Chapter 7
When I got home, Alex was already asleep.
I walked into his room and sat on the edge of his bed.
His little dinosaur toy wasn't on the bed.
"Housekeeper, do you know what happened to Alex's dinosaur toy?" I asked gently.
"Ms. Nolan, when we came back from kindergarten this afternoon, we already noticed it was missing—he probably lost it somewhere. Alex cried for quite a while."
It didn't get lost at kindergarten.
It was dropped in the parking lot at Eastside Medical Center.
And Lucas was the one who found it.
He went to Eastside Medical Center. He tracked me all the way there.
A little green dinosaur toy doesn't prove anything.
But Lucas isn't stupid.
He's already putting the pieces together.
I opened my laptop and sent an email to my lawyer.
"Mr. King, I need to ask you something: Can a biological father claim visitation or custody rights without a paternity test? Please get back to me as soon as you can."
After sending the email, I did one more thing.
I pulled up the family records online and double-checked Alex's registration.
Registered under: Emma Nolan.
Child: Alex Nolan.
Father: [blank]
As long as that field is left blank, no one can establish any legal connection between Alex and Lucas by any official means.
Unless I agree to a paternity test.
Or unless a court orders it.
For a court to order a paternity test, there has to be some preliminary evidence—like a statement from one of the parties, witness testimony, or biological evidence.
Right now, Lucas doesn't have anything concrete.
A little dinosaur toy isn't proof of anything.
I closed my laptop.
But I knew it was only a matter of time.
*****
Friday—the day of the contract signing.
At Everwell Tower.
Katie and I arrived fifteen minutes early.
In the conference room, Director Lewis, the legal team, and Grace were all there.
The contract was laid out on the table, with Article 17 already removed.
Everything was going smoothly.
Just as we were about to sign and seal the deal, the door swung open.
Lucas walked in.
He was dressed in a crisp white shirt and black slacks—not a doctor's outfit at all. He looked like he belonged in the boardroom, not the hospital.
Grace stood up.
"Lucas, what brings you here?" Grace asked.
"Dad asked me to come check out the contract," Lucas replied.
He walked over to the table, picked up the contract, and flipped through it.
He stopped at the page with my signature.
Emma Nolan.
His eyes shifted from the contract to my face.
I wasn't wearing a mask.
I was in full makeup, my hair neatly styled, and wearing a tailored suit.
I looked nothing like the woman he'd seen in the ER, cradling a feverish child in her arms.
But it was unmistakably me.
"Ms. Nolan," he said.
"Dr. Nolan," I replied.
Grace watched us, her smile faltering for a moment.
"The contract looks good," Lucas said, setting it back down on the table.
The deal was done.
When we lined up for the group photo, he stood beside me.
The photographer called out, "A bit closer, please."
Lucas moved a little closer to me.
I stayed right where I was.
As soon as the photo was taken, I turned on my heel and left.
In the elevator, Katie whispered, "He totally recognized you."
"He knew it ages ago," I replied.
"The way he looked at you I don't know, it wasn't like he was looking at his ex-wife. It was more like he was staring at something precious he'd lost," Katie said.
"People aren't objects. Once they're gone, that's it," I replied.
The elevator reached the first floor.
As we walked out of the lobby, the sound of someone running behind us echoed.
"Emma Nolan."
Lucas followed us out.
Katie glanced at me, and I nodded. She went on ahead.
The lobby was bustling with people coming and going.
He stood in front of me.
"I recognized you that day in the ER," he said.
"Yeah," I replied.
"You said the kid's dad is gone. What did you mean by that?" he asked.
"Exactly what it sounds like," I replied.
"Is he gone, or did you make him disappear?" he asked.
I looked at him.
"Lucas, what are you really trying to ask? Just say it," I said.
He swallowed hard.
Lucas's voice was low. "Is that kid mine?"
A draft drifted through the lobby.
I met his gaze and answered, one word at a time.
"No."
Then I turned and walked away.
He didn't follow.
'But I could tell he didn't buy it.' I thought.