Chương 11
Maya watched his eyes move line by line.
Date of birth.
Place of birth.
Mother’s name.
Laura Mitchell.
Then father.
Daniel stopped.
Maya’s voice was almost inaudible.
“What?”
He looked at her.
She hated the pity in his face.
“Tell me.”
Daniel looked back at the page.
“Richard Carter.”
The room went silent.
Maya stared at him.
“No.”
Daniel said nothing.
“No.”
Aaron remained near the door.
“It could be fake.”
Maya looked at him sharply.
“You just walked in here carrying it like it mattered.”
“It matters because Caleb sent it.”
“That does not make it real.”
“No.”
Daniel looked at Aaron.
“Can it be verified?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Vital records.”
Maya laughed once.
The sound came out thin and frightened.
“So that’s it?”
“No,” Aaron said.
She looked at him.
“No?”
“It’s not proof by itself.”
“You think that helps?”
“I think accuracy matters.”
Daniel lowered the document.
“If this is real, Maya is my sister.”
The words altered the room.
Maya flinched as if struck again.
Daniel immediately looked away.
Aaron did not move.
“No,” Maya said.
Daniel looked back at her.
“No what?”
“No.”
Her breath hitched.
“No, that can’t be right.”
“You said you never knew your father.”
“I didn’t.”
“Your mother did.”
“We don’t know that.”
Aaron said, “She worked with Richard.”
Maya turned on him.
“That does not mean she had a child with him.”
“No.”
“And birth certificates can be amended.”
“Yes.”
“And forged.”
“Yes.”
“And Caleb disappeared for five years and suddenly mails this to you with no explanation?”
“There was an explanation.”
Daniel’s eyes sharpened.
“The note.”
Aaron nodded.
“Give it to me.”
Aaron reached into the envelope and handed Daniel a smaller folded page.
Maya watched him read.
His expression changed halfway down.
“What?”
Daniel did not answer.
“Daniel.”
He swallowed.
“It says, ‘I was wrong about the reason.’”
Maya’s hands tightened around the blanket.
“What else?”
Daniel continued.
“‘Richard wasn’t trying to put them together.’”
Aaron looked at the floor.
Daniel read the next line more slowly.
“‘He was trying to keep them apart.’”
Maya stared at him.
The monitor beside her quickened again.
Daniel looked at the screen.
“Maya.”
“Keep reading.”
“Your pressure is already high.”
“Keep reading.”
Daniel looked at the note.
“‘Vale reversed the assignment after Richard died.’”
Maya’s face went blank.
Daniel’s voice lowered.
“‘Someone else kept paying.’”
Aaron finally looked up.
“That was the part Caleb couldn’t prove before he vanished.”
Daniel read on.
“‘Check the trust successor.’”
He stopped.
“That’s it.”
Maya looked at Aaron.
“What does that mean?”
“We never knew who had authority after Richard died.”
Daniel looked at the fake account printout still folded in his scrub pocket.
“My mother.”
Aaron shook his head.
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“Because whoever continued the payments hid them from her too.”
“Who else had access?”
Aaron’s mouth tightened.
“That is what I came here to tell you.”
Before he could continue, the door opened.
Rachel stepped inside, took one look at Maya, and crossed directly to the monitor.
“We’re done for now.”
Maya glared at her.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not.”
Rachel checked the blood pressure reading.
“Your blood pressure is significantly elevated.”
Daniel moved closer.
“What does that mean?”
“It means she needs quiet.”
Maya looked at Aaron.
“Who controlled the trust?”
Rachel turned.
“Everyone out.”
Aaron nodded.
Daniel did not.
“I’m staying.”
Rachel looked at Maya.
Maya closed her eyes for one second.
“Daniel stays.”
Rachel pointed at Aaron.
“You go.”
Aaron reached for the envelope.
Daniel folded it and put it in his pocket.
“You’re not taking this.”
Aaron hesitated.
“Fine.”
“Daniel,” Maya said.
He looked at her.
“Ask him.”
Rachel’s expression hardened.
“No.”
Maya ignored her.
“Ask him who.”
Daniel looked from Maya to Aaron.
“Who had authority?”
Aaron stood very still.
Rachel moved between him and the bed.
“You can answer from the hallway later.”
Aaron looked at Daniel.
“Evelyn’s husband wasn’t Richard’s only business partner.”
Daniel frowned.
“You already mentioned Samuel Reed.”
“Not him.”
“Then who?”
Aaron’s eyes shifted toward Maya.
“Laura Mitchell.”
Maya stopped moving.
“My mother.”
“Yes.”
Rachel opened the door wider.
“That’s enough.”
Aaron left.
The door closed behind him.
Maya stared at the wall.
Daniel sat beside her.
Neither of them spoke.
Rachel adjusted the cuff around Maya’s arm and waited for the machine.
It inflated with a soft mechanical whir.
Maya watched the numbers climb.
Daniel watched Maya.
“What did he mean?” she whispered.
“I don’t know.”
Rachel glanced at him.
He almost laughed.
Maya did not.
“My mother knew Richard.”
“Yes.”
“She was involved in Northline.”
“Maybe.”
“She could have been the one paying Vale after he died.”
“Maybe.”
Maya looked at him.
“And if Richard was my father.”
Daniel’s face tightened.
“We don’t know that.”
“If he was.”
Daniel looked at the baby.
Maya followed his gaze.
Their son slept with one fist beside his face.
Something inside Maya seemed to collapse without making a sound.
Daniel saw it.
He stood and went to the bassinet.
He did not pick the baby up.
He only rested one hand on the edge.
Rachel removed the cuff.
“I’m calling the obstetrician.”
Maya barely heard her.
Daniel’s voice came quietly.
“We need a test.”
Maya looked at him.
“A paternity test?”
“No.”
He rubbed one hand over his face.
“A kinship test.”
The word sounded clinical enough to be obscene.
Maya looked away.
Daniel sat again.
“We don’t make decisions from a photocopy.”
Maya’s mouth trembled.
“What decisions?”
He had no answer.
Rachel left the room to make the call.
Daniel stared at the floor.
Maya watched him.
“You can say it.”
“Say what?”
“That you’re disgusted.”
Daniel looked up.
“I’m not.”
“You looked at him.”
“At who?”
“Our son.”
Daniel’s face changed.
“No.”
“You did.”
“I looked at him because I didn’t know where else to look.”
Maya swallowed.
“If Richard was my father, then you and I—”
“Stop.”
She stopped.
May you like
Daniel leaned forward.
“Do not finish that sentence until we know.”
