CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 26
THE SECRET CAROLINE TOOK TO HER GRAVE
Nathaniel did not speak for nearly a minute.
Then he laughed.
It was not amusement.
It was disbelief.
"You're telling me Caroline had a baby that wasn't mine?"
"We don't know that."
"The DNA says—"
"The original sample may have been mislabeled."
"Everything may have been mislabeled!"
Nathaniel swept the papers off the table.
Elena flinched.
He immediately stopped.
"I'm sorry."
She shook her head.
"You're allowed to be angry."
"No."
"Yes."
He looked at her.
"You've spent years believing you knew how your daughter died."
"And now I don't even know who my daughter was."
The words came out broken.
Elena stepped closer.
"June was your daughter because you loved her."
Nathaniel looked away.
"But what if Caroline knew?"
That question changed everything.
Dr. Rainer was called back.
The old physician sat across from Nathaniel.
"Did Caroline know June might not be biologically mine?"
Dr. Rainer remained silent.
Nathaniel closed his eyes.
"Samuel."
The doctor sighed.
"Caroline suspected."
"Suspected what?"
"That the hospital had switched two identification bracelets."
Nathaniel's eyes opened.
"Why?"
"Because there had been a medical emergency."
"Which child?"
Dr. Rainer looked at Elena.
"Both."
The truth emerged slowly.
A nurse had accidentally placed two newborn identification bracelets on the wrong infants during an emergency.
One baby had been born to Caroline.
The other had been born to Elena's mother.
But the records were later altered.
Someone had deliberately made the mistake permanent.
Nathaniel whispered:
"Why?"
May you like
Dr. Rainer answered.
"Because one of those babies was worth a fortune."
