Chapter 6 - The Test
Marcus had ordered a paternity test.
He had never told Khloe.
He claimed it had been noninvasive.
A blood sample from him.
A sample from Khloe’s routine prenatal testing.
Nothing dangerous.
Nothing that required her knowledge.
That last part was what destroyed whatever remained of Khloe’s trust.
“You used my medical sample without permission?”
Marcus shook his head.
“I didn’t personally take anything.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
“I had a private lab run the comparison.”
Gabriel’s voice became cold.
“How did you obtain Khloe’s blood?”
Marcus looked at him.
“Through a physician who owed me a favor.”
Detective Price immediately stopped writing.
“What physician?”
Marcus hesitated.
“Dr. Malcolm Voss.”
Gabriel went still.
Khloe noticed.
“You know him.”
Gabriel nodded.
“He’s chief medical administrator.”
Marcus looked at Khloe.
“I was wrong.”
“The baby is mine.”
“I destroyed the results as soon as I saw them.”
Khloe stared at him.
“You destroyed the results.”
“Yes.”
“But Isabella knew about the test.”
Marcus’s eyes narrowed.
“I never told her.”
Gabriel was already reaching for his phone.
“Find Malcolm Voss.”
Security responded within minutes.
Dr. Voss was not in his office.
His car remained in the executive garage.
His phone had been turned off.
Detective Price ordered officers to search the hospital.
Khloe thought about Isabella’s keycard.
Rebecca’s stolen badge.
The accessed medical records.
Marcus’s secret paternity test.
Pieces that seemed separate were beginning to touch.
Marcus leaned against the wall.
“Isabella knew things only Malcolm knew.”
Gabriel looked at him.
“Or things you told Malcolm.”
“I told him about the affair.”
Khloe laughed bitterly.
“Of course you did.”
Marcus looked ashamed.
“I needed help ending Isabella’s threats.”
“What threats?”
Marcus did not answer quickly enough.
Khloe stared at him.
“There’s more.”
Marcus reached into his jacket.
He removed his phone.
Then he opened a hidden folder.
Dozens of screenshots appeared.
Messages from Isabella.
Photographs.
Threats.
One image showed Marcus and Isabella entering a hotel together.
Another showed Khloe sleeping in her own bedroom, photographed through a window.
Khloe’s skin went cold.
“She was at our house?”
“I don’t know.”
Marcus scrolled to the final message.
It had arrived four days earlier.
When the child is gone, you’ll finally understand what I saved you from.
Gabriel looked up.
“And you still didn’t warn Khloe?”
Marcus closed his eyes.
“I thought she was bluffing.”
Khloe turned away.
That hurt worse than the affair.
Because his silence had not merely betrayed her.
It had endangered their child.
Then Detective Price’s radio crackled.
A voice came through.
“We found Dr. Voss.”
Price lifted the radio.
“Where?”
“Service corridor beneath maternity.”
“Is he conscious?”
“Yes.”
A pause followed.
May you like
“But he’s carrying Mrs. Thorne’s full medical file.”
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