Chapter 5
Vanessa agreed to meet only after Rebecca contacted her attorney.
She chose a quiet restaurant in Tribeca instead of the Ashford hotel.
Alessandra understood why.
For the first time, Vanessa arrived without diamonds.
No Ethan.
No Sybil.
No Gavin.
Just a woman in a gray coat who suddenly looked thirty-two instead of untouchable.
Alessandra did not waste time.
“Did you tell Gavin that Milo was his?”
Vanessa stared into her coffee.
“I told him it was possible.”
“Did you take a DNA test?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Vanessa hesitated.
“Sybil arranged it.”
“Did you see the result?”
“Yes.”
“Original?”
Another hesitation.
“No.”
Alessandra sat back.
Sybil had shown both of them copies.
“What sample did you provide?”
“Milo did a cheek swab.”
“Who collected Gavin’s?”
“Sybil said she handled it.”
Alessandra almost smiled.
Not from amusement.
From the absurdity.
“And neither of you thought that was strange?”
Vanessa looked up sharply.
“You’re sitting there like you’ve never wanted something badly enough to ignore what didn’t fit.”
The accusation landed because it was not entirely wrong.
Alessandra had ignored problems in her marriage.
Late dinners.
Separate trips.
Gavin’s sudden protectiveness over his phone.
She had told herself they were both busy.
Vanessa continued.
“Sybil told me Gavin deserved to know. She said Milo deserved his real family.”
“And the money?”
Vanessa’s eyes shifted.
There.
“What money?”
“You’ve been receiving Ashford money for two years.”
“That wasn’t from Gavin.”
“I know.”
Vanessa looked toward the window.
“My ex left debts. Ethan helped me. Sybil helped Ethan.”
“Why?”
“I thought because Ethan worked for your family.”
“You believed my mother-in-law gave you hundreds of thousands of dollars because your brother had a contract?”
Vanessa’s face reddened.
“No.”
Finally.
“Then why?”
Vanessa rubbed her thumb against the place where one of her rings usually sat.
“She knew about Gavin.”
“When?”
“Years ago.”
Alessandra leaned forward.
Vanessa’s voice dropped.
“She contacted me before Milo turned four.”
Nearly three years ago.
Sybil had not stumbled onto the possibility recently.
She had been cultivating it.
“Why didn’t she tell Gavin then?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
Alessandra believed only half of that.
Before she left, Vanessa said something else.
“The night of the gala, I didn’t know Sybil was going to throw Tobin’s things out.”
“You still stepped on his drawing.”
Vanessa looked ashamed.
“Yes.”
No excuse followed.
It was the first useful thing she had done.
Alessandra stood.
“Take the independent DNA test.”
Vanessa looked up.
“If it proves Gavin is Milo’s father?”
“Then Milo gets the truth.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
May you like
Alessandra buttoned her coat.
“Then we find out why Sybil needed everyone to believe that he was.”
