Dorothy’s response came back immediately. «Will you still be my daddy even if you are mad at Mommy?»

Kevin stared at the question that cut to the heart of everything he was feeling. Whether or not Dorothy was his biological daughter, she had already claimed a place in his heart. Could he really walk away from her because of Nancy’s deceptions? Before he could answer, another text arrived.

«Mommy says the test was wrong. She says sometimes tests make mistakes. I think you’re my daddy because you have my eyes.»

Kevin set his phone down and walked to the window, his reflection staring back at him from the dark glass. Behind him, Susan was watching his every move with calculating eyes. «Kevin, you can’t seriously be considering continuing this relationship after everything you’ve learned today.»

«Dorothy didn’t lie to me,» Kevin said quietly. «Dorothy didn’t deceive me or manipulate me. Dorothy is just a little girl who needs someone to care about her.»

«Dorothy is Nancy’s daughter, not yours. You have no legal obligation to her, no moral responsibility. You’ve already paid for Nancy’s medical treatment, which is more than generous under the circumstances.»

Kevin turned from the window to face Susan, seeing her clearly for perhaps the first time in their relationship. «Susan, when did you become so cold? When did you become someone who could dismiss a child’s welfare so easily?»

Susan’s mask slipped for just a moment, revealing something calculating and desperate underneath. «I became realistic, Kevin. I learned to protect the people I care about from being taken advantage of by manipulative people.»

«Or maybe,» Kevin said slowly, pieces of a puzzle beginning to fall into place in his mind, «maybe you became someone who manipulates situations to get what she wants.»

Susan’s face flushed with anger. «What’s that supposed to mean?»

«It means I’m beginning to wonder about the evidence that broke Nancy and me up eight years ago. It means I’m wondering about the convenient timing of your research into Nancy’s marriage. And it means I’m wondering about DNA test results that came back faster than they should have.»

«Kevin, you’re being paranoid. The stress of the situation is affecting your judgment.»

But Kevin was already reaching for his phone, scrolling through his contacts. «Mike Harrison is not just my doctor; he’s my friend. He’s also one of the most ethical people I know. I think I’ll give him a call and ask some very specific questions about how that DNA test was processed.»

Susan’s face went pale. «Kevin, you’re overreacting. Why would anyone want to tamper with a DNA test?»

«That’s an excellent question,» Kevin replied, his finger hovering over Dr. Harrison’s number. «I’m sure Mike will have some interesting insights.»

As Kevin placed the call, Susan quietly gathered her purse and coat, moving toward the door with the stealth of someone who didn’t want to be part of the conversation that was about to take place.

«Mike, it’s Kevin again. I need to ask you some very specific questions about the DNA test you processed for me. Questions about chain of custody, about who had access to the samples, and about whether it’s possible for results to be tampered with.»

Dr. Harrison’s voice was puzzled but concerned. «Kevin, those are odd questions. Is there some reason you suspect the results might not be accurate?»

«Let’s just say I’m beginning to question whether everyone involved in this process had honest intentions.»

«Kevin, I have to tell you, there was something unusual about your test. Susan Osborne called my office yesterday morning, claiming to be calling on your behalf. She wanted to know about the processing timeline and the security protocols we use. My staff told her those details were confidential, but…»

Kevin’s blood ran cold. «But what, Mike?»

«But later that day, there was a brief power outage in our lab. Nothing serious, just a few minutes. When power was restored, we discovered that one of our lab technicians had to rerun several tests because of computer glitches caused by the outage, including yours.»

«Mike, I need you to rerun that test immediately. New samples, different lab, maximum security protocols. And I need the original samples tested by an independent laboratory.»

«Kevin, that’s going to take several days and cost significantly more.»

«I don’t care about the cost. I care about the truth.»

After ending the call, Kevin looked around his empty penthouse, realizing that Susan had slipped away during his conversation with Dr. Harrison. For the first time in their two-year relationship, he was grateful for her absence. He picked up his phone and scrolled to Dorothy’s number, typing carefully.

«Dorothy, I’m sorry for worrying you. There was a mistake with the test, and we need to do it again. I hope that’s okay with you.»

Her response came back within minutes. «Yes its okay. Mommy says mistakes happen all the time. She says the important thing is fixing them. Are you coming to see us tomorrow?»

Kevin smiled for the first time in 24 hours. «Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow. Tell your mommy I’d like to talk to her about something very important.»

«Yay! Mommy will be so happy. She miss you a lot.»

As Kevin prepared for bed that night, he felt a mixture of hope and apprehension. If his suspicions about Susan were correct, then Nancy might be innocent of the deceptions he had accused her of. But that would also mean that the woman he had been involved with for two years was capable of manipulating DNA test results to destroy his chance at happiness.

The next morning, Kevin arrived at Nancy’s apartment to find her in the middle of unpacking the boxes she had been packing the day before. She looked up when he knocked, her expression wary but hopeful.

