Chapter 5 - THE COLD TRUTH
Ryan stared at Madison as if she were a ghost, his lips parting and closing without sound. The realization was washing over him in sickening, violent waves. His chest heaved, his breathing turned into harsh, ragged gasps, and he clutched at his tie, ripping the knot loose as if he were suffocating.
"Is this true?" he whispered, his voice cracking into a high, pathetic pitch. "Madison... tell me she's lying. Tell me she made this up to get revenge on us!"
Madison didn't speak. She just wept into her palms, her body trembling with guilt and terror. Her silence was a louder confession than any sworn affidavit.
"Where is the DNA test, Ryan?" David Sterling asked coldly from across the table.
Ryan blinked at David, disoriented. "We... we didn't do one. She said it was invasive while she was pregnant, and after Noah was born... I didn't want to insult her. She looked me in the eye and swore he was mine. He looks like me! He has dark hair!"
A laugh escaped David Sterling—a dry, contemptuous bark. "Half the infants in North America have dark hair when they're born, Ryan. You gave up your fiancee, risked your multi-million-dollar equity, and committed corporate embezzlement for an assistant who was sleeping with your former cameraman?"
"Shut up!" Ryan screamed, losing his mind completely. He grabbed a glass pitcher of ice water from the center of the table and hurled it against the wall. The glass exploded into hundreds of glittering shards, water soaking the custom acoustic fabric panels. "Shut up! Both of you!"
Nobody flinched. Not David. Not me.
We just watched him unravel.
"Tyler Vance was picked up by the district attorney’s investigators an hour ago," I said, crossing my legs and leaning back in my chair. "He was more than happy to talk once Marcus explained that grand larceny and interstate wire fraud carry a mandatory prison sentence. Tyler gave them everything. The text messages between him and Madison planning the entire scheme. The texts where Madison bragged that Ryan was so full of himself he would believe any story that stroked his ego. Tyler even provided a swab for a preliminary paternity comparison."
I pulled a sealed white envelope from my blazer pocket.
"The Orange County lab rushed the analysis this morning," I continued, holding the envelope between two fingers. "Do you want me to read it aloud, Ryan? Or would you prefer to keep pretending you're a proud father?"
Ryan lunged forward, snatching the envelope from my hand with trembling fingers. He tore the top open with his teeth, pulling out the single sheet of certified laboratory paper.
His eyes scanned the text.
Probability of Paternity (Tyler Vance): 99.98%.
Probability of Paternity (Ryan Bennett): 0.00%.
The paper slipped from Ryan's numb fingers, fluttering harmlessly to the carpet beside the shattered glass.
He looked down at his hands, the very hands that had held that newborn in the lobby two weeks ago, the hands that had pushed away nine years of loyalty, love, and sacrifice for a mirage constructed by a pair of con artists.
"He's not mine," Ryan whispered, the reality finally crushing him into the floor. He dropped into his chair, burying his face in his hands, his broad shoulders shaking violently as deep, guttural sobs tore through his chest. "He's not mine. I gave up everything... I gave up Natalie... for a baby that isn't even mine."
Madison stood up, her mascara running in black rivers down her neck. "Ryan, please... Tyler didn't want the baby! We were going to raise him together! You loved Noah, you said you loved him the first time you held him—"
"GET OUT!" Ryan shrieked, his head snapping up, his face twisted in pure, animalistic agony. "GET OUT OF HERE! GET AWAY FROM ME!"
Madison didn't wait for a second warning. She grabbed her purse and ran out of the boardroom, her heels slipping slightly on the slick floor, fleeing down the hallway toward the elevators.
The room returned to silence, save for the pathetic sound of Ryan’s muffled weeping.
David Sterling stood up, buttoning his charcoal suit jacket. He didn't offer Ryan a single word of comfort. He looked at me, nodding with profound, professional respect.
"Natalie," David said smoothly. "Apex Capital will support an emergency motion to remove Ryan Bennett as Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. We would like to offer you the role of interim CEO, with an option to assume the permanent chairmanship upon completion of the restructuring."
May you like
I looked at Ryan, who was weeping into his forearms on the table, completely broken.
"Thank you, David," I said quietly. "Call the board. Let's make it official."
