The Billionaire's Playmate ✔

26 | BREAKER

Without reading through the page, I look at the next one. It's an identical page.

At the top of the first page, in Lily's handwriting, it says, Marco.

There's a table of words and numbers that I don't understand. At the bottom of the page, there's a blue box.

It says,

Statement of Results

MH is excluded as the biological father of tested child (Lavender White).

The Combined Paternity Index is 0.

The Probability of Paternity is 0%.

If there was anything left in my chest, it falls to the pit of my stomach.

There's no air in the world and I can't breathe.

My daughter isn't my daughter.

I look at the second paper.

At the bottom of the page, in the same blue box, it says,

TS is not excluded as the biological father of tested child (Lavender White).

The Combined Paternity Index is 830,447,562.

The Probability of Paternity is 99.9999%

I can feel my grip on the papers tightening.

"Who's TS?"

My eyes are at the top of the page where my name was written, but there's nothing there.

I raise my eyes to look at her.

She's crying silently.

She looks worried.

"Who's TS?" I ask again.

She opens and closes her mouth a few times before saying, "Tyler Smith."

Tyler Smith.

Tyler.

My frown deepens. "Tyler? Tyler from the debate team? Tyler who you've been practicing debate with? Tyler who came to see you when you gave birth? Tyler who didn't even want to hold the baby?"

"Marco –"

"No. How long?"

"What?"

"How long have you known? How long have you known that I've been looking after another man's child? That I've been loving another man's child?"

"Marco –"

"Tell me how long." My voice breaks. She sobs. "Just please." I don't even recognize my own voice. "How long?"

She inhales deeply. "A week."

The date on the tests give the date for a week ago.

I keep looking between my name and the 0%.

I've never gotten a 0% on any test in my life.

I guess there's a first time for everything.

I don't know for how long I stare at the papers in silence because they disappear and my vision is clouded by hot, angry tears.

I brush my arm across my face.

"Tell me." I look at her. "Tell me how this happened."

She bites down on her lower lip.

"Tell me how I came to believe that someone else's daughter is mine."

She puts a hand out and holds the crib to steady herself.