Chapter 3 - SHADOWS OF STERLING CLINIC
By dawn, Elena hadn't slept a wink, but for the first time in over a year, she didn't feel tired. She sat on the carpeted floor of the nursery, surrounded by wooden blocks, watching the three toddlers tumble over each other in fits of giggles.
Julian was the boldest, constantly trying to climb onto Elena's lap. Leo was quiet, observing everything with sharp hazel eyes identical to Elena's. Maya was a shadow, clinging to Elena’s clothes wherever she moved.
A knock sounded at the door, and Caden entered, wearing a fresh charcoal suit. He carried a silver tray with hot coffee, fresh pastries, and a thick, unmarked black folder.
"Breakfast," Caden said, setting the tray on a low table. "And progress."
Elena poured herself a cup, her eyes locking onto the folder. "What did Ortega find?"
Caden sat across from her on the low sofa, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "Dr. Arthur Harrison, the chief director at Sterling Fertility, abruptly retired three months after your delivery. He purchased a multi-million-dollar villa in the South of France under a shell company registered in Panama."
"Funded by the Morettis?" Elena asked, her eyes flashing with a spark of rage that surprised even herself.
"Partially," Caden said, his gaze lingering on her face, noting the fiery shift in her demeanor. "The transaction was authorized by Victor Moretti—my late wife's father. Victor wanted complete control over my succession. By providing me with three heirs that he secretly controlled through blackmail over the clinic, he planned to squeeze me out of the port operations when the children turned five."
"He treated human lives... my infants... like bargaining chips!" Elena’s hands trembled against her coffee mug.
"He did," Caden agreed coldly. "Which is why Victor Moretti needs to be ruined. But to strip him of his leverage legally and brutally, we need to prove your maternal rights indisputably. I have a private medical team arriving in two hours to conduct a comprehensive DNA panel."
Elena looked over at the three playing children. "And once the DNA proves it?"
"Once it proves you are their biological mother," Caden said, his voice lowering, thick with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine, "the legal documents faking their deaths become evidence of human trafficking and medical fraud. I will strip the clinic bare, destroy the Moretti legal shield, and place your name on their birth certificates where it belongs."
May you like
Elena swallowed hard, looking deep into Caden’s dark eyes. "Why are you doing all this for me, Caden? You could have just kept the children and paid me off."
Caden stood up, towering over her, his eyes dark and resolute. "Because I am a man of honor, Elena. I don't build my legacy on stolen ground. And more importantly... those children chose you before I even knew who you were."
