Chapter 25: The Longest Wait

The elevator doors opened right into the penthouse. Usually, the big windows and the view of Oaktown made me feel strong. Today, it felt like a fancy cage. I took one step forward and almost fell.

Edward’s arm was around my waist. He didn't say a word, but his grip was firm.

"Stay here," he said quietly. "I’ll get you some water."

I looked around the room. It feels different now. There were men in black suits by the door and on the balcony. Edward had added more guards. He didn't trust anyone. My phone was on the table. I didn't want to touch it. I knew there would be no texts from my family. Edward had made it clear. They had to stay in their small apartment on the other side of town.

Edward came back with a glass of water and sat next to me. He didn't look at me. He stared at the fireplace.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Edward finally looked at me. "I’m fine, Serena.

"You’re still mad at my mother," I asked.

"Mad?" Edward laughed. "Mad" isn't the right word. All this while, she knew she had been my father's secret lover for twenty-five years. She watched me grow up without a father while she was the reason he was never home."

"Edward, please. She’s still my mother."

Edward stood up and walked around the room. "If that DNA test comes back saying we are related, Serena, everything I stand for will go down the drain."

He stopped walking and looked at me. His face got a little softer. "But none of that is your fault. You are the one hurt here, just like I am. I’m staying right here. I’m not leaving your side until we know."

I leaned back into the cushions. The penthouse was silent, except for the ticking of a clock on the wall. Every second felt like a minute. Every minute felt like an hour. This was only the first hour of the forty-eight hours the doctor gave us.

"What if it's true?" I asked. "What if we are... brother and sister?"

Edward sat back down and took my hand. His fingers were cold. "It doesn't change how I feel about you. It doesn't change the fact that you are my wife and you are carrying my child."

"But… Edward. The company. The ultimatum in the will."

"I am the best lawyer in this city," he said. "I will find a way. I will burn every paper, every law book, and every person who stands in our way. If we have to leave Oaktown, we leave. If I have to lose the Vance name, I’ll lose it. But I am not losing you."

I wanted to believe him. I really did. But I could still see my mother’s face in those photos. I could see the way Arthur Vance looked at her. It was the same way Edward looks at me.

Lunch was brought in by a private chef, but neither of us ate it. The smell of the chicken made my stomach turn. I spent the afternoon throwing up; I guess the pregnancy symptoms are kicking in already.

Below us, people were living normal lives. They didn't have secrets that could break a billion-dollar business. They didn't have to wonder if their husband was really their brother.

Night came, and the penthouse got even more quiet. Edward stayed in the room with me, working on his laptop, but I could tell he wasn't reading the papers. He was staring at the screen, waiting for a result that wouldn't come for two more days.

"You should sleep," Edward said around midnight. He helped me into the bed.

The bed felt too big. The silence was too loud. I closed my eyes, but I didn't sleep. I saw the flash drive. I saw the ghost of Arthur Vance.

"Edward?" I whispered in the dark.

"I'm here," he said from the other side of the bed. He reached over and pulled me close to him. "Go to sleep, Serena. I’m not going anywhere."

The next morning was even worse. The sun felt too bright. The guards in the hallway looked like shadows. I tried to call my sister, Maya, but the call went straight to voice mail. Edward had blocked their numbers on my phone "for my own good."

"They need to stay away until we sort out everything," Edward said when I asked him.

"I’m scared, Edward!"

"I am not scared," he said quickly. "Everything is going to be fine."

Time moved slow. We didn't talk much. Every time the elevator made a sound, we both jumped. Every time Edward’s phone buzzed, the air in the room felt like it was gone.

By the second night, I was a mess. I hadn't eaten more than a few bites of toast. My head hurt. I felt like I was waiting for a death notice or a miracle, and I didn't know which one was coming.

"It’s been forty-four hours," I said, looking at the clock. It was four in the morning. We were both sitting in the living room wrapped in a blanket.

"Four more," Edward said. He looked tired.

He got up and walked over to the windows. The first light of morning was touching the sky. Oaktown was starting to wake up again.

"I remember when my father died," Edward said, his voice barely a whisper. "The police told me it was an accident. I spent years trying to prove it wasn't. I wanted justice so bad. I thought finding the truth would make me feel better."

He turned to look at me. "But now... I’ve never wanted a lie to be true more than I do right now. I want the world to tell me that everything your mother did was a lie. I want to wake up and find out those photos were fake."

"Me too," I said.

We spent the remaining four hours before the forty-eight hours elapsed going through document upon document looking for a loophole in case the DNA result comes back positive.

At exactly 8:30 AM, the elevator made a loud sound.

It was loud. It sounded like a gunshot in the quiet room.

Edward stood up right away. The guards at the door stepped aside. A man in a dark suit walked in. It was the same doctor from the hospital. He was carrying one white envelope that was sealed.

My heart stopped. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe.

The doctor walked toward us. He didn't look at me. He looked at Edward.

"The results are in, Mr. Vance," the doctor said.

Edward reached out his hand. It was shaking. Just a little, but it was shaking. He took the envelope.

"Thank you," Edward said. "You can go."

The doctor gave a small bow and left. The elevator doors closed.

Edward stood there, holding the envelope. He looked at me, and I saw the fear in his eyes. The forty-eight hours were over.

"Open it," I whispered.

Edward took a deep breath. He slid his thumb under the seal and ripped the paper open.