Chapter 9: The Last DNA Test
The next twenty-four hours changed everything.
Again.
Rachel was beginning to hate that word.
Everything.
Every time they thought they had reached the truth, another secret appeared underneath.
Grant sat silently in the car outside the abandoned Bennett family estate.
The address from the phone call had been sent anonymously.
Rachel sat beside him.
Neither spoke.
Finally, she asked:
"Do you believe him?""
Grant stared at the old house.
"I don't know what I believe anymore.""
That was the most honest answer he had given.
They entered through the front door.
Inside, everything smelled like dust and old memories.
A place frozen in time.
On the table was an envelope.
No name.
No explanation.
Just a DNA report.
Grant picked it up.
His hands shook.
Rachel watched.
"Open it.""
He did.
He read.
Then stopped.
"What?""
He handed it to her.
Rachel scanned the page.
Her eyes widened.
The results showed:
Grant Bennett was not biologically related to Adrian Vale.
Not biologically related to Charles Bennett.
Not biologically related to the donor records they had discovered.
Rachel looked up.
"Then who?""
Before Grant could answer, a voice came from the doorway.
"That's what I spent thirty years trying to discover.""
Rachel turned.
An older man stood there.
Not Charles.
Someone else.
Grant stared.
"Who are you?""
The man stepped inside.
"My name is Daniel Cross.""
Grant looked confused.
"I don't know you.""
"You should.""
Daniel looked at the DNA report.
"Because your father knew me.""
Rachel felt uneasy.
"Your father?""
Daniel nodded.
"Charles Bennett.""
Grant looked angry.
"My father is dead.""
"Yes.""
"Then why are you here?""
Daniel reached into his coat.
He pulled out a small recorder.
"Because Charles left instructions.""
Grant stared.
"What instructions?""
Daniel pressed play.
A man's voice filled the room.
Charles Bennett.
Older.
Tired.
"If you are hearing this, then I failed.""
Grant froze.
His father's voice continued.
"I spent my life trying to control a truth I was too afraid to face.""
Rachel listened carefully.
"Grant, I need you to know something.""
A pause.
"You were never a mistake.""
Grant closed his eyes.
The words hit him harder than anything.
Charles continued.
"I spent years believing biology made a person valuable.""
His voice cracked.
"I was wrong.""
Rachel looked at Grant.
Because those words were exactly what Grant needed to hear.
The message continued.
"Adrian Vale lied about many things.""
Grant opened his eyes.
"But one thing was true.""
Charles said:
"He did not create you.""
Silence.
Daniel stopped the recording.
Grant stared.
"What does that mean?""
Daniel looked at him.
"It means Adrian was never your father.""
Rachel looked at the DNA report.
"Then who was?""
Daniel answered:
"Your father.""
Grant frowned.
"What?""
Daniel nodded.
"Charles Bennett was your biological father.""
The room went silent.
Rachel looked at the report.
"That doesn't make sense.""
Daniel sighed.
"Because the report you have is not complete.""
He opened another folder.
Inside was another DNA test.
A real one.
"This was hidden.""
Grant looked.
The results were different.
Biological father: Charles Bennett.
Biological mother: Evelyn Bennett.
Rachel felt relief.
But Grant didn't.
He looked devastated.
"Then why?""
Daniel looked at him.
"Because Adrian manipulated your family for decades.""
"How?""
"By convincing Charles that you weren't his.""
Rachel froze.
"Why?""
Daniel looked at Grant.
"Because Adrian wanted you to believe exactly what he believed.""
"What?""
"That blood controls everything.""
The irony was almost impossible to process.
Adrian had spent years creating the fear.
And Grant had spent years repeating it.
Then Daniel handed Rachel another document.
"This is the final piece.""
She looked down.
It was Maddie's DNA report.
Not the clinic version.
The real one.
Rachel read.
Then stopped.
"Grant.""
He looked at her.
"What?""
She couldn't speak.
She handed him the paper.
His eyes moved.
Then widened.
Because the truth about Maddie was finally revealed.
The donor wasn't Adrian.
The donor wasn't a stranger.
It was someone connected to the family.
Someone who had been there from the beginning.
Grant looked up.
"Who?""
Daniel answered quietly:
"The person who loved her before she was even born.""
Rachel stared.
"Who?""
Daniel looked at Grant.
May you like
And said:
"Your father.""
