Chapter 7 - The DNA Secret
The words kept repeating inside my head.
Luke is not your daughter’s biological father.
I stared at Detective Harris.
Waiting for him to tell me there was a mistake.
Waiting for someone to laugh and say the results had been mixed up.
Anything.
Anything except the truth.
“That’s impossible.”
My voice sounded distant.
“I’ve been married to Luke for eight years.”
Harris remained silent.
“Eli is his son.”
The detective looked down.
“We are only talking about the newborn, Mia.”
That sentence hurt more than anything.
Because it meant there were still questions.
Questions about my marriage.
Questions about my family.
Questions about the man I thought I knew.
Camille gently took the DNA report from my hand.
“Mia…”
I looked at her.
“Tell me this isn’t real.”
Her expression broke.
“I wish I could.”
I turned toward the bassinet.
My daughter was sleeping peacefully.
She had no idea that the adults around her were trapped inside a nightmare.
She was alive.
That was all that mattered.
But I needed answers.
“Where is Luke?”
Detective Harris looked toward the hallway.
“He’s being transferred for questioning.”
“Take me to him.”
“Mia, you just had major surgery.”
“I don’t care.”
My voice became stronger.
“He took my baby.”
Nobody argued.
Because everyone knew.
A few hours later, I was taken to a private hospital room where Luke was waiting with two officers nearby.
The man sitting there looked different.
The confidence was gone.
The perfect husband was gone.
Only fear remained.
“Mia…”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
He looked away.
That hurt more than anger.
Because it meant there was something he was hiding.
“Why did you bring me another woman’s baby?”
Luke closed his eyes.
“I was trying to protect us.”
A bitter laugh escaped me.
“Protect us?”
“You don’t understand.”
“No.”
I leaned forward despite the pain.
“You don’t understand.”
“You stole my daughter.”
His face tightened.
“I didn’t steal her.”
“Then explain.”
Silence.
Finally, Luke whispered:
“She was never supposed to be yours.”
My entire body went cold.
“What?”
He looked at me.
“I made a mistake years ago.”
“What mistake?”
Luke’s eyes filled with regret.
“A mistake that came back.”
The officers stepped closer.
“Keep talking.”
Luke swallowed.
“Six years ago, I worked with a private fertility company.”
My breathing stopped.
A fertility company.
“What did you do?”
“I handled records.”
My hands tightened.
“And?”
Luke looked down.
“There was an accident.”
“What accident?”
He didn’t answer.
“Luke.”
His voice broke.
“Two embryos were transferred incorrectly.”
The room became silent.
I stared at him.
“You’re saying…”
He nodded slowly.
“Eli was never supposed to be my biological son.”
My heart stopped.
The world tilted.
“Then whose son is he?”
Luke looked toward the floor.
“I don’t know.”
The answer was worse than any confession.
May you like
Because Luke wasn’t just hiding one secret.
He had built his entire life on a lie.
