.””
Madison's eyes lifted.
“That's what she was afraid of.””
My heart began pounding.
“What do you mean?””
She glanced toward the door.
Then she lowered her voice.
“Your father left you the company. Evelyn knew.””
I went still.
“She knew about the trust?””
Madison nodded.
“She knew before Grant did.””
The room seemed to shrink.
“Then why did she let me marry him?””
Madison's answer was almost a whisper.
“Because she thought she could control you.””
I stared at her.
“Control me how?””
“By making you financially dependent on Grant. By making you believe you couldn't have children. By making you feel like you owed the family everything.””
I felt sick.
Madison looked at my face.
“I know what I did was wrong. I know I can't undo it.””
“Then tell me the truth about the twins.””
She closed her eyes.
“They're genetically related to Grant.””
“Of course they are. The embryos came from our treatment.””
Madison shook her head.
“No. Claire, I mean something else.””
I waited.
She took a trembling breath.
“The embryos weren't the only material transferred.””
My stomach dropped.
“What?””
“The clinic used a donor sample during the fertilization process. I was told it was a supplemental genetic contribution.””
“Whose?””
“I don't know.””
“Madison.””
She began crying.
“I only found out last month. The clinic called me after an internal review. They said there might have been an error in the donor records.””
I felt my blood turn cold.
“An error?””
“They said the embryos may not have been genetically what I was told.””
I stood.
“Then what are those babies?””
Madison looked at me.
“I think one of them is Grant's.””
“And the other?””
She shook her head.
“I don't know.””
The door opened.
Evelyn entered.
“That's enough.””
Madison turned.
“No, it's not.””
Evelyn's expression hardened.
“You're exhausted. You need to stop talking.””
“I'm done lying for you.””
Grant appeared behind his mother.
“Madison, what are you doing?””
She looked at him.
“Tell her.””
Grant froze.
“Tell her what?””
“That you knew the embryos were Claire's. That you knew the clinic had mixed the genetic samples.””
I looked between them.
Grant's face had gone pale.
“Madison, stop.””
“Tell her!””
Evelyn grabbed the wheelchair handle.
“That's enough. We're leaving.””
Madison pulled away.
“No. I'm staying.””
She looked at me.
“I have something else.””
She reached beneath the blanket and pulled out a small plastic envelope.
Inside was a printed genetic report.
“I ordered a private test two weeks ago.””
Grant stepped forward.
“Madison, give me that.””
She held it tightly.
“No.””
I took the report.
The first page showed the genetic relationship between the twins and Grant.
One baby had a 99.9 percent probability of being his biological child.
The other had a probability of less than one percent.
I read it twice.
“That's impossible.””
Madison shook her head.
“The doctor said the samples might have been switched.””
I turned toward Grant.
“Whose DNA is the other baby's?””
He didn't answer.
Evelyn moved closer.
“Claire, you need to leave.””
I ignored her.
“Grant.””
His eyes met mine.
And in that moment, I saw something I had never seen during our seventeen years together.
Fear.
Not embarrassment.
Not guilt.
Fear.
He looked at the report and whispered:
“It's not supposed to be there.””
My voice dropped.
“What isn't?””
Before he could answer, Noah entered the room.
He had received a phone call outside.
His face was grim.
“Claire, we need to go.””
“Not yet.””
He looked at Grant.
Then at the genetic report.
“I know who the second biological father is.””
Grant's face drained of color.
Evelyn grabbed Noah's arm.
“You have no right to say anything.””
Noah gently removed her hand.
“The DNA sample came from a donor account connected to the Whitmore executive medical program.””
I looked at him.
“Whose account?””
He glanced at Grant.
Then he said a name.
“Richard Blake.””
Madison's father.
The man sitting on the company's board.
The man who had helped Evelyn fund the fertility program.
Madison covered her mouth.
“No.””
Noah continued.
“According to the records, Richard Blake's genetic sample was entered into the clinic database eleven years ago.””
Grant stepped backward.
Evelyn looked as though she might faint.
I stared at the report.
The twins were not simply the result of an unauthorized transfer.
One of them might be biologically related to Madison's own father.
A horrifying possibility.
But before I could process it, Madison spoke.
“There's something you don't know.””
Everyone turned toward her.
She looked directly at Grant.
“The doctor told me the second baby isn't Richard's.””
Grant closed his eyes.
Madison's voice trembled.
“It's yours.””
Silence.
Then she turned toward me.
“Claire, the clinic used an embryo created from your preserved genetic material and a donor sample that was supposed to belong to Grant. But the second sample was switched.””
I couldn't breathe.
“So one baby is Grant's?””
“Yes.””
“And the other?””
Madison shook her head.
“The clinic says the second baby may be genetically yours.””
I gripped the edge of the chair.
“What?””
“Your genetic material was used twice. They may have created two embryos from the same original egg batch, but the donor information was altered.””
The room went silent.
I looked at Grant.
He finally spoke.
“I can explain.””
I stepped toward him.
“No.””
“Claire—”
“You don't get to explain anything.””
I placed the report on the table.
Then I looked at Madison.
“Why did you ask me to come here?””
She reached for my hand.
I pulled away instinctively, then stopped.
Her eyes were filled with tears.
“Because the hospital found something in the second baby's genetic screening.””
“What?””
Madison swallowed.
“The baby has a rare inherited condition. The doctors believe the genetic history may be important for treatment.””
I stared at her.
“What condition?””
She shook her head.
“They haven't confirmed it.””
Then she looked toward Grant.
“But the doctor said something else.””
“What?””
Madison's voice broke.
“He said the genetic records show that the second baby may be your biological child.””
I couldn't move.
The baby I had believed was lost eleven years ago.
The baby whose heartbeat I had heard once.
The baby I had mourned alone.
Was there a possibility that part of that child had survived?
Noah stepped beside me.
“Claire, we need an independent medical investigation. We cannot rely on the clinic's records.””
I nodded slowly.
Then Grant reached for my arm.
“Claire, please. If the second baby is yours, we can fix this. We can start over.””
I looked at his hand.
Then at his face.
“You think this is about starting over?””
He swallowed.
I stepped away.
“This is about finding out what you stole.””
I walked out of the room.
But I hadn't reached the elevator when my phone rang.
Catherine Hayes.
I answered.
“Claire, I need you to listen carefully.””
“What happened?””
“The clinic's original embryology records have been recovered.””
My heart began racing.
“And?””
She hesitated.
“There's a serious problem with the timeline.””
“What problem?””
“The embryo transferred to Madison was not the only embryo transferred from your original treatment cycle.””
I stopped walking.
“Where did the other one go?””
Catherine lowered her voice.
“According to the records, a second transfer was performed under a different patient's name.””
“Whose name?””
There was a pause.
May you like
Then she said:
“Evelyn Whitmore.””
