Chapter 7 - The Billionaire Was a Patient Too
Jonathan sat down hard.
"You just said William had another child named Anna."
Richard nodded.
"Because that is what he was told."
Lila stared.
"By who?"
"Anna's mother."
"My grandmother."
"Yes."
Richard rubbed both hands together.
"She was involved with both of us."
Jonathan laughed once.
"Of course."
"William assumed Anna was his."
"And you?"
"I knew the timing."
"Did you test?"
"Years later."
Lila's voice turned sharp.
"Without telling my mother?"
Richard looked at her.
"She knew."
"When?"
"After the plant leak."
"Convenient."
"Yes."
Lila hated that he admitted it so easily.
Jonathan searched for the DNA result.
Not in the paper files.
Richard said, "It was kept off-site."
"Where?"
"Private medical archive."
Jonathan grabbed his phone.
Claire answered this time.
"I need the family genetic file."
Silence.
"Jonathan—"
"Now."
Claire exhaled.
"Come to my office."
"No. Send it."
"It cannot be sent."
"Why?"
"Because William sealed it under attorney privilege."
Jonathan stared at Richard.
"You knew Claire had it."
Richard did not answer.
They returned to Brooks-Mercer after midnight through Jonathan's private entrance.
Claire waited in a conference room.
No security.
No assistants.
She looked at Lila.
"You look like her."
Lila's jaw tightened.
"Everybody apparently knew my mother except me."
Claire accepted that.
She opened a lockbox.
Old DNA report.
Anna Hart.
Comparison:
William Mercer.
Excluded.
Richard Mercer.
Probability of paternity: 99.97%.
Lila stared at Richard.
He did not look away.
Jonathan rubbed his forehead.
"Then why did my medical file say test sibling?"
Claire turned a page.
"Because William did not know when BM-17 started."
"So he thought Anna might be his daughter."
"Yes."
Jonathan looked at Lila.
"Your mother was my cousin."
Lila swallowed.
"Which makes you what?"
"Your mother's cousin."
"Close enough to explain why she trusted you?"
Claire shook her head.
"No."
Lila turned.
"Then why?"
Claire looked at Jonathan.
"Because Anna saved him."
Jonathan's jaw tightened.
"I know."
"No. You know she called an ambulance."
Claire opened another file.
"She also stopped Richard from having you moved to the company clinic."
Jonathan froze.
Richard snapped, "Claire."
She ignored him.
"Anna refused to let company security take Jonathan before city paramedics arrived."
Lila looked at Richard.
"Why did you want him moved?"
Claire answered.
"Because a public emergency room would create an exposure record."
Jonathan stared at his uncle.
"You were willing to risk me to hide the leak."
Richard said, "I knew the clinic could treat you."
"You hoped."
Silence.
Then Claire slid one final document toward Jonathan.
Nine years of blood tests.
The latest note was dated five years ago.
LONG-TERM RISK ELEVATED.
FAMILY HISTORY REQUIRES CONTINUED SCREENING.
Jonathan looked at Claire.
"Why did this stop?"
She did not answer.
"Claire."
Her eyes filled.
"Because your father died."
"That makes no sense."
"It does if the monitoring was never for your health."
Jonathan went still.
"Then what was it for?"
Claire whispered:
May you like
"To prove the company could predict who would get sick."
CUT.
