she asked softly.
Mike sat on the sofa and placed the papers on the coffee table.
“The test says I’m not Daisy’s father.”
Silence. Hope went even paler and sank into her chair.
“How is that possible?” she whispered.
“I don’t know. But the result is clear.”
Daisy walked over to him. “So you’re not my dad?”
“No, sweetie. I’m not.”
“Are you sad?”
Mike took her small hands in his. “I’m very sad. I really wanted to be your dad.”
“Can you be my dad anyway? Without the papers?”
“Daisy!” Hope interrupted, her voice trembling. “Don’t bother Mr. Sterling. He has his own life.”
Mike stood up. “I have to go. But I haven’t forgotten my promise. The medical bills will be taken care of.”
“Mike… you don’t have to.”
“I want to. Daisy deserves to have her mother.”
He left, feeling hollow. For a few days, he had been a father, and those days had been the best of his life.
At home, Stephanie was waiting with a bottle of champagne.
“So, did you get the results?”
“I did.”
“And?”
“I’m not the father.”
“See!” She hugged him. “I told you she was trying to play you.”
“Yeah, you were right.”
“Of course I was. Honey, let’s just put this whole mess behind us. We can get back to the wedding plans, the honeymoon…”
“Stephanie…”
“What?”
“Not now.”
“But Mike—”
“Not now!”
He went into his study and locked the door. Something felt wrong. Daisy was too much like him for it to be a fluke. And Hope… her shock had seemed entirely genuine.
Mike picked up his phone and dialed Dr. Harrison.
“Mark, it’s me. Can you check the samples again?”
“Mike, I told you, I ran them twice.”
“Run them a third time. And tell me… could the samples have been tampered with?”
“Theoretically, yes, but who would do that? And how?”
“Who had access?”
“Just me and the lab tech. And you saw me seal them.”
“Mark, when did you take the samples to the lab?”
“I didn’t. The courier picked them up from my office that afternoon.”
“Who was the courier?”
“A guy named Steve. He’s worked for the lab for two years, reliable kid.”
“Did he know whose samples they were?”
“Yeah, the paperwork was attached. I told him it was an urgent priority for you.”
A suspicion began to form in Mike’s mind.
“Mark, can you find out if anyone else contacted that courier? Offered him money?”
“Mike, you think someone bribed Steve?”
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