Chapter 2 - The Independent LabThe sleek black town car slid silently into the private medical diagnostic center parking lot thirty minutes later. Daniel Bell sat in the front passenger seat, holding a secure leather briefcase. When Claire opened the rear door, he immediately stepped out to assist her.
“Are you completely sure about this, Claire?” Daniel asked, his eyes scanning her pale, resolute face. “A court-admissible chain of custody means this isn’t just a family dispute anymore. This is a legal execution.”
“Ethan signed the authorization papers in front of sixty witnesses and a recording camera,” Claire said, her voice completely steady as she adjusted baby Lily’s pink blanket. “He wanted proof. He wanted to brand me as a cheat in front of his mother and that parasite Vanessa. I am simply giving him what he paid for.”
“The private courier has already secured the swab kits from the independent lab,” Daniel replied, opening his briefcase to reveal a set of sterile tubes and legal seals. “We can execute the collection right here in the car under my supervision as an officer of the court. No tampering possible. No family meddling.”
“Do it,” Claire said.
Ten minutes later, the sterile cotton swab touched Lily’s inner cheek. The baby blinked sleepily, letting out a soft yawn. Claire kissed her forehead, a fierce, protective fire burning in her chest.
“Daniel,” Claire said as the attorney sealed the sample into a tamper-proof barcode-locked envelope.
“Yes?”
“When the results arrive tomorrow morning, do not send them to Ethan.”
“Where should they go?”
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“Straight to the board room of Whitmore Construction,” Claire replied softly. “And make sure my husband’s name is listed as the primary respondent in the corporate asset seizure filing.”
Daniel stared at her for a long beat, a slow, appreciative smile touching the corners of his mouth. “It will be done, Mrs. Hayes-Whitmore.”
