Chapter 3 - Blood and Silver
Despite Alexander’s fierce declarations, the legal and corporate reality of his world required absolute certainty. A private, discreet DNA test was arranged the very next morning. A concierge doctor arrived through the back entrance, taking swabs from both Alexander and the little girl who sat bravely on the edge of the velvet sofa, holding her mother's hand.
While they waited for the expedited results, an awkward, fragile dynamic settled over the house. Victoria had refused to leave, locking herself in the West Wing, citing a "migraine" and a signed tenancy agreement her father's lawyers had drafted. Alexander, unwilling to create a media circus with an eviction notice just yet, allowed her to stay temporarily—provided she never crossed paths with Elena.
That afternoon, Alexander tentatively knocked on the door of the East Wing. Elena opened it, looking out of place in a beautiful, simple sundress Alexander had ordered a stylist to bring over.
"May I come in?" he asked gently.
Elena stepped aside. Lily was sitting on the floor, attempting to build a tower out of golden accent coasters she had found on the coffee table. Alexander knelt beside her, picking up a fallen coaster.
"Can I help?" he asked.
Lily looked at him with those large, serious dark eyes—eyes that mirrored his own perfectly. She nodded slowly.
For the next hour, the billionaire who routinely negotiated ten-figure acquisitions sat on the floor, completely absorbed in balancing coasters. Elena watched them from the doorway, her heart aching with a mixture of profound joy and lingering grief for the years they had lost.
"She likes to read before bed," Elena whispered softly as Alexander stood up, dusting off his slacks.
Alexander looked at Elena, the walls between them momentarily dissolving. "I want to be here for it. I want to be here for all of it. Elena... I never stopped thinking about you. When you disappeared, I thought you just realized our lives were too different. I never knew."
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Before Elena could answer, Alexander's phone buzzed. It was the private clinic. The DNA results were in. The probability of paternity was 99.99%.
Alexander looked at the screen, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. He looked back at Lily, then at Elena. "She's mine," he breathed. "She's really mine."
