CHAPTER 7:DNA TEST_I BLEED AGAIN FOR MY BABY'S NAME

I woke up in white sheets not image white.

Luke's Cliff House. Glass. Lion's Head sunrise pink like Nandy's blazer. His black suit jacket over chair, his hand still on my flat stomach where heartbeat 110 lives.

Scan photo on pillow.

My phone was in infinity pool. Luke threw it after Nandy text: _24 HOURS LEFT. DNA OR I LEAK._

I had no phone. No ring. Only red dress R25k, ripped Zara R499 piece he kept in drawer, and HCG 10452 inside me.

Luke woke at 5 AM. CEO. He ironed.

He ironed my red dress again. Because I iron at 5 AM when scared, he learned.

"John brings DNA kit at 7 AM," he said, ironing tight red backless like it was precious. "Blood paternity. Your blood + my cheek swab. 99% safe. Dr. Patel said 7 weeks better but we are 6 weeks 3 days, Nandy gave 24 hours, we do now."

"I bled on your desk," I whispered.

"And you will bleed again for Long name," he said.

At 7 AM John Sterling Maybach down Lion's Head road. Black suit, law books smell, holding white box.

Inside: two tubes, cheek swab, affidavit.

"Miss Long, this is legal DNA, admissible in court," John said. "Your blood 5ml, Luke's cheek swab, lab in Stellenbosch, 48 hours result. 99.9% if his. Nandy's HCG 10452 is not admissible because taken without consent. This is."

He looked at me in red dress.

"Are you ready to bleed again for your baby's name?"

I nodded. I am East London girl. I bleed.

Dr. Patel came, not Vanelly. She tied rubber on my arm, inside elbow where Vanelly's red dot still was.

"Small pinch, Miss Long, for Long name."

Needle in. Red. 5ml tube. My blood, not stolen, given.

I watched red fill tube. Same red as dress. Same red as two pink lines.

Luke watched too, jaw stone, holding my other hand tight.

"Now me," Luke said.

John opened cheek swab. Luke opened mouth. John swabbed inside cheek, hard.

"For my child, not heir," Luke said.

John sealed tubes, signed affidavit, Dr. Patel signed, I signed — Linda Long, mother, 6 weeks 3 days, Long name, not property.

"Stellenbosch lab now," John said. "I drive myself. Nandy cannot intercept. 48 hours we have proof."

After John left, Luke brought salmon. Real salmon, not Nandy's power salmon. He cooked himself — billionaire CEO cooking salmon for East London girl.

"Eat, Miss Long. Protein. Heartbeat 110 needs protein."

I ate salmon he cooked. First time man cooked for me, not bought for me as image.

Phone buzzed — new phone Luke bought at 5 AM, iPhone gold with engraving: _LINDA LONG._

Text from Amanda:

_AMANDA: GIRL, NANDY LEAKED IN BILLIONAIRE WIVES GROUP! SHE POSTED YOUR PINK TEST PHOTO! SHE SAID YOU TRAPPED LUKE ON 14TH FLOOR DESK FOR PROMOTION! 200 COMMENTS!_

Second text, from Dawn:

_DAWN: Linda, Mom leaked. I told group you were my perfect image and I am gay and you saved me. I came out in group. Mom blocked me. She took my shares. Can I come to Cliff House?_

Dawn came out. Because of me. Because he voted to keep my job.

Luke read over shoulder. Grey eyes cold CEO again.

"She leaked. She broke 24 hours to 0 hours. We go to 14th floor now. Not tomorrow. Now. In red. With scan photo and blood tubes receipt."

"Now? In red?"

"Now. In red. Mother of my child, not image."

We took Maybach to Richness Waves. 14th floor. Same glass table.

Now boardroom full, but also Billionaire Wives group on projector — Nandy's leak: photo of my two pink lines on white marble floor, caption: _EAST LONDON GIRL TRAPS CEO ON 14TH FLOOR DESK FOR PROMOTION — VIRGIN TRAP._

Nandy in pink blazer, Vanelly in white coat, Dawn in doorway — perfect suit, no bag, chin up, first time in 30 years standing like gay CEO, not perfect son.

And Luke walked in holding my hand, me in red dress R25k, scan photo in clutch, blood bandage on inside elbow.

"Nandy Jordan leaked medical results without consent," Luke said, CEO cold that makes board silent. "That is POPIA violation. That is assault. My lawyer John Sterling is driving blood paternity proof to Stellenbosch that will prove Long is carrying Cranston but Long name stays. And this is heartbeat."

He put scan photo on projector. Small dot flickering 110.

"This is my child. Not heir. My child. Mother is Linda Long, 25, Oxford First Class, Marketing Manager 120k, soon 200k, who was virgin until me on 14th floor glass desk where she bled and I kept ripped piece of her Zara R499 dress because I felt guilty."

Board gasped. Nandy's Botox cracked second time.

Dawn stepped forward. Soft voice but loud for first time.

"Mom, I am gay. Since 15. Linda was my image because you made her image. She saved me. She was virgin and I never touched her because I cannot touch women. I love a man in London. You took my shares today when I came out in Wives group. Take them. I don't want image anymore. I want to be Dawn Beige, gay CEO."

Silence. Glass. Sea view. Scan photo flickering on wall.

Nandy looked at me, at red dress, at blood bandage, at scan.

"You bleed again today, Linda Long?" Nandy said, pink blazer sharp, but voice shaking first time.

"Yes," I said, holding bandage. "I bled on desk as virgin. I bled without consent when Vanelly hugged me. I bled today with consent for Long name. I will bleed till my baby has Long name, not property. Long-Cranston if you want, but Long first."

Nandy sat down. Slow.

"Then Long first," she whispered, so low only front row heard. "Long-Cranston. But I still want DNA 48 hours. And I want to meet grandchild. Even if mother is East London girl who wears red when scared."

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