Chapter 9 · He Wanted Us to Go Dutch While I Carried His Child

Chapter 9

Two weeks after she signed with Starlight, the first samples for the Aurum collection arrived.There were six pieces in total. Three rings, a necklace, and a pair of earrings.Each piece showcased Charlotte's signature cracked aesthetic. The metal surfaces were etched with irregular crack patterns, each groove set with tiny diamonds that caught and scattered the light from every angle.When the samples were brought to Ethan's office, he lined them up neatly on his desk and studied them for a long time."They look even better than the design sketches," he said.Charlotte sat across from him and said, "The craftsmanship is superb. The yield rate was ten percent higher than I expected.""Mr. Lane wants to see them," Ethan said as he packed the samples into their case. "He also wanted me to ask if you've made a decision about the DNA test."Charlotte absently traced her fingers over the silver pendant at her throat."Do you know why he wants me to do the DNA test?" she asked.Ethan studied her for a moment and then set the box down."I know something about it. But he told me not to say anything," he replied."Let me ask you something," Charlotte said."Go ahead," Ethan replied."Did Richard ever have a child go missing?" Charlotte asked.Ethan's expression didn't change, but his hand paused for a split second as he reached for his cup."If you do the test, you'll get all the answers you want," he said."But if you want to know ahead of time, all I can tell you is that twenty-eight years ago, Richard's youngest son, Michael Lane, had a daughter who went missing from the hospital right after she was born."Charlotte's grip on the silver pendant tightened."Missing?" she asked."She was taken from the hospital nursery the day after she was born. No one's ever found her," Ethan said."Twenty-eight years ago," Charlotte murmured."Yeah. You're twenty-eight now," Ethan replied.Charlotte leaned back in her chair.The silver pendant with Lane engraved on the back, the orphanage, the note with her name written on it, and the way Richard's hands had trembled when he looked at me, all of it flashed through Charlotte's mind in a single rush."Ethan," Charlotte called out."Yeah, I'm here," Ethan answered."Go ahead and book the test," Charlotte said.The DNA test was set for the following morning.When Charlotte arrived at the hospital, Richard was already there.He stood in the hallway in a plain gray shirt. When he saw her, he didn't say anything. He just gave her a silent nod.The blood draw was quick.The nurse said the results would be ready in three days.As they left the blood collection room, Richard walked slowly beside her, deliberately matching his pace to hers, mindful of her pregnancy."Charlotte, did your adoptive parents treat you well?" he asked."Not really. They had their own child, and I was just the outsider," she replied."What happened after that?""They were in a car accident, and all the compensation went to their son. I was sixteen and had to work to pay for high school and college myself."Richard stopped in his tracks."Twenty-eight years," he murmured.He didn't say anything else.But Charlotte saw him turn away, brushing at his eyes as if to hide his tears.When Charlotte stepped out of the hospital, she bumped into David Clark at the entrance.He was standing by the hospital gates, hands shoved in his pockets. The moment he saw her, he walked straight over."Who did you come to the hospital with?" he asked."None of your business," she shot back."Charlotte, are you hooking up with that Cooper guy?" David pressed."Are you stalking me?" Charlotte shot back."Is it so bad that your husband cares about you?" David retorted."When you finally delete Grace from your contacts, then you can talk to me about caring," Charlotte snapped.David's face flushed."It was just work—" he tried to explain."Seven hotel stays, and that's just work?" Charlotte snapped."Who told you that?" David blurted out."It doesn't matter," Charlotte said as she walked to the curb. "I'm getting a cab.""Don't go," David said, grabbing her arm.Charlotte looked down at his hand holding her arm. "Let go," she said."What's really between you and Ethan Cooper?" David pressed."Like I said, he's my boss. I work at Starlight Jewelry Group," Charlotte replied."You're pregnant, and you're out there hanging around with some single guy—" David accused."David," Charlotte said, raising her head to meet his eyes. "You have no right to tell me what to do anymore."David slowly let go of her arm."You're going to regret this," he said."I already do," Charlotte shot back, flagging down a cab. "I regret I ever married you."She got in and closed the door.As the cab pulled away, she caught a glimpse of David still standing by the hospital doors in the rearview mirror.Her phone buzzed with a message from Emily.Emily: [I just found something. David's dad, Frank, worked as a security guard at Harbor City General Hospital twenty-eight years ago.]Charlotte stared at the message, her fingers going cold.Harbor City General Hospital.Twenty-eight years ago.That was the year she was born, and the same year Richard's granddaughter went missing at Harbor City General Hospital.

Chapter 9