Chapters (82)
- Cover
- Dedication
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
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‘I know, but I’ve shown him the evidence and he’s changed his mind.’
‘Oh my God, Ian, No! Could he be wrong?’
‘No. I’ll show you the results. You have a right to know.’
Taking his laptop from his briefcase, Ian sombrely lifted the lid, then opened the page showing the paternity test. ‘Paternity ninety-nine per cent,’ he said, pointing. ‘It’s definite.’
The colour drained from Emma’s face. ‘That can’t be,’ she moaned, her hand going to her mouth. ‘It’s impossible. We can’t be brother and sister!’
‘We are. Biologically, at least, we are half brother and sister.’
‘That’s disgusting!’ Emma cried. ‘I feel ill. Is that the reason we can’t have healthy babies?’
‘It’s possible,’ Ian said quietly. ‘I don’t know.’
‘That clinic has ruined us!’ Emma sobbed. ‘All that pain and upset. It’s too awful for words. We’ll never be the same again. They need punishing. We’ll tell our parents to sue them. They mustn’t get away with this.’ She collapsed against him, crying.
‘Carstan Moller has already offered compensation,’ Ian said.
‘When? When did all this happen?’ she asked, raising her head to look at him.
‘I went to the clinic this morning and showed Moller these results. He got back to me this afternoon, after he’d checked his records. He admitted there’d been a mix up and we shared the same donor. He offered compensation straight away, but …’
‘But what?’ Emma asked.
‘I don’t know.’ Ian shrugged. ‘I’ve just got a feeling there’s more to it.’
‘What more could there be?’ Emma cried. ‘Isn’t this enough? It’s horrendous! A nightmare!’ Her tears fell and Ian comforted her as best he could.
‘Who is our donor?’ she asked at length, wiping her eyes on the tissue Ian passed. ‘Did you find out?’
‘No. That’s the thing. I can’t find any record of the donors at all.’
‘What, none?’ she asked. ‘I don’t understand. Where did you look?’
‘Emma, I’m going to show you something, but you must promise never to tell anyone. Not even your mother. I’ll be in a lot of trouble if this got out. I could go to prison.’
‘What have you done?’ Emma cried, more alarmed than ever.
‘I hacked into Moller’s computer,’ Ian said.
Emma stared at him.
‘You see all these folders?’ he said, showing her. ‘They are Moller’s files on his patients. But not one of them contains information about the donor or even a donor ID. I’ve been through them all.’
‘So surely that information must be kept elsewhere?’ Emma said.