«Kevin,» she said softly, opening the door wider to let him in. «I wasn’t sure I’d see you again.»

«Nancy, I owe you an apology and an explanation.» Kevin settled on her small sofa, noting that Dorothy was at school and they could speak freely. «I have reason to believe that the DNA test results were tampered with.»

Nancy stared at him in shock. «Tampered with? By whom?»

«Susan Osborne. My girlfriend. My ex-girlfriend,» Kevin corrected himself. «Nancy, I need you to tell me about Robert Fitzpatrick. I need to understand what really happened with your marriage.»

Nancy took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for a difficult conversation. «Robert was a mistake. A rebound relationship that I entered into when Dorothy was five. He seemed kind and stable, and I thought… I thought Dorothy needed a father figure in her life.»

«Why was the marriage annulled?»

«Because I lied to him,» Nancy admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. «Not about Dorothy’s paternity. I never told him who Dorothy’s father was. I lied about my feelings. I married him hoping I could learn to love him, but I couldn’t. I was still in love with you, Kevin. I never stopped being in love with you.»

Kevin felt something tight in his chest begin to loosen. «Why didn’t you tell me about the marriage yesterday?»

«Because I was ashamed. Because I knew how it would look. Because I was afraid you’d think I was the kind of person who uses men. When the truth is that Robert was the only other relationship I’ve had since you. And it failed precisely because I couldn’t get over you.»

Kevin reached across the small space between them and took Nancy’s hand in his. «Nancy, eight years ago, someone convinced me that you were cheating on me. They had photos, witnesses, evidence that seemed overwhelming. I never questioned it because I was young and insecure and afraid that someone like you could never really love someone like me.»

«Kevin, I never cheated on you. I never even looked at another man the entire time we were together. You were everything to me.»

«I’m beginning to think we were both victims of someone else’s manipulation,» Kevin said quietly. «Someone who wanted to keep us apart eight years ago and who is trying to do it again now.»

Before Nancy could respond, Kevin’s phone rang. Dr. Harrison’s name appeared on the screen, and Kevin answered immediately. «Mike, please tell me you have news.»

«Kevin, I have very disturbing news. The original DNA samples were definitely tampered with. Someone introduced a foreign substance that would cause a false negative result. But we ran the new test you requested, and… Kevin, you need to sit down.»

«I’m sitting. What are the results?»

«Kevin, Dorothy is definitely your daughter. There’s no question whatsoever. The paternity probability is 99.97%.»

Kevin felt the world shift back into focus, colors becoming brighter and sounds becoming clearer. He looked at Nancy, who was watching his face with desperate hope. «She’s mine,» he said softly. «Dorothy is my daughter.»

Nancy burst into tears, covering her face with her hands as relief flooded through her. «I knew it,» she sobbed. «I knew the test was wrong. Kevin, I would never lie to you about something so important.»

Kevin ended the call and pulled Nancy into his arms, holding her as she cried against his chest. «Nancy, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for doubting you, for believing the worst, for walking away. I’m sorry for eight years of missed bedtime stories and birthday parties and first days of school.»

«You’re here now,» Nancy whispered against his shirt. «That’s what matters. You’re here now.»

They held each other in the small apartment, two people who had lost eight years of their lives to lies and manipulation, finally finding their way back to each other. When Nancy finally pulled back to look at his face, Kevin gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.

«Nancy, there’s something else we need to discuss. I think Susan was involved in what happened eight years ago, too. I think she’s been manipulating both of us for a very long time.»

Nancy’s eyes widened with understanding. «Susan Osborne… I remember her from when we were dating. She worked at your company then, too, didn’t she?»

«She did. And she was always around, always offering to help with problems, always ready with information that seemed to prove your betrayal.» Kevin felt anger building in his chest as he began to see the pattern that had been hidden for so long.

«Kevin, what are we going to do?»

Before Kevin could answer, the apartment door burst open and Dorothy ran in, still wearing her school backpack and chattering excitedly about her day. She stopped short when she saw Kevin and Nancy sitting together on the sofa, their faces serious. «Are you guys sad?» Dorothy asked, her young face creased with concern.

«No, sweetheart,» Kevin said, opening his arms to her. «We’re happy. Very, very happy. Dorothy, I have something important to tell you.»

Dorothy climbed onto the sofa between them, looking back and forth between the two adults who had become the center of her world. «Dorothy,» Kevin said carefully, «the test results came back, and they show that I am definitely your daddy.»

Dorothy’s face lit up with pure joy. «I knew it!» she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Kevin’s neck. «I knew you were my daddy because you have my eyes and my hands, and you’re nice to Mommy.»

Kevin held his daughter for the first time as her father, breathing in the scent of her hair and feeling a completeness he had never experienced before. Over Dorothy’s head, he met Nancy’s eyes and saw his own feelings reflected there: love, relief, and a determination to protect their family from anyone who might try to tear them apart again.

