Chapter 6 - Ten Years of Listening
Ingrid stood so fast her chair scraped the floor.
"How long?"
"Long enough."
Lukas's face turned red. "You were spying on us?"
"You discussed your affair at dinner while I served dessert. You weren't exactly careful."
Peter grabbed the blue folder.
Nina entered through the still-open door.
"Put that down," she said.
He froze.
"Who are you?"
"Evelyn's attorney."
The change in the room was immediate.
Ingrid stopped shouting.
Lukas started talking softly.
Peter became polite.
That told me they understood documents better than shame.
Nina demanded preservation of every record related to Sophia, the trust, my fertility history, and any guardianship filing bearing my name.
Peter laughed once.
"There is no filing."
"Good," Nina said. "Then preserving nothing should be easy."
Lukas pulled me aside.
"We can fix this."
"You told your family another woman was carrying your child."
He swallowed.
"I made a mistake."
"You made paperwork."
His eyes shifted.
That was the tell.
"What did you sign?" I asked.
"Nothing important."
I stepped closer.
"Did you know Sophia's baby wasn't yours?"
He did not answer.
I watched the truth move across his face before he spoke.
"The test could be wrong."
"You knew you were infertile."
He went still.
Behind us, Ingrid said in German, "Do not answer her."
I turned.
"Too late."
Peter gathered his papers.
As he did, one sheet slipped from the folder and landed face up.
Nina reached it first.
It was a draft affidavit from Lukas.
I, Lukas Vance, affirm that my wife, Evelyn Vance, has experienced recurring emotional instability associated with infertility...
My vision narrowed.
At the bottom was a blank line for a doctor's signature.
But the doctor's name had already been typed.
May you like
Dr. Mark Feldman.
My fertility specialist.
