Chapter 8: Exposure
The first crack appeared on a Tuesday.
Dominic was in a board meeting when his phone lit up with an urgent call from legal. I knew because Callum was standing outside the conference room door, feeding me updates in real time through our encrypted channel.
Twenty minutes later, Dominic stormed out, his face white.
I was in the garden when he found me. His car was already running in the driveway.
"Stay inside," he ordered. "Don't answer the door for anyone."
"What's happening?"
He didn't answer. He was already gone.
That evening, the news broke.
*"Laurent Medical Files Civil Suit Against Seraphina Cole: Fraudulent Identity Claims and Embezzlement of Family Trust Totaling $2.3 Billion."*
Seraphina saw the headline on her phone during dinner. Her wine glass shattered on the floor.
"This is a lie!" she shrieked. "Someone's framing me!"
Dominic sat at the head of the table, completely still. His food untouched. His eyes fixed on Seraphina with an expression I'd never seen before.
Doubt.
"Sera." His voice was dangerously calm. "Is there something you need to tell me?"
"No! Dominic, this is insane. I AM Vivienne Laurent! I've been Vivienne since I was eight years old!"
"Then why does Laurent Medical have DNA evidence suggesting otherwise?"
The room went deadly silent. Seraphina's breathing turned ragged.
"That's... that's impossible. They're fabricating evidence. Someone's out to destroy me—"
"Who?" Dominic's chair scraped back as he stood. "Who would go through this much trouble?"
Seraphina's eyes darted to me.
I was sitting at the far end of the table, eating my plain rice, looking appropriately confused. Just a surrogate. Just a nobody. Nothing to see here.
"Her," Seraphina whispered, pointing a shaking finger at me. "She's behind this. I know it."
Dominic looked at me. Looked at Seraphina. Looked at me again.
"She's a surrogate with no phone, no money, and no connections," he said flatly. "Be serious."
"I AM serious!" Seraphina lunged across the table. Her nails raked toward my face.
Callum moved so fast he was a blur. He caught her wrist mid-air, his grip iron.
Dominic was on his feet instantly. "What the hell are you doing?! She's carrying my child!"
Seraphina froze. Then, slowly, she collapsed into perfect, practiced tears.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm so scared. Someone's trying to take everything from me. Dominic, please, you know me. You KNOW me."
He didn't move to comfort her. Not right away.
And in that tiny hesitation, I saw it: the beginning of the end.
That night, Dominic came to my room again. He stood in the doorway for a full minute before speaking.
"Did she ever hurt you?"
I looked up. "What?"
"Seraphina." His voice was rough. "Did she ever... do anything to you? The soup. The supplements. Anything."
My heart hammered. This was the moment. But it was too soon. The evidence wasn't fully assembled yet.
"No," I said. "She's been very kind."
He studied my face like he was searching for a crack. Then he nodded slowly and left.
But I noticed his fists were clenched at his sides.
---
Dominic was in a board meeting when his phone lit up with an urgent call from legal. I knew because Callum was standing outside the conference room door, feeding me updates in real time through our encrypted channel.
Twenty minutes later, Dominic stormed out, his face white.
I was in the garden when he found me. His car was already running in the driveway.
"Stay inside," he ordered. "Don't answer the door for anyone."
"What's happening?"
He didn't answer. He was already gone.
That evening, the news broke.
*"Laurent Medical Files Civil Suit Against Seraphina Cole: Fraudulent Identity Claims and Embezzlement of Family Trust Totaling $2.3 Billion."*
Seraphina saw the headline on her phone during dinner. Her wine glass shattered on the floor.
"This is a lie!" she shrieked. "Someone's framing me!"
Dominic sat at the head of the table, completely still. His food untouched. His eyes fixed on Seraphina with an expression I'd never seen before.
Doubt.
"Sera." His voice was dangerously calm. "Is there something you need to tell me?"
"No! Dominic, this is insane. I AM Vivienne Laurent! I've been Vivienne since I was eight years old!"
"Then why does Laurent Medical have DNA evidence suggesting otherwise?"
The room went deadly silent. Seraphina's breathing turned ragged.
"That's... that's impossible. They're fabricating evidence. Someone's out to destroy me—"
"Who?" Dominic's chair scraped back as he stood. "Who would go through this much trouble?"
Seraphina's eyes darted to me.
I was sitting at the far end of the table, eating my plain rice, looking appropriately confused. Just a surrogate. Just a nobody. Nothing to see here.
"Her," Seraphina whispered, pointing a shaking finger at me. "She's behind this. I know it."
Dominic looked at me. Looked at Seraphina. Looked at me again.
"She's a surrogate with no phone, no money, and no connections," he said flatly. "Be serious."
"I AM serious!" Seraphina lunged across the table. Her nails raked toward my face.
Callum moved so fast he was a blur. He caught her wrist mid-air, his grip iron.
Dominic was on his feet instantly. "What the hell are you doing?! She's carrying my child!"
Seraphina froze. Then, slowly, she collapsed into perfect, practiced tears.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm so scared. Someone's trying to take everything from me. Dominic, please, you know me. You KNOW me."
He didn't move to comfort her. Not right away.
And in that tiny hesitation, I saw it: the beginning of the end.
That night, Dominic came to my room again. He stood in the doorway for a full minute before speaking.
"Did she ever hurt you?"
I looked up. "What?"
"Seraphina." His voice was rough. "Did she ever... do anything to you? The soup. The supplements. Anything."
My heart hammered. This was the moment. But it was too soon. The evidence wasn't fully assembled yet.
"No," I said. "She's been very kind."
He studied my face like he was searching for a crack. Then he nodded slowly and left.
But I noticed his fists were clenched at his sides.
---