Chapter 3 - Shadows of the Past
Before Victoria could answer, the heavy double doors of the study flew open. Marcus Vance, Julian’s elder brother and the black sheep of the family, stepped into the room with a twisted smile on his face. Behind him walked two police officers.
"Oh, don't stop on my account, dear brother," Marcus sneered, clapping his hands slowly. "It’s just getting to the good part."
"Marcus," Julian snapped, his muscles tense. "What are you doing here? This is a private family matter."
"Family matter?" Marcus laughed bitterly. "Julian, you’ve spent the last three years playing the happy family man with your sociopathic wife, thinking you bought yourself an heir. But the truth is far more twisted than you think."
Marcus gestured to the police officers. "Officers, arrest Victoria Vance for human trafficking, medical fraud, and illegal abduction."
Victoria shrieked as the officers moved in, grabbing her arms. "Julian! Help me! He’s setting me up! Marcus is trying to ruin you!"
"I'm not setting you up, Victoria. I'm just delivering the receipt," Marcus grinned, pulling a thick yellow folder from his coat and throwing it onto the desk. "Julian, open it. See who the real father of that child is."
Julian’s jaw tightened. He picked up the folder and flipped through the DNA reports. As his eyes scanned the text, his face turned deathly pale. His hands began to shake.
Elena looked between the brothers, her heart hammering against her ribs. "What... what does it say?"
Julian slowly raised his eyes to Elena, a look of profound betrayal and agony in his gaze. "The DNA test shows... I am the biological father of Leo."
Elena gasped, taking a step back. "What? No... that’s impossible! I’ve never met you before six months ago! I was artificially inseminated at a clinic!"
"You were inseminated with my stored genetic material," Julian said softly, his voice trembling. "Three years ago, before I went into a coma following my car accident... Victoria was supposed to use my sample for IVF. But she didn't use her own eggs. She picked you."
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"Why?" Elena cried out, looking at Victoria. "Why me?!"
Victoria scoffed through her tears, her mask completely slipping. "Because you were weak! Because you were poor! And because..." Victoria glared at Julian with pure hatred, "...because you were the daughter of the man Julian’s father murdered twenty years ago! I wanted to raise the enemy's grandchild as my own puppet!"
