Chapter 3 - The Birth Certificate
Julian stared at the yellowed piece of paper in Emma’s hand, the world around him seemingly spinning off its axis. The murmurs of the gala attendees faded into a distant, muffled hum. He looked from Emma’s tear-streaked face to his father’s rigid, panic-stricken posture. Arthur had never looked panicked in his entire life—not during hostile corporate takeovers, not during political scandals. Yet, right now, the patriarch of the Sterling family looked cornered.
"Give me that," Julian demanded, his voice cracking as he reached out and snatched the folded document from Emma’s trembling fingers.
His eyes scanned the legal lines. It was a certified copy of a birth record from a private clinic three hours outside the city. The date matched the day Leo was born. The father’s name was blank, but the mother’s name was listed as a woman Julian had never met, whose identity had been sealed by a court order. Below it, a handwritten addendum bore his father’s signature as a legal guardian.
"What is this, Dad?" Julian asked, his voice shaking with a dangerous tremor. He clutched Leo tighter, the boy whimpering softly against his shoulder. "Explain this right now."
Arthur scoffed, though the sound lacked its usual authority.
"It's a fabrication," Arthur lied smoothly, though a bead of sweat rolled down his temple. "She's a disgruntled former employee looking for a payout. Security, remove her!"
"Don't you dare!" Julian shouted, stepping between his father and the waitress. The raw anger in Julian's tone made the security guards freeze in their tracks. He turned back to Emma, his eyes searching hers for any sign of deceit. "Tell me the truth. All of it."
Emma took a deep, shuddering breath, wrapping her arms around herself to stop the violent trembling.
"When your father forced me out of your life, I was already three months pregnant," Emma said, her voice barely audible over the ambient hotel music that had awkwardly resumed. "I didn't want your money. I wanted my child. But your father's men took him from the hospital the day he was born, telling me I was dead to both of you."
May you like
Julian felt the ground give way beneath him. He looked down at the toddler in his arms. Leo wasn't just his son.
---
