Chapter 7 - Bloodline Deception
The transmission abruptly went dead as the satellite connection dropped.
Marcus stared at the glowing monitor, his pulse thumping heavily in his temples. Julian’s parting words hung in the sterile conference room like toxic vapor. Check your daughter's medical records.
Agent Harris frowned, adjusting his tie. ""He's playing mind games, Mr. Vance. Trying to buy time or rattle you.""
""No,"" Marcus murmured, his voice hollow. ""Julian doesn't make empty threats. When we were younger, every time he sabotaged something, he laid the trap months in advance.""
Marcus turned to Detective Miller. ""Vanessa wasn't just my sister-in-law. She was Nia’s half-sister through Nia’s father. But Nia’s father died twenty years ago. Vanessa showed up out of nowhere three years ago claiming to want family reconciliation.""
Marcus opened a secure medical portal on his laptop, logging into the family health registry at St. Jude. Maya had undergone a routine tonsillectomy four weeks ago. During the preoperative screening, a full metabolic and genetic panel had been conducted.
Marcus opened the sealed PDF results. As he scrolled down the laboratory markers, his breath hitched.
Beneath the blood typing and compatibility indicators, there was a secondary pathology note flagged in red: Paternal DNA Marker Inconsistency Detected.
Marcus felt the floor tilt beneath him. The room seemed to contract, the fluorescent lights buzzing with intolerable brightness. ""What is this...?""
Miller stepped closer, reading the screen over Marcus’s shoulder. His expression shifted from professional focus to profound sorrow. ""Marcus...""
""This is impossible,"" Marcus stammered, slamming his palm on the desk. ""Maya is my daughter! I was there when she was born! I held her five minutes after she took her first breath!""
He scrolled further down. The document attached an addendum signed by Vanessa Cole, acting as the family’s registered administrative proxy: Confidential genetic comparison conducted at request of client. Paternal match: Julian Vance (99.8%).
The world collapsed inward. Every memory of the last three years—Nia’s radiant smile as they brought Maya home, the late-night feedings, the whispered promises of forever—felt suddenly tainted, twisted into an elaborate, sickening nightmare. Had Nia and Julian betrayed him from the very beginning? Was Nia’s entire marriage a facade?
""Mr. Vance,"" Agent Harris said gently, placing a hand on Marcus’s shoulder. ""Documents can be fabricated. Vanessa worked in hospital administration. She had access to the records system.""
Before Marcus could answer, the door of the conference room swung open. Evelyn stood in the doorway, supported by a cane, her eyes red-rimmed and hollow. She had overheard.
""It’s a lie, Marcus,"" Evelyn whispered, tears spilling down her weathered cheeks. ""It’s a vicious, calculated lie.""
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""How do you know, Evelyn?"" Marcus demanded, his voice cracking with agony. ""Look at the hospital seal! Look at the database stamp!""
Evelyn walked forward, her hands trembling as she reached into her handbag. ""Because Nia knew Julian was stalking her before you two ever got married. And there is something in Nia’s safety deposit box that she told me never to reveal unless Julian tried to destroy you.""
