Chapter 12
–
Secrets Buried
Noelle’s POV
I stared at the paper again. 99.99.
My throat tightened. “This… This can’t be right.”
Vernon moved beside me. “Noelle-”
“No,” I snapped, backing away. “This is wrong. Someone is messing with me. This has to be a joke.”
Vernon held up his hands, calm. “Let’s just think for a second-”
“Don’t you get it?” My voice cracked. “They’re playing with me! This is just another one of Jocelyn’s sick tricks. Or Christopher’s. Or my
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12 Secrets Buried
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e.ee
HT
4”
‘s. I swear, if any of you are here-” I d, raising my voice, “Come out now! End ke! You’ve had your laugh!”
one came.
knew you didn’t want me!” I shouted ward the door. “You’ve always hated me! ust say it! I’m not your daughter, right? ou’ve always loved Jocelyn more! You lidn’t need to stage a fake test for that!”
WGD
112
The doctor walked in slowly, holding a tablet. “Mrs. Walters, please calm down. None of the people you’re shouting about are here.”
“That’s a lie!” I hissed at him, “Tell me how much you were paid for this act.”
Vernon tried to calm me down but I refused to keep quiet. I couldn’t believe Jocelyn and Christopher would stoop so low.
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And I knew that for them to do this they also had to have gotten my father involved or else how would they get his sample?
“Nobody paid me to lie to you. I was paid. very handsomely to tell the truth,” the doctor said.
“Please.”
“Please calm down, Noelle. I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation surrounding all this,” Vernon said.
I nodded. “Yes, the explanation is that this doctor is a fraud and a horrible liar and an even worse actor!” I snarled.
“Mrs. Walters, for the sake of my client and because I understand what you’re going through, I’m going to let that slide but not for
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long. Let me assure you that I wasn’t paid by anyone to hurt you or lie to you,” the doctor said bluntly.
“Then what the heck is going on here?!” I snapped.
“If you would just calm down for one second then you’d hear me and understand that none of the people you called by their names are here, the doctor said.
I blinked, confused.
“What?”
“Jocelyn, Christopher, Williams–none of them are involved in this. This isn’t a prank. It’s real.”
My knees buckled slightly.
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26w 16
Uov… then who? Who did I match with?”
doctor looked over his shoulder. “My
No priot has requested to speak with you now.”
our client doesn’t have a name?” I
nwondered.
ebru
9/lste shook his head. “Just a little bit now and
tou’d know everything.”
He turned to the door and knocked twice.
A soft click.
Then it opened.
A tall man stepped in–gray at the temples, but still strong. Tailored jacket. Deep brown eyes. A calm kind of power in the way he walked. I knew that face.
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No, the world knew that face.
My jaw dropped. “No way.”
Klan turned sharply.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I whispered.
The man stopped in front of me, voice calm and clear. “Noelle.”
I blinked at him. “You’re… you’re Alaric DeLuca.”
One of the top designers in male fashion. Billionaire. Elusive. Genius.
He gave a faint nod. “And I’m also your father.”
I burst into laughter.
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full, almost hysterical laugh. “Okay. I’ve officially gone crazy!”
You’re not crazy”
‘Right. Sure. Because this makes perfect sense.”
Alaric stepped forward. “You are not imagining this, Noelle. I’m your biological father.”
“No,” I snapped. “That’s not possible. My mother would never cheat on my father.”
“She didn’t,” he said quietly.
“Then what the hell are you saying?”
“I need you to listen to me,” he said gently.
“No. No, I don’t want to hear this.” I backed
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away, shaking my head. “Whatever this is, whatever weird fantasy you’re trying to push
Vernon placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Noelle,” he said softly. “Just hear him out.”
I looked at Vernon, desperate. “You believe this?”
“I don’t know what to believe. But
something’s clearly going on. Let’s find out what.”
Alaric opened the tablet in his hand. “Please. I know this is hard to process. But I’ve kept this secret for more than two decades. And you deserve the truth.”
He tapped something.
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nivit screen lit up.
oda vm
tated.
reath caught as the video started to
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eveile
o pri
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