Chapter 4 - THE MIDNIGHT ARRIVAL
An hour later, the east parlor had been transformed into a sterile, tense laboratory.
David, Nolan’s personal physician and confidential geneticist, stood beside a high mahogany table, snapping on latex gloves. The portable bio-sequencer hummed quietly, its blue LED lights casting eerie reflections across the dark mahogany walls of the estate. Outside, the rain had settled into a steady, mournful drizzle.
Nolan sat in a leather wingback chair, nursing a glass of single-malt scotch, though he hadn't taken a single sip. His eyes were locked on Mae and Nora, who were seated together on a velvet settee across the room.
Mae had managed to clean the dirt from her hands, but her apron still bore the stains of her labor. Nora had fallen asleep, her head resting peacefully against Mae’s shoulder, her soft breathing the only sound in the cavernous room.
"Mr. Sterling," David said quietly, breaking the silence as he finished calibrating the machine. "The buccal swab is ready. I can process the sample now. We’ll have definitive results in thirty minutes."
Nolan stood up, his movements deliberate and unhurried. He crossed the room and stopped in front of Mae.
"Wake her up gently, Mae," Nolan said softly, his harshness entirely vanished, replaced by an unsettling, quiet intensity. "I need a cheek swab from her."
Mae’s eyes flew open, filled with sudden, protective panic. She pulled Nora slightly closer, shielding the sleeping child.
"No," Mae whispered, her voice shaking. "Nolan, please. Don't do this. If you test her, your life will explode. You don't know what enemies you have. The moment the press finds out you have an heir, every board member, every rival hedge fund, every person who wants to destroy Sterling Enterprises will target her. I kept her hidden to keep her alive."
Nolan knelt down until his eyes were level with hers. For the first time, Mae saw a crack in his armor—a flicker of genuine human vulnerability that he kept hidden from the rest of the world.
"Do you really think I couldn't protect my own flesh and blood, Mae?" Nolan asked, his voice thick with emotion. "I built an empire out of nothing. I can build a fortress around her that no one can ever penetrate. But I need to know the truth. Did you lie to me four years ago?"
"I didn't lie," Mae whispered tears spilling over her lashes. "I just... I left before I knew. I was terrified. You were a billionaire titan, and I was just a temporary worker trying to pay for my mother’s medical bills. I didn't want your money, Nolan. I swear to God, I never wanted your money."
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Nolan reached out, gently wiping a tear from her cheek with his thumb. His skin was warm, and the touch sent a jolt through Mae that she hadn't felt in years.
"I know you didn't, Mae," Nolan said softly. "That’s why you’re still here, and why I’m going to find out the truth."
