Chapter 3

I was sitting in Marcus Chen's office, my hands clasped tightly in my lap to hide their trembling. The room was minimalist—all clean lines and neutral colors, designed to put clients at ease. It wasn't working.

"The investigation has yielded some... interesting results, Mrs. Kennedy," Marcus said, sliding a manila folder across his desk. His voice remained professional, but I caught the slight emphasis on "interesting."

I reached for the folder, my fingers brushing against the cool metal of his business card holder. "How interesting?"

Marcus leaned back in his chair. "Tanner and Eliana Shaw were more than just high school classmates. They were intimately involved."

The air seemed to thin around me. I'd suspected something was wrong, but hearing it confirmed made it brutally real.

"There's documentation?" I asked, surprised by how steady my voice sounded.

"Yes." Marcus nodded toward the folder. "Yearbook photos, social media archives, and testimonies from former classmates."

I opened the folder. The first page contained a black and white photograph from a high school yearbook. Tanner and Eliana were sitting together at what appeared to be a prom or formal dance. His arm was around her waist, her head resting on his shoulder. Both were smiling directly at the camera, oblivious to everyone else around them.

"They were the golden couple," Marcus explained quietly. "According to three separate sources, they were inseparable for most of their senior year."

I turned the page to find more photos—Tanner and Eliana at football games, at parties, walking hand-in-hand through school hallways.

"And then something changed," Marcus continued. "Eliana suddenly stopped seeing Tanner and started dating his brother Atlas instead."

"When?" I asked.

"About four months before their graduation."

I stared at the images before me, trying to process what they meant. "Did anyone say why?"

Marcus slid another document across the desk—a handwritten statement from someone named Jessica Riley.

"Jessica was their classmate. She claims Eliana told her that Tanner wanted to go to different colleges, but she couldn't bear to be apart from him. Atlas was going to the same university she'd chosen."

I closed my eyes briefly, the pieces falling into place with sickening clarity.

"There's more," Marcus said gently. "I've included a timeline of their relationship and subsequent marriages."

I nodded, unable to speak as I gathered the documents back into the folder.

---

That evening, I stood in our bedroom, staring at Tanner's pillow. The house was quiet—Rhett was asleep, and Tanner was working late again.

I reached down and picked up a strand of dark hair from the pillowcase. Then another. And another.

My hands weren't shaking anymore. Instead, they moved with purpose as I collected at least a dozen strands, making sure each contained a root.

"I'm sorry, Tanner," I whispered to the empty room. "But I need to know."

I placed the hairs in a small evidence bag I'd obtained from Marcus, sealing it carefully before labeling it with Tanner's name and the date.

Next, I moved to his bathroom, retrieving his hairbrush. Several more strands caught in the bristles—dark, thick hair with slight waves. Just like Violet's.

I added these to the collection, my mind racing ahead to the next step. I needed Violet's DNA now.

---

The family dinner at Eliana's house was in full swing. Atlas was telling some elaborate story about his latest gambling win, while Tanner nodded politely. Eliana was serving dessert—a chocolate cake that smelled delicious.

"And then the dealer flipped over the final card," Atlas was saying, his eyes bright with excitement. "Aces full! I couldn't believe it!"

Violet giggled from her place at the table, her dark curls bouncing with each laugh. She caught my eye and smiled—such a sweet child, with Tanner's eyes and smile.

"Violet," I said warmly, "I love your hairstyle tonight. Did your mom do it for you?"

Violet nodded proudly. "She braided it special for dinner."

"It looks beautiful," I said, standing up and moving around the table toward her. "May I?"

She nodded, and I gently touched her hair, admiring the intricate braids Eliana had created.

"You have such pretty hair," I continued, my heart pounding. "So thick and healthy."

I smoothed down a strand near her temple, careful to pull it free from the braid. "Sometimes the little pieces stick out after braiding," I explained to Eliana. "I always had that problem too."

"Thank you, Aunt Adaline," Violet said politely.

I slipped the loose strand into my palm, closing my fingers around it as I returned to my seat.

"Is everything okay?" Tanner asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Just admiring their beautiful work," I replied, smiling at Eliana. "You're so talented with hair."

As conversation resumed around us, I excused myself to use the restroom. Once inside, I quickly transferred Violet's hair to another evidence bag, labeling it carefully.

Two samples down. Now I just needed Miguel's for comparison, and the paternity test could begin.