Chapter 3 – The Boutique Secret
By Wednesday morning, Ethan had stopped asking whether Vanessa was lying.
Now he wanted to know how.
He printed every photograph Olivia had collected and spread them across the dining room table. Nathan stared at the images in disbelief.
"I don't understand," Nathan whispered.
Ethan pointed at the dates.
"Look at the timeline. Her stomach grows three inches in one picture, then almost disappears in another taken the very next day."
Nathan frowned.
"Maybe it's the angle."
"It isn't."
Ethan placed two enlarged photos side by side.
Same dress.
Same necklace.
Same hairstyle.
Different belly.
Nathan's hands trembled.
"You think she's wearing something?"
"I think she's hiding something."
That afternoon, Olivia called again.
"I found something."
Twenty minutes later, Ethan met her outside an upscale maternity boutique in downtown Chicago.
"The owner agreed to talk," Olivia said.
Inside, the boutique smelled of fresh linen and lavender. Elegant maternity gowns lined the walls, while a display of baby blankets sat near the entrance.
The owner, an older woman named Grace, recognized Vanessa immediately when Olivia showed her a photograph.
"I remember her," Grace said carefully.
"Did she shop here?" Ethan asked.
Grace hesitated.
"Not exactly."
"What do you mean?"
"She wasn't interested in maternity clothes."
Ethan exchanged a glance with Olivia.
"What was she looking for?"
Grace lowered her voice.
"She asked if we sold realistic pregnancy forms."
Nathan blinked.
"Pregnancy... forms?"
Grace nodded.
"The silicone ones actresses sometimes use. Theater performers. Film productions. Medical demonstrations."
Ethan felt every muscle in his body tighten.
"Did you sell her one?"
Grace sighed.
"We don't carry them."
She opened a drawer beneath the counter.
"But she asked for recommendations."
Grace handed Ethan a small business card.
A specialty costume supplier.
Los Angeles.
Known for manufacturing hyper-realistic prosthetics for Hollywood productions.
Nathan stared at the card as though it might explode.
"No..."
His voice cracked.
"No, she wouldn't..."
Grace interrupted softly.
"She seemed very specific."
"Specific how?"
"She wanted one that looked natural under expensive evening gowns."
Silence filled the boutique.
Even the soft instrumental music suddenly felt too loud.
Nathan slowly sat down in a nearby chair.
For weeks, he had mourned the family he thought he had destroyed.
For weeks, he had watched Claire suffer because he believed another woman was carrying his child.
Now...
Everything felt unreal.
As they stepped outside, Olivia stopped walking.
"Ethan."
"What?"
She pointed across the street.
Vanessa.
She was exiting a luxury spa.
Laughing.
Carrying shopping bags.
Walking effortlessly in high heels.
Then, without realizing anyone was watching, she reached beneath her blouse.
For only two seconds.
She adjusted something around her waist.
Not her dress.
Not her shirt.
Something underneath.
A perfectly rounded curve shifted ever so slightly before settling back into place.
Olivia raised her camera.
Click.
The image froze on the screen.
It wasn't enough to expose Vanessa publicly.
But it was enough to convince Ethan of one thing.
She wasn't protecting a baby.
May you like
She was protecting a costume.
And somewhere behind that elaborate deception was a motive far darker than anyone had imagined.
