Chapter 6 - The Son Who Might Not Exist
Selina was pregnant.
That was not in question.
But the report identifying a male fetus belonged to another patient.
Administrative “error.”
Cassandra denied involvement.
The clinic investigated.
An employee had manually attached the wrong report to Flynn’s private portal.
Who requested the manual upload?
Cassandra’s executive assistant.
Cassandra claimed mistake.
Nobody believed it.
Why did gender matter to Cassandra if legally irrelevant?
Psychology.
Flynn wanted a son.
Cassandra needed Flynn emotionally committed to Selina before Evelyn’s birth.
A supposed son made him reckless.
Mabel looked at Flynn differently after that.
Not less guilty.
More pathetic.
Someone had manipulated his deepest insecurity.
He still chose every cruel action.
Then correct report arrived.
Selina was carrying a girl.
Flynn stared.
Selina watched him carefully.
Mabel did too.
For one terrible second, Flynn said nothing.
Then Selina asked:
“Are you disappointed?”
Flynn looked at her.
“No.”
Mabel almost laughed.
He had said “I already have my son” less than forty-eight hours earlier.
Now there was no son.
Only two daughters.
One newborn he had rejected.
One unborn child he had used as a symbol.
Then Flynn asked for private meeting with Mabel.
She refused initially.
Later agreed with mediator present.
Flynn apologized.
Not enough.
“I was angry.”
Mabel said nothing.
“I thought you were going to use your father’s trust to control me.”
“You punished a newborn for something you thought I might do.”
Flynn looked down.
Yes.
Then Mabel asked:
“Do you love Selina?”
He hesitated.
Wrong.
Mabel smiled sadly.
“You don't even know.”
He admitted he loved how she made him feel.
Admired.
Desired.
Unquestioned.
Mabel had challenged him.
Selina praised him.
He confused relief from accountability with love.
Then:
“Did you ever love me?”
“Yes.”
Mabel believed him.
That made everything worse.
Love had not prevented betrayal.
Then divorce proceedings began.
Mabel did not seek to destroy Flynn.
She sought custody protections for Evelyn, marital property division and full disclosure.
Flynn initially fought.
Then trust review exposed company vulnerabilities.
His attorneys advised cooperation.
Meanwhile Selina moved out of the apartment Flynn had rented.
She did not move in with Mabel.
No artificial friendship.
She stayed with her mother’s sister.
Then she hired her own attorney.
Not Phoebe.
Smart.
She wanted Rebecca’s Avery interest evaluated independently.
Cassandra panicked.
Why?
Because if Rebecca’s $23 million claim validated, Selina would not need Flynn.
Cassandra’s leverage disappeared.
Then auditors discovered Cassandra had offered Selina a post-birth agreement.
$2 million.
In exchange:
Assign any inherited Avery interests to a Whitmore-controlled holding company.
Selina had never signed.
She claimed she never saw it.
Electronic records showed Cassandra’s assistant drafted it.
Flynn had approved preliminary terms.
Mabel stared at him.
“You were buying her inheritance?”
Flynn shook his head.
“I thought I was protecting her.”
“By buying something she didn't know she owned?”
He had no answer.
Then Marcus uncovered something even stranger.
The holding company intended to acquire Selina’s rights was not controlled by Flynn.
It was controlled by Cassandra.
Flynn looked at his sister.
Cassandra had used his affair to build a transaction that would transfer Selina’s claim to herself.
Flynn whispered:
“You were going to take it.”
Cassandra finally lost composure.
“I was trying to keep Whitmore from being dismantled!”
Marcus replied calmly:
“No. You were trying to become the person who controlled what remained.”
Then Phoebe received a courier envelope.
Charles Hale’s handwriting.
It had been stored under delayed-release instructions.
On front:
Open if Cassandra Whitmore attempts to acquire an Avery interest.
Mabel stared.
Her father had anticipated Cassandra too.
Inside was one sentence:
Before you blame Cassandra, ask Flynn what Harrison made him sign at twenty-five.
Every eye turned toward Flynn.
May you like
And Flynn whispered:
“I thought Dad destroyed that.”
