Chapter 142
Caleb’s POV
Before I could respond, the door swung open, and lade walked in, holding a folder in one hand and looking far too pleased with himself.
The results are back, he announced, glancing between the three of us.
1 frowned, my stomach knotting. What results?‘ I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. What the hell are you talking about, Jade?
But before I could reach for it, Caroline all but leaps towards it and grabs it in her hands tightly, surprising me.
I stared at Caroline, her eyes full of guilt, as she looked at me. All of a sudden, the silence between us felt heavy. I could tell she was struggling to find the right words, her fingers nervously playing with the hem of her sleeve. Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Caleb, 1… I did something. Something I know I should’ve asked you about first.” Her eyes met mine, filled with an apology I wasn’t sure I could fully understand yet. “But I had to be sure. I needed to confirm my suspicion before I came to you with my theory.”
My stomach tightened, a cold shiver running down my spine as I tried to process what she was saying.
“What are you talking about, Caroline?” I asked, my voice a little more tense than I intended. I had a sinking feeling I wasn’t going to like it.
She hesitated, before her gaze shifted to Jade, who had been standing silently off to the side. Jade nodded, stepping forward slightly. “I’m up to speed on everything, Caleb,” he said quietly. “Caroline needed someone else to know, and… well, this is what’s happened.” He motioned to the envelope.
I swallowed, trying to keep my composure as my mind raced to catch up with the situation. Caroline had been keeping something from me. She had gone behind my back for a reason–one that was apparently big enough to involve Jade. But what was it? What was so important she had to confirm it first?
I turned back to Caroline, the knot in my chest tightening. “So, what exactly did you confirm? What’s this theory you’ve been working on?” I felt the weight of her guilt and knew she didn’t want to hurt me, but this was something I needed to know.
Her breath hitched. She opened her mouth, then closed it, before finally speaking, her words coming out in a rushed, almost apologetic tone. “I had this theory about Aurora, so…I did a DNA test.”
I stood there, frozen in place, trying to piece everything together.
I watched her hands tremble slightly as she tore open the envelope, the weight of whatever was inside making my chest tighten. The moment the paper unfolded, she glanced at the contents, her eyes flickering up to meet mine, searching for a reaction.
“Caleb,” she began, her voice low, almost hesitant, “this… this is big.”
She flipped the paper around, showing me the results. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the familiar names listed, but it was the explanation beneath that made my stomach churn.
“This theory, it’s something Caroline and I pieced together,” Jade continued, glancing at me before focusing on the paper again. “When Aurora told Caroline that her birthday was never really celebrated, it raised a red flag. Also the fact that her parents fought a lot during that month.”
I couldn’t speak at first, my mind racing. It felt like the ground had shifted beneath me, What’s this got to do with anything?”
like everything I thought I knew was suddenly unraveling. “And?
Jade sighed, his expression tight. “Caroline and I started digging, and it… it led us here.” He motioned to the paper again, and I leaned in closer, my eyes scanning over the words as if I couldn’t really believe what I was seeing.
“We’re still waiting for the full results, but we’re pretty sure that Riley and Aurora…are only half siblings. Caroline thinks it’s the result of an affair. That’s why Aurora parent’s never celebrated her real birthday.”
I felt a knot form in my throat, the weight of the information pressing down on me. “So, if Riley and Aurora… are half siblings…then who is the real child of her parents?” The words felt heavy on my tongue.
Jade’s eyes met mine, dark with the intensity of what he was saying. “That’s what we need to figure out. The DNA test with her dad’s corpse will confirm it, but it’ll take time. But if it’s true, then we’ve got a whole different family dynamic on our hands. And it all points back to an affair.”
1/2
Chapter 142
I didn’t know how to react.. My
What
do we
do with this?” 1
mind was spinning. too many questions flooding felt the weight decision
of the
in chest
my
me
at once. “56,
We
were
fight, we about
were
true, what does To change everything.
that
mean for Aurora an
Jade
let
out a long
to throw
this
breath, running
right But
now. on her
his fingers this. Caleb,
the key could be
his through hair. don’t know
this
to
yet everything
But
we’ve
to Бе
figure trying to
we need careful Aurora is
been
in
fragile: state and we don’t want
out.”
I stared
Aurora’s
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