Chapter 8: The Man Behind the False Reports
Robert's revelation left the garden in chaos.
Rachel pulled me away from the table.
My mother was crying.
Margaret had sat down and covered her face.
Victoria stared at the photograph of Marcus as though it might suddenly disappear.
But Daniel was the one who frightened me most.
He wasn't shocked anymore.
He looked angry.
Not confused.
Not heartbroken.
Angry.
"Where did you get that photograph?"" he demanded.
Robert folded his arms.
"From Marcus.""
Daniel laughed.
"You're lying.""
"Am I?""
"Marcus left the country.""
"That's what you told everyone.""
Daniel looked toward the exit.
Ethan noticed.
"Don't even think about running.""
Daniel turned.
"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into.""
Ethan stepped closer.
"I've been trying to figure that out for eleven months.""
Robert raised his hand.
"Both of you. Sit down.""
Neither brother moved.
Robert sighed.
"Then listen.""
He explained that Marcus had worked with Daniel for nearly six years.
Together, they'd created several companies to manage investments connected to Parker Holdings.
At first, the arrangement was legitimate.
Then money started disappearing.
Marcus had been moving funds into private accounts, while Daniel created false invoices to hide the transactions.
When Robert discovered the scheme, Marcus disappeared.
Daniel told everyone that Marcus had fled to avoid prosecution.
But Robert had discovered something else.
Marcus had never left the country.
He had been living under a different identity, using money from the stolen accounts.
And during that time, he'd been secretly involved with Victoria.
I looked at my sister.
"How long?""
She wiped her face.
"Almost eight months.""
"Eight months?""
She nodded.
"Marcus told me he was separated from his wife. He said he was going to divorce her.""
I stared at her.
"Did you know he was working with Daniel?""
"Not at first.""
"When did you find out?""
She looked at Daniel.
"He told me.""
Daniel scoffed.
"Don't make me responsible for your choices.""
Victoria turned on him.
"You introduced us!""
The words silenced everyone.
I slowly looked at Daniel.
"You introduced your mistress to your business partner?""
Daniel shook his head.
"That's not what happened.""
Victoria stepped forward.
"You invited me to that dinner at the hotel. You said Marcus could help me find a job. You knew exactly what you were doing.""
Daniel's expression hardened.
"And you were perfectly happy to accept his money.""
Victoria's mouth fell open.
I felt sick.
"Money?""
Robert answered.
"Marcus had been transferring money to Victoria for months. Some of those payments came from the company's accounts.""
Victoria shook her head.
"I didn't know.""
Robert placed a bank statement in front of her.
"Look at the dates.""
She picked it up.
Her eyes widened.
There were multiple transfers.
Five thousand.
Eight thousand.
Twelve thousand.
One payment of twenty thousand dollars.
Victoria's voice trembled.
"Marcus told me it was money from his investments.""
"Some of it was," Robert said.
"Most wasn't.""
I stared at my sister.
"So your pregnancy...""
Victoria lowered the paper.
"I thought Marcus loved me.""
For a moment, I felt sorry for her.
Then I remembered the ultrasound she'd placed on my gift table.
The way she'd announced her pregnancy in front of everyone.
The way she'd used my face to get close to my husband.
And the sympathy disappeared.
"You had a choice, Victoria.""
She nodded.
"I know.""
"You could have called me. You could have told me what Daniel was doing. Instead, you came here to destroy my marriage.""
Victoria looked at me.
"I thought if I exposed Daniel, he'd finally choose me.""
I laughed softly.
"He never chose you.""
She started crying.
Then Robert opened another folder.
"There is one more issue.""
Ethan rubbed his forehead.
"Of course there is.""
Robert ignored him.
"The laboratory report Daniel arranged was never intended to establish the truth. It was intended to create a legal dispute over the baby.""
I looked at him.
"Why?""
"Because if Daniel could convince the court that Ethan was the biological father, he could argue that you had been unfaithful. That would complicate the divorce and give him leverage over the house and the Parker inheritance.""
