Chapter 17 - THE SAMPLE THAT WAS CHANGEDClaire was still living in the mansion’s guest wing under medical supervision.
She was not under arrest.
Her pregnancy was considered high-risk because of elevated blood pressure.
I had not seen her for two days.
When I returned from the hospital, her nurse stood in the foyer.
“Mrs. Morgan is gone.”
The bedroom was empty.
Her clothes remained in the closet.
Her passport was missing.
So was the original prenatal file.
Security footage showed Claire leaving through the service entrance in a loose black coat.
A waiting car had taken her north.
The vehicle belonged to the same Santa Barbara property purchased with stolen funds.
Police issued an alert.
I entered the bedroom where everything had begun.
The roses were gone.
The door stood open.
The smart mirror had been removed for forensic analysis, leaving a pale rectangle on the wall.
Without it, the room looked blind.
My phone rang.
Claire.
“Where are you?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“You need medical supervision.”
“I’m not sick.”
“Your doctor disagrees.”
“My doctor reports everything to you.”
“Your doctor reports concerns because you authorized it. You can revoke that authorization.”
“I can’t trust anyone you pay.”
“Then choose another doctor. I’ll have no access.”
Silence.
Her breathing was uneven.
“Claire, this is not about us. The baby needs care.”
“The baby is the only reason you still speak to me.”
“That is not entirely true.”
“What else is there?”
“Answers.”
She began crying.
This time, I could not see her face.
I could not tell whether the tears were real.
Perhaps that no longer mattered.
“I didn’t know what my mother had done,” she said.
“When?”
“Not until after I was pregnant.”
“Did you consent to using my sample?”
“I signed something.”
“Before or after the procedure?”
“I don’t remember.”
“You remember.”
Her silence answered me.
“After,” she whispered.
Olivia had already arranged the procedure.
Then she pressured Claire to sign retroactive consent.
“But you knew the baby might be mine,” I said.
“Yes.”
“And you told Ryan the baby was his.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he was going to leave.”
“You could have let him.”
“I needed him to complete the transfers.”
The truth landed quietly.
Claire had not lied for love.
She had lied to maintain access.
“Where is the original sample report?”
“With me.”
“What does it say?”
“That Paula switched the sample labels.”
My body went cold.
“Whose sample was actually used?”
May you like
Claire inhaled.
Then the call disconnected.
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