Chapter 26: The Truth At Last

The paper felt heavier than stone in my hands. My thumb went under the seal of the white envelope, and for a second, I could not breathe. I am a man who has faced judges, big company boards, and dangerous men without fear. But this small piece of paper could break the only thing I cared about.

I ripped it open. The sound of the envelope was like a stick breaking.

I pulled out the white paper. My eyes moved over the big words at the top and the long list of numbers. I skipped the hard parts. I needed the end. I needed to know if the woman I loved was my own blood.

I went quiet. My brain stopped for a few seconds. I just stared at the numbers. I stared at the bold words at the bottom.

"Edward?" Serena’s voice was loud. She sounded like she was about to fall off a cliff. "Edward, tell me. Please. You're scaring me."

I couldn't speak. My tongue felt heavy. Was I happy? Was I glad? I didn't even know. I was just relieved.

"Give it to me!" Serena shouted.

She reached out and took the paper from my shaky fingers. I didn't stop her. I couldn't move. I watched her eyes run across the page. Her face was pale. Her lips were shaking.

"Chance of Same Father: 0%," she whispered.

She read it again, louder this time. "Zero percent. It’s zero, Edward!"

The paper fell from her hand like a leaf. She dropped to the floor. She didn't just sit. She fell, her head down as loud, deep cries came out of her. It was the sound of a woman who had been holding her breath for two days finally letting it go.

"It’s not true," she cried into her hands. "He’s not my father. We aren't... we aren't brother and sister."

The heavy weight on my chest for forty-eight hours was gone. I felt light, almost dizzy. I dropped to my knees next to her and pulled her into my arms. I held her so tight I could feel her heart beating fast against mine.

"He’s not," I whispered, putting my face in her neck. "You’re mine, Serena. Just mine. No ghosts, no blood, no lies."

"I was so scared," she said, holding my shirt. "I was so scared for the baby. I thought we were a mistake."

"Never," I said, pulling back to look at her. I wiped the tears from her face with my thumbs. "You hear me? You and this baby are the only good thing in my life. And now, no one can hurt us."

I felt a rush of pure joy. For the first time in my life, the Vance name didn't feel like a curse. I could start the family I had always wanted. I could be the father my own father never was. I could build a world for Serena where she never had to fear a shadow or a secret ever again.

"What about the photos?" Serena asked. Her breath was still shaky. "Why was your father with my mother all those years if he wasn't my father?"

"It doesn't matter right now," I said, kissing her forehead. "Maybe he loved her. Maybe he was just lonely. But he wasn't your father. That’s the only truth that matters today."

I helped her up from the floor and sat her back on the sofa. I turned to the guards standing near the kitchen.

"Get the chef," I said, my voice strong again. "Tell him to make a full breakfast. Anything my wife wants. And bring me my phone."

The guards moved fast. The mood in the penthouse had changed. The dark cloud was gone.

I looked at the DNA paper lying on the rug. It was my shield. It was my weapon.

"What are we going to do now?" Serena asked as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Now," I said, my blood boiling instantly as I thought about the woman who put us through this hell, "I’m going to deal with Louise."

"Edward, be careful," Serena warned. "She’s out of control."

"People who are out of control make mistakes," I said. I picked up my phone and called Michael. He answered on the first ring.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"Waiting downstairs, Ed," Michael said.

"Good. I’ll call the board of directors. I need to tell them I am calling a fast meeting at the estate in two hours. And Michael? Call the police. Tell them we have proof of a paid killer and money crimes."

I hung up and turned back to Serena. I got down on my knees in front of her again, taking her hands in mine.

"I have to go to the estate," I said. "I’m going to end this today. Louise thinks she’s in control because of those letters and pictures. She doesn't know I have the one thing she can't fight: the truth."

"I want to go with you," Serena said.

"No, Serena. You need to eat and rest. You’ve been through enough, and the baby needs you to be at your best."

"Edward, she tried to kill me," Serena said, her eyes showing the fire I loved. "I want to be there when she loses everything. I want her to see that her plan failed."

I looked at her for a long time. She was pale and tired, but she was a Vance now. She was a fighter.

"Fine," I said. "But you stay behind me. You don't say a word unless I tell you to. I’m going to finish this, Serena. I’m going to make things right and throw that woman in prison."

"What about my parents?" she asked softly.

I stopped. I was still mad at her mother. What she did with my father was hard to forgive. But I looked at Serena, the woman who had almost lost her mind waiting for these results.

"After the meeting," I said. "If we finish Louise today, I’ll have Michael bring them here. We can decide what to do with them then."

Serena nodded. That was enough for now.

We had breakfast and got ready to head out afterwards. I quickly got dressed. I felt like a new man. The fear was gone. The doubt was gone.

"Let’s go," I said. "It’s time to show Louise Bennet what happens when you try to break a Vance."

We walked toward the elevator. The guards walked behind us. As the doors closed, I looked at Serena. She looked back at me, her hand resting over her stomach.

The longest forty-eight hours of our lives were over. But the fight for our future was just starting.