Chapter 17 - The Signature
The petition hit the media within an hour.
Cole Meridian shares began falling before the opening bell.
Reporters gathered outside Nathan’s home.
Headlines spread across every major business site.
SECRET COLE HEIR EMERGES.
BILLION-DOLLAR ESTATE CHALLENGED.
NATHAN COLE’S WIFE SUPPORTS CLAIM.
Vanessa sat inside Margaret’s office staring at the document.
“That isn’t my signature.”
Ethan looked at it.
“It looks identical.”
“It’s not mine.”
Nathan remained silent.
Vanessa looked toward him.
“You believe me, right?”
The question almost made him laugh.
After everything she had done, belief was no longer simple.
“I believe Adrian is capable of forging it.”
Vanessa swallowed.
That was not forgiveness.
But it was something.
Margaret contacted a forensic document examiner.
The report arrived that afternoon.
The signature had been digitally transferred from another document.
Vanessa’s statement was fraudulent.
But the public did not know that yet.
Nathan’s board called an emergency meeting.
Several directors wanted him to step aside until the inheritance claim was resolved.
Nathan refused.
Then Ethan found the most dangerous part of Adrian’s filing.
A copy of the fake DNA report.
The document named a respected laboratory.
Nathan called them directly.
The laboratory denied performing the test.
Within thirty minutes, they issued a public statement.
Adrian’s first piece of evidence collapsed.
But he had planned for that.
At 4:12 p.m., another file appeared online.
A video of Vanessa describing the fake pregnancy.
The manipulated confession from locker 214.
Millions watched it.
Vanessa became the center of the scandal.
Commentators called her a fraud.
A gold digger.
A conspirator.
Nathan watched the video once.
Then turned it off.
“She did fake the pregnancy.”
Ethan nodded.
“But not that confession.”
“Both things can be true.”
Vanessa sat across the room.
She had heard him.
“I deserve some of this.”
Nathan looked at her.
“Not forged evidence.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Why are you helping me?”
Nathan answered carefully.
“I’m not helping you.”
“I’m stopping him.”
There was a difference.
Margaret entered with another document.
“We found something.”
She placed Evelyn Mercer’s original letter on the table.
The ink had been dated.
The paper authenticated.
It clearly stated Charles was not Adrian’s father.
Ethan almost smiled.
“That destroys his claim.”
Richard shook his head.
“Not completely.”
Everyone looked at him.
“Adrian will say Evelyn lied.”
Nathan frowned.
“Then we need DNA.”
Richard stared at him.
Nathan understood.
A legal test between Richard and Adrian.
Richard’s face tightened.
“I have avoided that truth for forty years.”
Nathan stood.
“You don’t get to avoid it anymore.”
Richard looked at him.
“Your son is destroying lives because you were too afraid to tell him who his father was.”
Silence.
Then Richard nodded.
“Fine.”
Before they could arrange the test, Vanessa’s phone rang.
Adrian.
Everyone froze.
Nathan gestured for her to answer.
Vanessa put the call on speaker.
Adrian’s voice was calm.
“You finally understand.”
Vanessa whispered,
“You framed me.”
“You were useful.”
Nathan’s fists tightened.
Adrian continued.
“You want to clear your name?”
Vanessa looked at Nathan.
“What do you want?”
“Bring Richard Vale to the old clinic tonight.”
Richard went pale.
May you like
Adrian laughed softly.
“And bring Box C-17.”
