He pointed to a clause near the bottom of the page that was highlighted in pencil.

“The funds release upon proof of lineage,” Ethan said. “My father wanted to prove Lily was his.”

A cold dread settled deep in my chest.

I looked toward the hallway that led to the small bedroom where Lily was sleeping.

“My father was a cold man,” Ethan said, looking down at the desk. “But he was precise.”

He opened a drawer and pulled out a small, sealed cardboard box.

Inside were two sterile plastic swabs and two small glass vials.

“I ordered this last week when I first began to suspect things,” Ethan said. “A private DNA test.”

I looked from the box to Ethan’s face.

“You want to test Lily?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“I need to know the truth, Maria,” Ethan said. “If we are going to fight my uncle, we need facts.”

“And if the test says she is your father’s child?” I asked.

“Then she is my sister,” Ethan said softly. “And she is entitled to half of this estate.”