Chapter 9
Chapter 9: The Ghost in the Machine
Two weeks later, the Polanco house was peaceful. The nurseries were filled with soft pink blankets, the scent of lavender baby lotion, and the quiet hum of a white noise machine. Victoria was sleeping soundly in her crib.
I finally sat down at my desk and pulled out the manila envelope Julian had given me, which my assistant had retrieved from the restaurant.
I broke the seal and pulled out Paola’s medical files.
As I scanned the pages, the final pieces of the horrific puzzle fell into place. Diego’s first vasectomy three years ago had been faked by Paola. He had been fully fertile our entire marriage up until two months ago.
But it was the second document in the file that made my blood run cold. It was a genetic report from a fertility clinic in Houston, Texas, dated six months ago.
Patient Name: Paola Vance (Maiden Name). Diagnosis: Permanent, irreversible bilateral tubal occlusion due to severe pelvic inflammatory disease. Infertility status: 100%.
I stared at the paper, my breath catching in my throat.
Paola was completely, biologically incapable of getting pregnant. She had known this for years. Yet, during our meeting at the cafe, she had rested her hand over her stomach, smiled faintly, and agreed that a DNA test on my baby would be "better for everyone."
Why would a woman who couldn't have children be so confident about a DNA test?
Unless... she never intended for a DNA test to happen. Or worse—she already knew what the results would look like.
My phone rang, shattering the silence of the room. It was an international number.
I answered it, my voice trembling. "Hello?"
"Did you read the file, Laura?" Julian’s smooth, detached voice came through the line.
May you like
"Paola couldn't have children," I whispered. "Why was she playing along with Diego’s plan? Why did she want a DNA test on my baby?"
"Because Paola wasn't trying to steal Diego’s money, Laura," Julian said quietly. "She was trying to replace you. Think about it. If Diego’s second vasectomy was real, and you got pregnant two months later, a standard DNA test would show Diego wasn't the father. But what if the lab doing the DNA test was the same lab Paola’s family owned?"
