Chapter 16
The DNA test confirmed it three days later.
Henry Vale was my father.
Julian was my half-brother.
The word brother felt impossible.
Too large.
Too late.
Julian sat across from me in Detective Chen’s office when the results came.
He read the report once.
Then again.
His hands shook.
“I am sorry,” he said.
I almost laughed.
“You apologize a lot.”
“I have a lot to answer for.”
“You were a kid.”
“So were you.”
That silenced me.
Because he was right.
I had spent years resenting rooms I had never been allowed inside.
Now one of those rooms had opened and found me standing there with a tray.
Beatrice asked to see me later.
I expected pity.
Instead, she looked ashamed.
“I knew Henry hurt women,” she said. “I did not know about your mother.”
“Would it have changed anything?”
She closed her eyes.
“I want to say yes.”
I appreciated that she did not lie.
Ivy took the news differently.
“So Mara is my aunt?”
Julian nodded carefully.
“If she wants to be.”
Ivy looked at me.
“Do you?”
The room waited.
I thought of Lena.
My only family for so long.
I thought of my mother dying before anyone powerful admitted she mattered.
I thought of Vivienne hiding proof in my locket.
“I don’t know yet,” I said.
Ivy nodded seriously.
“That’s okay. I can wait.”
That made me cry.
Not much.
Just enough.
Then Roman burst into the room.
“Sir, police found Celeste.”
Julian stood.
“Where?”
Roman’s voice tightened.
“Outside Miss Ellison’s apartment.”
May you like
My blood went cold.
“With gasoline.”
