Chapter 12 - Valerie’s real reason
Diana Cole had worked for Arthur Vance twenty-eight years earlier.
She had also been his mistress.
Valerie believed Arthur was her biological father.
No verified test had established it.
But Diana had apparently told Valerie that throughout childhood.
Arthur paid for portions of Valerie’s education.
Quietly.
Never publicly acknowledged her.
When Valerie later worked at the fertility clinic and saw the Vance name attached to our case, she recognized it immediately.
Then came Adrian’s sample error.
Arthur panicked.
Valerie saw leverage.
Arthur allegedly paid her to help contain information.
Then cut her off.
Valerie never forgot.
Years later, she entered my company and eventually my marriage.
Not because she loved Marco.
Not really.
She wanted access to the Vance family.
And to my wealth.
Marco looked sick.
“You used me.”
Valerie laughed.
“You cheated on your wife willingly.”
That shut him up.
She was right about that much.
Marco’s betrayal belonged to Marco.
No secret childhood excused it.
Then my attorney received preliminary forensic results regarding the attempted transfer of my company shares.
The digital authorization originated from Marco’s laptop.
But the credential sequence came from Valerie’s stolen access archive.
Both had participated.
Marco claimed he believed the transfer would merely create temporary voting control.
Valerie had apparently structured something far more permanent.
They had been betraying each other while trying to betray me.
Appropriate.
Then Leo appeared on the staircase.
“Mommy?”
Every adult stopped.
He held the little phone.
“I found another recording.”
My heart tightened.
“What recording?”
“I pressed it yesterday before Daddy came home.”
Marco looked alarmed.
Leo handed me the phone.
I almost refused to play it in front of him.
Instead, I gave Leo to my mother and waited until he was upstairs.
Then I pressed play.
Arthur’s voice.
Marco’s.
They had met in my home the previous night.
Arthur said:
“You cannot let Andrea request an independent DNA test.”
Marco:
“Why?”
Arthur:
“Because if they test the old material properly, they won’t only find Adrian.”
Long silence.
Then Marco:
“What does that mean?”
Arthur answered:
“It means your mother will discover what I did thirty years ago.”
Margaret covered her mouth.
Whatever Arthur had hidden predated Leo.
Predated my marriage.
May you like
Predated Valerie.
And suddenly Valerie’s claim that Arthur might be her father became much more complicated.
