Chapter 3

Opal bit her lip and nodded.

A female officer took her into the restroom on the first floor.

After a moment, the door opened. Opal came out with red eyes and red marks on her wrist where Dean had grabbed her.

The officer said, "She does have a burn scar on the inside of her left thigh. The scar is at least ten years old."

My knees buckled, and I nearly collapsed.

The scar matched.

The face matched.

The mole matched.

Every piece of evidence that could prove she was "Opal Lane" matched perfectly.

But… I knew she was not "Opal Lane".

Sloane immediately ran forward and pointed at me, her voice shaking. "Tommy, you've gone too far! How is Opal supposed to face anyone after this? What's her fiancé going to think of her?"

Zane sighed again. "Tommy, just let it be. Opal's part of a wealthy family now. You're not good enough for her anymore."

At that moment, another luxury car stopped outside the mansion.

A man and woman, both middle-aged, got out and hurried over.

The man wore a dark gray suit. His hair was perfectly combed, and his stern features gave him a commanding presence. The woman held his arm. She wore a beige-colored outfit with perfect makeup, making her look younger than fifty.

They were Victor and Rochelle Gomez, Opal's birth parents.

Victor approached Marcus, polite yet commanding. "I'm sorry, officer. We were held up on the way here. Have you gotten to the bottom of this?"

His eyes then swept over me without much reaction. "You're Tommy?"

I ignored him as I turned to Marcus. "Captain, I want a DNA test."

"What?" Marcus raised an eyebrow.

"A DNA test," I repeated. "If the DNA matches as well, I'll check myself into a psychiatric hospital."

Victor let out a cold laugh. "DNA? We already did that when we recognized her as our daughter."

He then took out his phone and opened the digital test report and handed it to Marcus.

Rochelle then said to me, "I know about your history with Opal, but that's all in the past. She has a new life and a new family now. What you're doing is unfair to her."

Sloane grew anxious too. "Will you only be happy when you've ruined her?"

"Do it again," I insisted. "With the police watching."

Victor frowned tightly. "Fine. But once the results come back, this won't end with a simple apology."

Marcus called in a medical examiner.

The medical examiner collected blood samples from Victor, Rochelle, and Opal, then said, "The results will take thirty minutes."

The wait dragged on as if someone had paused time. I crouched on the steps outside the mansion, hugging my knees as my whole body trembled.

Half an hour later, the medical examiner handed the report to Marcus.

Marcus glanced at it and walked over before throwing the report down in front of me. "What do you have to say now?!"

My hands shook as I picked them up.

There it was… In black and white, even.

The probability that Opal was their biological daughter was 99.99 percent.

My hands began to shake harder.

Marcus signaled to an officer, who stepped forward and handcuffed me. "Contact the Behavioral Health Unit and give him a preliminary screening."

Two officers took me by the arms and walked me toward the police car. The night breeze slipped down my collar, sending a chill along my spine.

Behind me, I heard Sloane say, "He's finally gone. How did that boy end up like this..."

Zane sighed as well.

Victor shook Marcus's hand and murmured his thanks.

I turned around and looked. Opal stood in the mansion doorway with her arm linked with Rochelle's. Light shone from behind her, bathing her in a warm golden glow.

She looked at me calmly, as if I was a stranger. No… Worse than a stranger. She looked at me as if I was trash that had finally been cleared away.

"Get in." The officer opened the car door.

As I bent down, my hand touched the phone in my pocket. My eyes widened.

"Captain," I said, "look at this."

I opened the video and handed my phone to Marcus.

He took it.

At first, his face showed nothing, as if he were looking at something ordinary. Then he blinked, and he looked up at Opal and the others in horror.

"Nobody move! Take all of them into custody! Now!" Then he shouted to the officers by the police car, "Call headquarters for backup!"