CHAPTER 4 — The DNA Test That Someone Was Desperate to Stop
Aurora's fingers went numb.
The note trembled in her lap.
DON'T LET THEM TEST THE BABY'S DNA.
Just one sentence.
No signature.
No explanation.
Only the silver phoenix.
A symbol she had seen exactly once before.
The day after Julian proposed.
Nathaniel Ashford had handed his eldest son a pair of antique platinum cufflinks.
"They've belonged to the firstborn Ashford for four generations," Julian had explained proudly.
Each cufflink carried the same tiny phoenix engraved on the back.
At the time, Aurora thought it was simply a family crest.
Now...
Someone had secretly slipped her a warning carrying that exact symbol.
Who?
And how?
"Aurora?"
Julian's voice pulled her back.
She quickly folded the paper beneath the table.
"You look pale."
"I'm fine."
"You aren't."
He gently touched her cheek.
His concern was real.
Completely real.
Every time he looked at her, Aurora felt another piece of herself breaking.
She wanted to tell him everything.
About Adrian.
About the missing hours.
About waking up alone in the hotel room with no memory after drinking champagne.
But before she could speak—
Detective Mercer cleared his throat.
"Mr. Ashford..."
"I strongly recommend scheduling a prenatal DNA test as soon as possible."
Silence.
The sentence landed like an explosion.
Julian slowly nodded.
"If that's the fastest way to eliminate every ugly rumor..."
He reached for Aurora's hand.
"...then we'll do it."
Her heart stopped.
Across the table...
Adrian quietly closed his eyes.
Only for a second.
Almost like a man hearing the beginning of a funeral.
Eleanor stood.
"Absolutely not."
Everyone looked toward her.
"No grandchild of this family will become the center of gossip because of unnecessary testing."
Mercer answered calmly.
"The test would remain confidential."
Eleanor shook her head.
"Confidential secrets are exactly what destroy powerful families."
Julian frowned.
"Mother..."
"I'm protecting this family."
"No."
Julian's voice hardened.
"You're protecting appearances."
"I'm protecting my wife."
The room fell silent.
Aurora looked at him.
Even now...
With suspicion hanging over her...
He chose her.
Without hesitation.
She had never loved him more.
She had never felt less worthy of him.
Adrian suddenly laughed.
A short, bitter laugh.
"You still don't understand, do you?"
Julian turned.
"Understand what?"
"This isn't about whether the baby is yours."
Julian stared at him.
"What are you talking about?"
Adrian looked toward Detective Mercer.
"Ask him."
Mercer remained expressionless.
"I can't discuss an active federal investigation."
Adrian smiled.
"Convenient."
Then he stood.
Walked slowly toward the enormous windows overlooking Central Park.
Rain streamed down the glass.
Without turning around, he quietly said—
"If that DNA test happens..."
"...someone in this room won't survive long enough to hear the results."
Every heartbeat inside the mansion seemed to stop.
Julian's voice became dangerously calm.
"Is that a threat?"
"No."
Adrian finally looked back.
"It's a prediction."
Mercer immediately signaled to the two detectives waiting outside.
Within seconds, discreet security officers entered the mansion.
"This estate is now under temporary federal protection."
Eleanor looked furious.
"You cannot simply occupy my home."
"We can."
Mercer replied.
"Because less than thirty minutes ago..."
"...someone attempted to access Mrs. Ashford's electronic medical records."
Aurora froze.
"What?"
Mercer removed a tablet from his briefcase.
"The request originated from an encrypted terminal."
"It wasn't your hospital."
"It wasn't your clinic."
"It came from inside Ashford Medical Group."
Julian looked stunned.
"That's impossible."
"I'm CEO."
"I approve all patient access."
Mercer turned the screen toward him.
"This request bypassed your authorization."
On the display flashed a chilling message:
Patient: Aurora Bennett Ashford
Status: Pregnancy
Priority: Immediate DNA Retrieval
Requester: PHOENIX ADMINISTRATOR
Julian's face drained of color.
"Phoenix..."
He whispered.
"My father used that codename."
Aurora suddenly remembered something.
The cufflinks.
The note.
The hotel.
Nathaniel.
Nothing was random.
Someone had known about her pregnancy...
Before she even knew herself.
A cold shiver raced down her spine.
How?
She had only taken the pregnancy test two days ago.
No one besides Julian had known.
Unless...
Someone had been watching her for weeks.
The house manager hurried into the dining room.
"Mr. Ashford..."
"What is it?"
"We have a problem."
"The security team found someone inside the nursery."
Julian frowned.
"The nursery isn't finished."
"It was empty this morning."
"It isn't empty now."
Everyone hurried upstairs.
The east wing had always been quiet.
Unused.
The future nursery still smelled of fresh paint.
When Julian pushed open the door...
Aurora screamed.
Someone had painted a single message across the white nursery wall.
In dark crimson letters—
THE BABY BELONGS TO THE PHOENIX.
No signature.
No fingerprints.
No footprints.
Just those six horrifying words.
Eleanor staggered backward.
Julian instinctively shielded Aurora.
Mercer immediately ordered the room sealed.
Crime scene photographers flooded inside.
Then one officer called out—
"Detective!"
"We found something!"
Carefully placed inside the baby's brand-new crib...
Lay an old silver pocket watch.
Its cover carried the Ashford family crest.
Julian picked it up.
His hands shook violently.
"I buried this..."
He whispered.
"This belonged to my father."
"I placed it inside his coffin myself."
Mercer slowly opened the watch.
Inside the lid...
Was a tiny handwritten note.
Only seven words.
Stop looking for me, Julian. I'm watching.
The handwriting matched every letter Nathaniel Ashford had ever signed.
Julian's breathing became uneven.
For the first time in his life...
The man who had never feared boardrooms, billion-dollar lawsuits, or hostile takeovers...
Looked like a frightened little boy.
Then—
Every light in the mansion suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed the entire estate.
Someone screamed downstairs.
A gunshot echoed through the house.
And from somewhere inside the darkness...
A man's voice calmly whispered—
May you like
"You're already too late."
To Be Continued...
