Chapter 2 - VANESSA KNEWI drove straight to Vanessa’s apartment.
I didn’t call first.
I didn’t think.
I barely remembered the drive.
Every red light felt like an insult.
Every second felt like another piece of my life disappearing.
Vanessa opened the door wearing one of my shirts.
My shirt.
The same black one I had left at her apartment three nights earlier.
She smiled when she saw me.
Then she noticed my face.
“What happened?”
“Where were you the night Claire disappeared?”
Her smile vanished.
“Ethan…”
“Answer me.”
She stepped aside.
I walked in.
The apartment looked exactly as I remembered.
Champagne glasses.
Expensive candles.
My watch on the kitchen counter.
A framed photograph of us beside the window.
I had never noticed the photograph before.
Maybe because I had never wanted to.
“You need to leave,” Vanessa said.
I stared at her.
“Claire knows.”
Vanessa went pale.
“How much?”
“Everything.”
She looked toward the window.
“Did she contact you?”
“Not directly.”
I pulled out my phone.
I showed her the photo of Claire and Noah.
Vanessa’s hands began shaking.
“Oh God.”
“What?”
“She found him.”
“Found who?”
Vanessa didn’t answer.
I grabbed her wrist.
“Who did Claire find?”
“Ethan, let go.”
“Tell me.”
“She found the man.”
“What man?”
Vanessa pulled away.
“The man you told me didn’t exist.”
My heart stopped.
“What are you talking about?”
She laughed bitterly.
“You really don’t know.”
“Know what?”
“That Claire found the second DNA test.”
I stared at her.
“You knew about a DNA test?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you asked me to help arrange it.”
The room spun.
“No.”
Vanessa walked to the bar and poured herself whiskey.
“You were drunk.”
“When?”
“Six weeks ago.”
I remembered that night.
I had been furious because Claire had accused me of cheating.
I had screamed at her.
Then I had left.
I had gone to Vanessa.
At least, that was what I remembered.
“You said you wanted proof Noah was yours,” Vanessa continued.
My mouth went dry.
“I never did that.”
“You did.”
She reached beneath the counter.
Then she pulled out a small envelope.
My name was written across it.
ETHAN CARTER
I opened it.
Inside was another DNA report.
But this one didn’t say Noah wasn’t mine.
It said something worse.
Probability of paternity: 0%.
I stepped backward.
“No.”
Vanessa nodded.
“Claire knew.”
“But if I’m not Noah’s father…”
“You were never supposed to know.”
“Then who is?”
Vanessa stared at me.
“I don't know.”
She was lying.
I could see it.
“You know.”
“I know enough to be scared.”
I grabbed her shoulders.
“Who is Noah’s father?”
Vanessa whispered a name.
“Daniel Brooks.”
I let go of her.
Daniel.
My attorney.
My closest friend.
The man who had just told me Claire was preparing to destroy me.
“No.”
Vanessa started crying.
“You’re not listening.”
“What?”
“That DNA report wasn’t about Noah.”
I froze.
“What?”
She pointed at the page.
“Read the sample ID.”
I looked.
The sample wasn’t labeled Noah.
It was labeled…
CLAIRE CARTER.
My hands began to shake.
The DNA test wasn’t for paternity.
It was something else.
Something much worse.
“What did they test Claire for?”
Vanessa covered her face.
“I don't know.”
“Who ordered it?”
She slowly looked at me.
“You did.”
I stared at her.
“I never ordered any test.”
“You did,” she whispered. “But you don’t remember because you were drugged.”
My entire body went cold.
“What?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“You weren’t drunk that night.”
“What are you saying?”
“I think someone wanted you unconscious.”
Then her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
Her face went white.
“Who is it?”
She didn’t answer.
The phone rang again.
Then a message appeared.
Vanessa read it.
And suddenly she began trembling.
“What?”
She handed me the phone.
May you like
The message contained only one sentence.
Tell Ethan the truth before Claire tells him what happened to you too.