«Daddy,» Dorothy said, pulling back to look at his face. «Does this mean you’re going to live with us now?»

Kevin looked at Nancy, seeing the question in her eyes as well. «Dorothy, would you like that?»

«More than anything in the whole world,» Dorothy said seriously. «Then you could read me bedtime stories and help me with my homework and teach me how to drive your fancy car when I’m big enough.»

Kevin laughed, the sound rich and full of joy. «I think I’d like that very much, too.» But even as Kevin basked in the happiness of finally being united with his family, he knew that Susan wasn’t going to give up easily. She had invested too much time and effort in keeping them apart to simply accept defeat. The battle for their family was just beginning.

That evening, Kevin returned to his penthouse to find Susan waiting for him once again, but this time she wasn’t alone. A tall man in an expensive suit stood beside her, and Kevin recognized him immediately from the photographs Susan had shown him: Robert Fitzpatrick.

«Kevin,» Susan said with false brightness. «I’d like you to meet Robert Fitzpatrick, Nancy’s ex-husband. He has some very interesting things to tell you about the woman you’re so eager to trust.»

Robert stepped forward with an apologetic smile. «Mr. Barton, I’m sorry to intrude, but when Susan told me about your situation with Nancy, I felt I had to warn you. Nancy Cromwell is not the woman she pretends to be.»

Kevin studied both of them, noting how Susan’s hand rested possessively on Robert’s arm, how their body language suggested a partnership that went beyond simple acquaintance. «Really?» Kevin said mildly. «How long have you two known each other?»

Susan and Robert exchanged a quick glance that they thought Kevin didn’t notice. «We just met recently,» Susan said smoothly, «through mutual friends. When Robert heard about your situation, he volunteered to share his experience.»

«How generous of him,» Kevin replied. «And what exactly is your experience with Nancy, Mr. Fitzpatrick?»

Robert launched into a rehearsed-sounding speech about Nancy’s supposed deceptions during their marriage, her alleged manipulation of men for financial gain, and her claims that Dorothy’s father was a wealthy businessman who had abandoned them. As Robert spoke, Kevin watched Susan’s face, noting the satisfaction in her expression as she listened to Nancy being systematically destroyed by a man who was supposed to have loved her.

«That’s quite a story,» Kevin said when Robert finished. «There’s just one problem with it.»

«What’s that?» Susan asked, her confidence wavering slightly.

«Nancy and I had new DNA tests done today, with maximum security protocols and independent verification. Dorothy is definitely my daughter, which means every word of what you both just told me is a lie.»

The color drained from Susan’s face, while Robert looked confused and slightly panicked. «Kevin, that’s impossible. The first test…»

«The first test was tampered with,» Kevin interrupted, «by someone with access to my doctor’s office and knowledge of the testing procedures. Someone who called pretending to be acting on my behalf.»

Susan’s composure finally cracked completely. «Kevin, you’re making a mistake. Nancy is using you just like she used Robert. Can’t you see that?»

«What I see,» Kevin said calmly, «is a woman who has spent eight years raising my daughter alone because someone convinced me that the woman I loved had betrayed me. What I see is a pattern of manipulation and lies designed to keep me from my family.» Kevin pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. «Susan, I think it’s time we had a conversation with my security team. And my lawyers. And possibly the police, depending on how cooperative you decide to be about explaining exactly how you managed to tamper with medical test results.»

Robert backed toward the door, clearly realizing he had been used as a pawn in Susan’s scheme. «Look, I don’t know what’s going on here, but I was just trying to help. Susan said you were being taken advantage of by the same woman who had hurt me.»

«Mr. Fitzpatrick,» Kevin said, his voice carrying the authority of someone accustomed to being obeyed. «I suggest you leave now, before you become any more involved in whatever Susan has been planning.»

After Robert fled, Kevin turned his full attention to Susan, who was standing in his living room like a cornered animal. «Eight years, Susan. For eight years, you’ve been manipulating my life, keeping me from my family, building a relationship based on lies. Why?»

Susan’s mask finally fell away completely, revealing the obsessive, calculating woman beneath. «Because I love you!» she screamed, her composure shattering. «Because Nancy Peterson was never good enough for you. Because you deserved someone who understood your ambitions, who could match your success!»

«What you loved was an idea of me,» Kevin replied coldly. «You loved my money, my status, my company. You never loved me, because you never bothered to learn who I really am.»

«I know exactly who you are,» Susan spat. «You’re a man who throws away everything he’s worked for because of some fantasy about a perfect family. You’re a fool who can be manipulated by a dying woman and a child who isn’t even…»

«Susan,» Kevin interrupted, his voice dangerously quiet. «Dorothy is my daughter, and tomorrow morning, I’m going to call the police and report that medical test results were tampered with in what appears to be a deliberate attempt to defraud me and harm my family.»