Chapter 5 - THE DNA RESULT
The DNA test took three days.
Victor considered those the longest three days of his life.
Luca agreed only after speaking with Evelyn Chase.
Victor submitted his sample through an independent laboratory selected by two attorneys.
No Santoro employee touched the process.
No Adriana associate.
No family doctor.
Victor wanted one clean answer.
On the third afternoon, Evelyn called.
“Results are in.”
Victor sat alone in his office.
Lily slept upstairs.
Anthony waited outside.
“Tell me.”
“Probability of paternity exceeds 99.99 percent.”
Victor closed his eyes.
A son.
Seventeen years old.
He had a son.
The first emotion was not joy.
It was grief.
First steps missed.
First words.
Birthdays.
School.
Broken bones.
Nightmares.
Arguments.
Seventeen years existed without him.
Then came anger.
At Angelo.
At Adriana.
At himself, irrationally.
Even at Elena, briefly.
Then he let that go.
Elena had been young and afraid.
Victor knew what his family could do to frightened people.
Evelyn continued.
“Luca has the result.”
“What did he say?”
“Nothing.”
Victor understood.
“Can I speak with him?”
“He asked for time.”
That hurt.
Victor accepted it.
“Tell him he gets as much as he needs.”
Evelyn paused.
“Good answer.”
Victor almost smiled.
Later that evening, Luca called.
“Hey.”
Victor stood despite himself.
“Hey.”
“So.”
“So.”
The boy laughed nervously.
“That’s awkward.”
Victor actually smiled.
“Yes.”
“I guess you’re my dad.”
“Biologically.”
Silence.
Victor added:
“You don’t have to call me anything.”
Another pause.
“Adriana said you’d try to control me.”
Victor’s smile vanished.
“I don’t know you well enough to control you.”
“That has not stopped adults before.”
Fair.
Victor leaned against the desk.
“What do you want?”
Luca answered quickly.
“To finish school.”
“Good.”
“To keep my last name.”
“Good.”
“To not move to Chicago.”
Victor swallowed.
“Good.”
Luca hesitated.
“You mean that?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t want me at your house?”
Victor felt the trap.
Not intentional.
A frightened boy testing whether rejection waited beneath freedom.
“I want to know you.”
Silence.
“I would like you here someday.”
Victor continued.
“But I don’t get seventeen years back by stealing your eighteenth.”
Luca said nothing.
Then:
“Mom would have liked that answer.”
Victor looked toward Elena’s old photograph Anthony had found in archived society records.
“Tell me about her.”
Luca did.
For twenty minutes.
Elena loved terrible mystery novels.
Burned pancakes.
Sang while cleaning.
Hated thunderstorms.
Worked as a nurse.
Never spoke badly about Victor directly.
That last part hurt.
“What did she say about me?”
Luca hesitated.
“That you were dangerous.”
Victor almost laughed.
“She was not wrong.”
“And that you loved her.”
He stopped.
“She said that?”
“Yes.”
Victor looked away.
Luca continued.
“She said your father loved control more than either of you.”
That also sounded accurate.
Then Luca asked:
“Who is Lily?”
Victor’s expression softened.
“Your sister.”
“Half-sister.”
“If you want to be technical.”
“I’m seventeen. Technical is basically my personality.”
Victor smiled.
“She’s three months old.”
“Adriana hates her.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Victor considered.
“Because Lily changed my priorities.”
“And Adriana doesn’t like not being first.”
“No.”
Luca was quiet.
Then:
“Did she really push her stroller?”
Victor’s voice cooled.
“Yes.”
“She told me it was an accident.”
“It wasn’t.”
Another silence.
“Then I don’t want her near me.”
“Good.”
“Can you stop her?”
“Yes.”
Victor answered without hesitation.
Luca seemed reassured.
Then:
“Evelyn says we can open Mom’s letter now.”
Victor’s heart changed rhythm.
“When?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Where?”
“Boston.”
Victor immediately called for a plane.
Then stopped.
Luca had asked not to be controlled.
Victor called him back.
“Would you be comfortable if I came?”
Luca sounded surprised.
“You’re asking?”
“Yes.”
A pause.
“Yeah.”
Victor nodded.
“Then I’ll be there.”
Before hanging up, Luca said one more thing.
“Victor?”
“Yes?”
“I’m not your heir.”
Victor frowned.
“What?”
“I’m your son.”
Victor felt something settle inside him.
“Yes.”
Luca continued:
“If everyone keeps calling me an heir, I’m leaving.”
Victor smiled.
May you like
“Understood.”
That sentence would change more than Luca realized.
