Chapter 4

"Mommy, see? She thinks she swapped me, so now she's steering Daddy into suspecting you!"

My mom heard my thoughts, and the smile she'd worn for my dad froze on her lips.

The look she turned on Valerie was complicated.

Before this, she'd only suspected Valerie.

Now it was as good as confirmed.

"What are you talking about?"

"My ex and I broke up a long time ago."

"And that was back in college. We were young, and it never went past feelings. Nothing improper ever happened."

But Valerie pretended not to understand, covered her mouth, and let out a little snort of a laugh.

"Yes, yes, yes, you're the purest of us all!"

"Then why did you ask me to cover for you?"

My dad's tone changed in an instant. "Cover? Cover what?"

Just then my grandmother arrived, too, with a lawyer, a stack of property deeds in hand and a share-transfer agreement.

The lawyer stepped forward.

He spoke to my mom.

"Ms. Henson, your mother-in-law, Mrs. Walker, wishes to thank you for giving the Farley family its firstborn granddaughter. She's putting five properties on Kingsley Road, Riverside Drive, and elsewhere into your name.

She's also transferring ten percent of the company's shares to Miss Renata Farley, to be held in trust by you as her mother."

My grandmother took my mom's hand warmly.

"Rest and recover. The Farleys won't shortchange you and the baby."

My mom was so moved she nearly cried.

The jealousy in Valerie's eyes was thick enough to spill over.

She shot to her feet. "Mrs. Farley, do you want to reconsider?"

My grandmother looked over at Valerie, standing by the crib, not understanding. "Hmm?"

Valerie glanced at me, seemingly by accident, as if she'd finally decided to throw all caution aside.

"Zara and I are the closest of friends. There are things I really shouldn't say."

"But you and Morgan are good people. I can't stand by and watch you get deceived, watch you hand over everything you worked so hard to build."

"The truth is, after the wedding Zara kept up an improper relationship with her ex. This baby isn't Morgan's at all. It's her ex's!"

"If you don't believe me, take the baby right now and do a paternity test with Morgan!"

My mom demanded furiously, "Valerie, I treated you like my own sister. Why are you slandering me?"

Valerie instantly put on a righteous face. "I just can't stomach watching you lie to people!"

As she said it, she pulled out a stack of vile photos.

"These are all proof!"

My dad's face changed, his eyes moving between my mom and Valerie, not knowing who to believe.

My grandmother slammed the table and stood, then called in a professional testing team.

"Collect two samples from me. Run a paternity test!"

"I want the results within twenty-four hours!"

The team began drawing blood.

The needle pierced my tiny finger, and my mom watched with an ache in her chest.

My grandmother narrowed her eyes at my mom. "If the results come back and the baby isn't Morgan's flesh and blood, you and the child walk out of here with nothing. The Farley family can't afford this kind of disgrace."

My mom was stricken. "Mom, you don't believe me?"

"Morgan, what about you? You don't believe me either?"

My dad clenched his fists, his face torn. "I should believe you."

"But you and Valerie are so close. Why would she risk turning against you just to frame you?"

My mom closed her eyes. There was nothing left to say.

She'd misjudged people. She'd let a wolf through her own door.

Two hours later.

The head of the testing team came back with the report.

"Ma'am, the results are in!"