Chapter 8 - 99.99 Percent
Six days later, Michelle opened the DNA report.
Daniel sat motionless.
Rebecca gripped her own hands.
Claire watched.
“Probability of paternity…”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“…99.99 percent.”
Rebecca began crying.
Daniel covered his face.
Ryan Cole was Daniel Bennett’s biological son.
Not a rumor.
Not Megan’s accusation.
Not a secret.
A fact.
Daniel whispered, “I lost ten years.”
Rebecca looked at him.
“Ryan lost ten years.”
Daniel’s hands dropped.
“You’re right.”
Claire noticed something in him change.
He was finally beginning to stop making himself the center of the tragedy.
Michelle explained that the trust now recognized Ryan as a biological descendant.
His protected interest would remain intact.
Daniel nodded.
“Good.”
Rebecca looked surprised.
“You’re not fighting it?”
Daniel looked at her.
“It belongs to him.”
The conference-room door opened.
Evelyn stood there.
She had heard enough.
“Eight million dollars?”
Daniel stood.
“Leave.”
“You’re giving eight million dollars to the child who attacked Lily?”
“It isn’t mine to give.”
“I protected that money for you!”
Daniel’s voice hardened.
“You protected control.”
Evelyn’s expression twisted.
“You have no idea what that woman wanted.”
“Megan wanted me to be a father.”
“She wanted your name.”
Daniel stepped toward his mother.
“No.”
His voice became quiet.
“You wanted my name.”
Evelyn stared at him.
“You would have destroyed your inheritance.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“So you destroyed a kid instead.”
Claire watched Evelyn recoil.
For the first time, Daniel had spoken to her like a man rather than a frightened son.
But Claire wasn’t impressed enough to forgive him.
Later that afternoon, Michelle received another document.
An affidavit from Caroline Webb.
Daniel’s former executive assistant.
Caroline admitted Evelyn had instructed her to intercept every letter from Megan Cole.
For years.
One letter had arrived eight months earlier.
Certified.
Megan had written:
I’m sick. I may not have much time. Ryan deserves to know his father before I’m gone.
Daniel read the copy.
His hands shook violently.
“She knew.”
Rebecca’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
“I could’ve seen Megan.”
“Yes.”
“I could’ve been there for Ryan.”
“Yes.”
Daniel looked at Claire.
She didn’t comfort him.
Some pain belonged to the person who earned it.
Then Caroline revealed one last detail.
She hadn’t destroyed the original letter.
She still had it.
Along with Evelyn’s handwritten instruction:
May you like
DANIEL NEVER SEES THIS.
👉 Daniel finally had proof that his mother had stolen Megan’s last chance to reach him—but Claire still had to decide whether he could blame Evelyn for choices he had willingly made himself.
