Chapter 5: The Man Sarah Never Told Me About
I stared at the envelope for almost a full minute.
Noah stood beside me, watching my face.
"Daddy, what's inside?""
I forced myself to breathe.
"Something your mother wanted me to find.""
I opened it carefully.
Inside was a photograph of Sarah holding a newborn baby.
Noah.
But there was another person in the photograph.
Daniel.
He was standing behind Sarah's hospital bed, smiling at the camera.
On the back, Sarah had written:
*The day everything changed.*
I felt sick.
Daniel had been at the hospital when Noah was born.
He had told everyone he came because he wanted to support his brother.
I'd never questioned it.
Beneath the photograph was a laboratory report.
A DNA paternity test.
The names were partially obscured by a folded sheet of paper.
I opened it.
The results showed a 99.99 percent probability of paternity.
The alleged father was Daniel Reed.
I sat down heavily.
"No.""
Noah looked confused.
"Daddy?""
I quickly folded the paper.
"Everything is okay, buddy.""
But it wasn't.
Nothing was okay.
I remembered Sarah's strange behavior during the final months of her pregnancy. The arguments she'd had with Daniel. The way my brother had suddenly stopped visiting our house.
I'd assumed it was because of a business disagreement.
Now I wondered how much of my life had been built on lies.
My phone rang.
The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number.
I answered.
"Hello?""
A woman's voice spoke quietly.
"Mr. Reed? My name is Evelyn Price. I was Sarah's private investigator.""
I gripped the phone.
"How did you get this number?""
"Sarah gave it to me before she died. She asked me to contact you if anything happened to her.""
"Did you know about Vanessa?""
"Yes.""
"Did you know about Daniel?""
There was a pause.
"Mr. Reed, I know more than what's written in that box.""
I looked toward the hallway.
"Tell me.""
"Not over the phone. Can we meet?""
"Why?""
"Because I believe your wife was trying to protect you from something much bigger than the house.""
I swallowed.
"What exactly?""
Evelyn lowered her voice.
"Sarah discovered that Daniel had been using your company accounts to pay Dr. Harrison. She also found evidence that Vanessa had been trying to obtain custody of Noah through a fraudulent guardianship arrangement.""
My knees nearly gave way.
"Why would she want custody?""
"Because the house isn't the only asset Sarah left behind.""
I looked down at the trust agreement.
"What else?""
"An investment account established by Sarah's parents. It's worth several million dollars.""
I closed my eyes.
Sarah had never told me the full value of her family's inheritance.
She had simply said Noah would be financially secure.
Evelyn continued.
"Vanessa believed that if she married you and became Noah's legal guardian, she could gain control over the trust.""
"But she couldn't.""
"Not without removing the protections Sarah put in place.""
I stared at the papers.
"How?""
"By convincing a court that you were an unfit father and that Noah needed a different guardian.""
The room seemed to shrink around me.
I remembered Vanessa insisting that I work late. Her complaints whenever I spent time with Noah. Her constant suggestions that I was too distracted by grief to raise a child.
It hadn't been random.
She had been building a case.
"Where can I meet you?"" I asked.
"Tomorrow morning. Ten o'clock. The coffee shop on Peachtree Street.""
"Why not tonight?""
"Because someone has been following me.""
Before I could respond, the line went dead.
I stood motionless.
Then I heard footsteps.
Daniel appeared in the doorway.
"Marcus, we need to talk.""
I held up the DNA report.
His face changed.
"Where did you find that?""
"Is Noah your son?""
Daniel closed the door behind him.
"Please, let me explain.""
"Answer the question!""
He looked down.
Then nodded.
I felt as if someone had punched me in the chest.
"How long?""
"Before Noah was born.""
"Did Sarah tell you to stay away?""
He didn't answer.
"Daniel!""
"Yes.""
I stepped toward him.
"And you stayed in my life? You stood beside me at her funeral? You watched me raise your son without telling me?""
Daniel's eyes filled.
"I loved Sarah.""
I laughed.
"You loved her so much that you helped the woman who was destroying her?""
He lowered his head.
"Vanessa promised she would make everything right.""
"How?""
He looked toward the door.
"She said she'd give me access to the trust. She said Noah would never know.""
I stared at him.
"You're talking about your own child.""
Daniel began crying.
Then he said something that made my blood run cold.
"Marcus, there's something you need to know about Sarah's final night. The doctor wasn't the one who changed her medication.""
I stepped closer.
"Who did?""
Daniel looked directly into my eyes.
"Vanessa had someone inside the hospital.""
Before I could ask another question, a crash came from downstairs.
May you like
Someone had broken the front window.
And when I ran toward the staircase, Noah was screaming.
