Chapter 4 - The Midnight Swab
At 1:30 AM, Julian arrived at the private genetic diagnostics lab at Northwestern Medical Center.
Dr. Marcus Vance, Julian’s closest confidant and a world-renowned forensic pathologist, met him in the private laboratory basement.
"Julian, it’s two in the morning," Marcus said, rubbing his eyes. "What could be so urgent that you couldn't wait for morning clinical hours?"
Julian placed the sealed evidence bag onto the stainless-steel examination table.
"I need a complete mitochondrial DNA sequence and direct maternal lineage match," Julian stated, his voice trembling with an intensity Marcus had never heard before. "Sample A is from Leo Sterling. Sample B is from a woman working as a maid in my penthouse."
Marcus paused, staring at his friend. "Julian... your boys' mother was Elena. She passed away four years ago. Victoria is their legal adoptive mother."
"Just run the PCR assay, Marcus," Julian said, his eyes blazing with an unyielding fire. "Run the maternal markers against the preserved tissue sample from Elena’s pre-natal amniocentesis archive."
Marcus saw the deadly seriousness in Julian’s eyes. He didn't ask another question.
"The rapid sequencer will take four hours," Marcus said, loading the samples into the automated centrifuge. "Wait in my office."
For four agonizing hours, Julian stared out the laboratory window as the rain lashed against the glass. The silence of the night was deafening. Every memory of the past four years replayed in his mind: Victoria’s subtle insistence that the boys had cognitive deficits, her refusal to let them play outside, and her constant demands to transfer Elena's family trust into her name.
At 5:45 AM, the computerized sequencer emitted a sharp, high-pitched chime.
Marcus walked out of the processing room holding a four-page thermal printout. His face was ghostly pale.
"Marcus?" Julian stepped forward, his heart hammering against his ribs. "What does it say?"
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Marcus handed the paper to Julian with trembling fingers.
"The genetic compatibility between Sample A and Sample B is 99.998%," Marcus whispered in disbelief. "Julian... that maid is not a stranger. She is the biological mother of your twins."
