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“Well, that’s good to know. I’m all ears.” A part of Emmanuel was relieved. While he was willing to involve Asher, the price of such dealings was now something he didn’t have to concern himself with.

“Leonardo was raised by Concetta Bianchi. She is your birth mother. Someone went through a lot of trouble to make sure that her name didn’t remain on your or Leonardo’s birth certificate.”

Emmanuel’s mind was reeling. This woman, Concetta, his mother, had kept one twin and given one away. Given him away.No, more than likely sold me.He was certain money was involved.

“Did money exchange hands?” Ivy gripped his hand as Emmanuel asked.

“Yes.” Darsh sounded… sombre.

“How much?” Emmanuel shot back.

“A quarter of a million dollars.”

So that was what babies went for fifty years ago. No, that is what the rate I went for. You got ripped off Concetta. They… no Larson could have given you more. So much more.

Emmanuel tuned out whatever Darsh was saying. Just when he thought he couldn’t take it anymore. There were more… secrets. So many secrets. Huge ones tearing at his sanity. At whom he was. Maybe he should stop his quest for more answers. Emmanuel had his family, the love of his life. His children would be told that he didn’t betray their mother, and they would move on with their lives. No need to pursue any more heartache. Except, someone had to pay for the lies. He would see to?—

Ivy cupped his face and looked down at him in concern. She no longer sat in his lap.

“Hey Baby, I told Darsh, to email you all the information. If you had questions, you would call him.”

“What?” Emmanuel was confused.

Ivy handed him a glass of water. “You were out of it for a bit.”

“I’m fine.” Emmanuel took the water and drank. “Don’t worry about me.”

“How could I not worry? You are my everything, Manny.”

“It isn’t anything we can’t get through.”

The question was, would anyone outside his bubble of protection have the same fate?

“There were no listening devices in or around Ivy’s office. However, I left a little something behind should someone attempt to bug her in the future.”

When Darsh had updated Emmanuel on his team’s findings, he wasn’t sure what to feel; relieved or ticked off. Part of him wanted to go after his father. Especially considering the recent discoveries. The secret had been kept for fifty years, and the paper trail was non-existent. While Emmanuel was certain the quarter of a million dollars had come from his father or rather was given to his birth mother on behalf of his father, there simply wasn’t any proof.

Speaking of proof, Emmanuel wished they had more tangible facts to present to their children, Frank, and Kimberlin, but Ivy assured him what they had was enough. Ivy was certain once they knew he had a twin, all the other pieces would fall into place.

Well, the news had been delivered, and now the room was completely silent. Emmanuel took in the looks of shock. The only ones who didn't have comically rounded eyes were him and Ivy. It was a great party trick. For once, Frank was speechless. He turned his head and looked at Ivy, and she just shrugged.

It had been his wife who delivered the news. There had been no comment since she revealed the paternity test was positive because he had an identical twin. In fact, it was his unknown sibling who had gotten the Journee woman pregnant. The room pulsed with a weird energy. Emmanuel could not name it. Had they believed her?

“Guys?” Ivy prompted.

Frank was the first to speak. No surprise there. “See? I was right. Didn’t I say this was the reason why the paternity test was positive?”

“What? You never said I had a twin.” Emmanuel was genuinely confused. Frank had thrown many theories at him, but he was sure he would have remembered the ‘twin theory’.

“Well, I didn’t say twin, but I remember it clearly. I said and I quote, the only way this shit could have happened is if you have a clone.”

His admission got everyone talking at once. Emmanuel couldn’t make out exactly what they were saying, but the consensus was Frank’s theory didn’t line up with what happened. His takeaway was they accepted the truth. Once the levity of arguing with Frank dissipated, they turned their attention to gathering information. Emmanuel and Ivy did the best they could to explain and provide what information they were willing to divulge. The focus was on the more serious questions. Leave it to Sage to provide a new perspective.

“So, I have an uncle?”

Emmanuel accepted Leonardo as his twin. A twin who used his familial connection to cause havoc, but he hadn’t thought of how Leonardo would impact his family. Now his children had lost an uncle before they even knew he existed.

“Sagey,” Oliver called gently. “He might be Dad’s biological brother, but haven’t you been listening? This guy messed with our family. I doubted Dad’s word.”

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