Ethan nodded slowly.
"And the company?""
Robert pointed to another document.
"Daniel intended to use the scandal to remove me and Ethan from the business.""
Daniel suddenly stood.
"You're making it sound like I planned some elaborate conspiracy.""
Robert looked at him.
"You did.""
Daniel's voice rose.
"You never gave me anything!""
Robert didn't move.
"You were given everything.""
"No! Ethan was always the favorite!""
Ethan shook his head.
"This isn't about me.""
"It has always been about you!""
Daniel pointed at his brother.
"You got the company shares. You got Dad's trust. You got everyone's respect. And I was left cleaning up your mistakes!""
Robert's face hardened.
"You were given the same opportunities.""
"Not the same love!""
The words hung in the air.
For a moment, I saw the two little boys Daniel and Ethan must once have been.
Two identical faces.
Two brothers competing for the same attention.
But childhood jealousy didn't excuse what Daniel had done.
I looked at him.
"You used me.""
He turned.
"Claire—"
"You used my sister. You used your brother. You even used your dead father's name to steal money.""
He lowered his head.
I touched my stomach.
"And you used our baby.""
Daniel's eyes filled.
"I never wanted to hurt the baby.""
"You wanted to hurt me. You just didn't care who got caught in the middle.""
He didn't answer.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
But something told me to answer.
"Hello?""
A man's voice came through.
"Claire Parker?""
"Who is this?""
"Marcus Reed.""
My blood ran cold.
I looked at Robert.
He nodded for me to continue.
"What do you want?""
Marcus laughed softly.
"I hear you've been having an interesting afternoon.""
I stepped away from the table.
"Where are you?""
"That doesn't matter.""
"You're the father of Victoria's baby?""
There was a pause.
"That's what the test says.""
"Why did you send false reports?""
Another pause.
Then he said, "Because Daniel asked me to.""
I closed my eyes.
"Why?""
"Because he needed everyone looking at the wrong man.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"What does that mean?""
Marcus lowered his voice.
"Claire, the baby you're carrying is not Ethan's.""
I gripped the phone.
"Then whose is it?""
He didn't answer.
Instead, he said, "Do you remember the night you went to the hospital for your first pregnancy appointment?""
I frowned.
"Yes.""
"Daniel wasn't there, was he?""
"No. He was traveling.""
Marcus laughed.
"That's what he told you.""
My heart began pounding.
"Where was he?""
"With me.""
I looked toward Daniel.
He was staring at me.
Marcus continued.
"And he wasn't alone.""
I felt the world tilt.
"Who was with him?""
"Your sister.""
I stared at Victoria.
She shook her head.
"No.""
Marcus continued.
"Victoria had already started pretending to be you by then. Daniel wanted to make sure the hospital records showed the correct name.""
I couldn't breathe.
"Why would he do that?""
"Because he needed access to something.""
"What?""
Marcus lowered his voice.
"Your medical records.""
I looked at Robert.
His expression changed.
Marcus continued.
"Claire, there's something in your medical history that Daniel discovered before you did.""
I felt a cold wave pass through me.
"What?""
"Your pregnancy wasn't the first pregnancy in that family that needed to be hidden.""
I stared at the phone.
"Explain.""
But Marcus didn't.
Instead, I heard a door slam on his end.
Then a woman's voice.
"Marcus, stop talking!""
The call ended.
I looked at the screen.
A new message arrived seconds later.
It contained a photograph of a medical file.
My name was printed at the top.
Underneath it was a date.
And beside the date was a note written in red ink:
*EMBRYO TRANSFER — PATIENT IDENTITY DISPUTED.*
I stared at the words.
I had never undergone fertility treatment.
I had conceived naturally.
At least, that's what I'd always believed.
I looked at Daniel.
He was no longer looking at me.
He was looking at the phone.
May you like
And when I asked him what the document meant, he whispered:
"Claire, there's something you don't know about the pregnancy.""
