Chapter 13
The highlight reel kept playing, showing Xavier from seven to eight to nine years old, every shot handpicked for maximum warmth.
I glanced at the banquet manager, who was standing by the soundboard with the remote in his hand, eyes locked on me.
I gave him a slight nod.
It was not time yet. I needed the perfect moment.
I needed to wait for that moment when everyone's emotions were at their highest, when the whole room was buying into the whole "Jacob's such a great guy" act.
That was when the truth would hit hardest, when it'd break everything wide open.
When the video ended, the crowd erupted in applause again.
Jacob stepped up to the microphone.
He said, "Thank you all. Over these three years, I've watched Xavier go from a skinny little kid to the bright, confident boy he is now.
"None of this would have been possible without the care and support of everyone here.
"Now, I'd like to invite Xavier up to the stage to play a piano piece for us. He's been practicing this one lately, and he's been looking forward to sharing it with everyone today."
Xavier walked up to the stage and took his seat at the keyboard.
His fingers danced across the keys, and a simple but full melody flowed out into the room.
He played way better than most kids his age.
Everyone was so focused, some even whipped out their phones to catch it on video.
When the last note faded, the whole room erupted in applause.
Xavier stood up and gave a bow, looking totally at ease and self-assured.
Jacob walked up to the stage, put his arm around Xavier's shoulders, and turned to face everyone.
"Today is Xavier's big day, and as his guardian, I want to give him something truly special," Jacob said.
He pulled a document out of his suit pocket.
"From this day on, Xavier is officially part of the Swinburne family; he's my adopted son," Jacob announced.
The applause was even more thunderous than before.
Lucy stood up, her cane striking the floor with a heavy thud.
"Excellent! The Swinburne family just got itself a wonderful grandson," she declared.
Some of the old veterans exchanged glances, and one of them said with feeling, "Jacob really does treat Xavier like his own son. If Duncan could see this from above, he'd be grateful for sure."
Jacob looked down at the document in his hands, his face a mess of emotions he just couldn't keep in check.
Just then, the banquet hall doors swung open.
Every head turned toward the entrance.
A woman stood there.
She wore a deep blue gown, her hair down and loose, her makeup flawless.
Her gaze swept over the crowd and locked onto Xavier standing on stage.
Her lips parted.
"Xavier," she called out.
Her voice wasn't loud, but in the hush of the banquet hall, everyone heard her clearly.
Xavier's body went rigid.
Jacob's grip on the microphone tightened, and all the color drained from his face in an instant.
Lucy's cane dropped from her hand and hit the floor with a heavy thud.
The woman walked in, steady and unhurried, making her way past row after row of seats, brushing past the murmuring guests and ignoring the staff who tried to stop her.
She stopped right in front of the stage, looking up at the boy, tears silently streaming down her face.
"Son, Mom's here," she said softly.
Tyler shot up from his seat, his face ashen.
"Elsa? You you're alive?" he blurted out.
Several of the old veterans jumped to their feet.
"Wasn't she supposed to have died in a car accident three years ago?"
"Jacob, what the hell is going on?"
Jacob tried to speak, but it was like something was stuck in his throat. His eyes scanned from Elsa's face to the crowd, frantically searching for something.
He found me.
I stood at the edge of the front row, my hands clasped in front of me, watching him.
His eyes burned with rage, terror, and the raw, desperate ferocity of a cornered animal.
"Rebecca, what did you do?" he demanded.
I didn't answer him.
I turned to the banquet manager by the soundboard and raised my right hand.
That was our signal.
The big screen flickered, and the highlight reel vanished.
The highlight reel was abruptly replaced by a document on the screen.
White background, black text, an official header, and a bright red stamp made it look unmistakably formal.
The title stood out in large, bold letters.
Every eye in the room was glued to the big screen.
The banquet hall was so quiet that one could hear the candles burning.
When Jacob saw what was on the screen, he looked like all the strength had been sucked out of him, stumbling back a step.
Lucy picked up her cane from the floor, her fingers trembling violently as she looked up at the screen.
On the screen was a paternity test report.
[Test Subject 1: Jacob Swinburne.]
[Test Subject 2: Xavier Swinburne.]
[Parentage: Confirmed.]
[Probability of paternity: 99.97%.]