Chapter 9 - THE SECOND LIE
The fake pregnancy had been the distraction.
The stolen money was the real operation.
At least, that was what Nathan believed at first.
Investigators discovered that Lucas had authorized several transfers disguised as land acquisition deposits.
Each payment was small enough to avoid immediate scrutiny.
Together, they totaled nearly six million dollars.
Some money went to Vanessa’s shell company.
Some disappeared through accounts tied to Daniel.
Nathan sat through a six-hour meeting with auditors.
Claire attended as an observer because part of the family trust affected Ethan.
Ethan stayed home.
He hated it.
Waiting felt worse than searching.
So he returned to the beginning.
Vanessa’s first announcement.
The fake test.
The ultrasound.
The doctor.
The belly.
The safety pin.
Something still bothered him.
Why pretend to be pregnant for weeks if Daniel and Lucas were already stealing money?
The pregnancy had nearly guaranteed scrutiny.
It created chaos, but also risk.
Ethan opened the messages Melissa had photographed.
He read them again.
THE CHILD ONLY HAS TO EXIST LONG ENOUGH FOR HIM TO SIGN.
The line bothered him.
Why would Daniel need Nathan’s signature if Lucas could already steal company money?
Different goals.
Different plans.
Ethan called Claire.
“Mom.”
“We’re still at the office.”
“I think there are two scams.”
Claire went quiet.
“What?”
“Lucas is stealing from the company.”
“Yes.”
“But Daniel cares about the trust.”
Nathan’s voice appeared in the background.
“Put him on speaker.”
Ethan continued.
“What if Vanessa wasn’t supposed to end the pregnancy with a fake miscarriage?”
Nathan replied, “What are you thinking?”
“She needed a baby eventually.”
Silence.
Claire understood first.
“Oh God.”
Nathan did not.
“What?”
Ethan said carefully, “What if she planned to produce a real baby?”
Nathan stood so abruptly that the conference chair rolled backward.
“How?”
Nobody answered.
Then Claire remembered something.
“Adoption.”
Nathan looked at her.
Ethan shook his head.
“That would never pass a DNA test.”
Claire whispered, “Unless nobody expected one.”
Nathan’s attorney interrupted.
“Or unless a DNA sample was substituted.”
Everyone turned toward him.
The room became cold.
A legitimate baby.
Forged hospital records.
Substituted DNA.
A false biological heir worth forty-two million dollars.
Suddenly the conspiracy looked far larger than an affair.
The attorney ordered an immediate review of every professional connected to Vanessa.
Within three hours they found a name.
Dr. Samuel Mercer.
He had once worked at the fertility clinic Vanessa claimed to attend.
His medical license had been suspended two years earlier over falsified insurance claims.
More importantly, Mercer had recently received seventy-five thousand dollars from a company associated with Daniel.
Nathan stared at the transaction.
Claire whispered, “They had a doctor.”
The attorney nodded.
“They had someone who could create convincing medical paperwork.”
Nathan’s face tightened.
“And possibly manipulate DNA handling.”
Ethan remained on speaker.
“Then the fake ultrasound was careless.”
Claire shook her head.
“No.”
“What?”
“They never expected anyone to study it.”
Nathan closed his eyes.
They had underestimated a sixteen-year-old boy.
A boy who noticed shapes.
A boy who noticed old addresses.
A boy who noticed one tiny silver pin.
Then corporate security entered the room.
“We found Lucas.”
Nathan stood.
“Where?”
“At the airport.”
“Leaving?”
“Yes.”
“Where was he going?”
The security officer placed a document on the table.
“Belize.”
Nathan stared at it.
“And Daniel?”
“We think he’s already gone.”
Nathan felt the entire case shifting.
If Daniel escaped, he could move money.
Destroy records.
Warn Vanessa.
Then Ethan spoke through the phone.
“Dad?”
“Yes?”
“You need to check Grandma’s house.”
Nathan froze.
“Why?”
“Uncle Daniel keeps his old passport there.”
Nathan looked at Claire.
Ethan continued.
“And if he left in a hurry, he might have gone there first.”
May you like
Nathan immediately called his mother.
Nobody answered.
