Chapter 17 - The Agonizing Wait
The forty-eight hours it took for the clinic to process the DNA results were the longest of Daniel's life. He moved through his professional duties like a high-functioning ghost, his mind entirely consumed by the pending envelope.
He overcompensated at home, trying to mask his internal turmoil. He cooked extravagant dinners, played endless board games with the children, and read Sofía three bedtime stories instead of the usual one. But Mateo, with his hyper-observant nature, noticed the tension in his father’s jaw and the distant, unfocused look in his eyes. The boy didn't ask questions; he simply stayed close, a silent, comforting anchor for his father.
Meanwhile, Rebeca was not going quietly into the night. Her lawyers began sending aggressive correspondence, attempting to sue Daniel for breach of contract regarding the wedding preparations and claiming emotional distress. She even leaked an anonymous, heavily edited story to a local gossip blog, painting herself as a victim who was chased out of her home by a violent fiancé.
Daniel ignored the noise. He directed his massive legal team to bury her in counter-suits, utilizing the digital forensics from the hacked computer to prove her forgery and attempted fraud. He instructed his lawyers to bleed her dry financially, ensuring she would never have the resources to threaten another family again.
But none of the legal victories mattered until the medical envelope arrived.
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On Thursday afternoon, a secure courier arrived at the mansion’s front gate. Daniel signed for the thick, manila envelope, his hands trembling slightly. He walked slowly back to his study, closing the heavy oak doors and locking them behind him.
He sat at his large desk, staring at the sealed envelope. The answer to his deepest, darkest fear was resting right in front of him. He took a deep breath, picked up a silver letter opener, and sliced through the top of the heavy paper. The truth was finally in his hands.
