Chapter 6 - The True Father
I stared blankly at the confidential birth certificate until the printed letters completely blurred together.
My lungs entirely forgot how to function.
"This is completely impossible," I finally whispered, my voice cracking wildly.
Giovanni walked slowly toward the massive bed, his expression incredibly guarded.
"It is not impossible, Jessica, it is the absolute truth."
I quickly backed away from him until my back hit the heavy oak dresser.
"I have never even met you before tonight!" I yelled, desperately trying to keep my voice low so Lily wouldn't wake up.
"Tyler is her biological father," I insisted frantically.
"Tyler was completely sterile, Jessica," Giovanni stated calmly.
I froze completely.
"What?"
"Tyler knew he could absolutely never have children when he married you."
Giovanni crossed his strong arms, his piercing grey eyes locked entirely on my face.
"That is exactly why he aggressively abandoned you the very second you told him you were pregnant."
My mind spun violently, desperately trying to process the horrifying information.
I vividly remembered the terrifying day I told Tyler the happy news.
He hadn't looked completely overjoyed; he had looked utterly terrified and deeply betrayed.
He had ruthlessly accused me of cheating on him and walked out the door forever.
"I never cheated on him," I cried passionately.
"I know you didn't," Giovanni promised softly.
"Then how is your exact name on my daughter's birth certificate?" I demanded angrily.
Giovanni let out a heavy, tired sigh, running his hand through his hair.
"Because you used the advanced fertility clinic in downtown Chicago six years ago."
I nodded slowly, remembering the incredibly painful, expensive treatments Tyler and I had endured.
"Tyler secretly paid the corrupt clinic director to completely swap his useless samples for a highly viable donor," Giovanni explained.
"He desperately wanted a child to secure his massive trust fund, but he didn't want anyone to truly know he was sterile."
My stomach churned violently with absolute disgust.
"But when the expensive treatments actually worked, his intense paranoia completely took over."
Giovanni stepped slightly closer, his voice dropping to a very low rumble.
"He firmly believed you would eventually figure out the baby wasn't biologically his, so he completely panicked and ran away."
I looked desperately over at Lily, sleeping so peacefully on the massive bed.
"But how are you the donor?" I asked, completely bewildered.
"I wasn't an anonymous donor, Jessica," Giovanni clarified darkly.
"The corrupt clinic actively stole my genetic material during a routine, mandatory physical for my family's life insurance policy."
"They illegally sold it to Tyler for a completely massive profit."
I felt entirely sick to my stomach.
My entire life, my beautiful daughter, was the direct result of a massive, illegal medical transaction.
"When did you finally find out?" I asked quietly.
"Three years ago, I aggressively bought out the clinic to tear the building down for a massive development."
"My security team aggressively audited their secret files and found the illegal sale."
Giovanni looked directly at Lily, his cold eyes softening for the very first time.
"I have been secretly watching over both of you ever since."
I suddenly felt incredibly exposed and deeply violated.
"You have been stalking us for three years?" I demanded furiously.
"I have been completely protecting you for three years," he corrected me sharply.
"Tyler's massive gambling debts have made him incredibly dangerous lately."
"He recently found out that Lily is officially a direct Fierro heir."
I gasped loudly, covering my mouth with my trembling hand.
"He was aggressively planning to use that absolute knowledge to extort two million dollars directly from my father," Giovanni revealed.
"If I hadn't stepped in tonight, Tyler's dangerous creditors would have aggressively kidnapped Lily to force the massive payment."
Everything suddenly made terrifying, absolute sense.
Tyler hadn't publicly confronted me at the wedding because he was incredibly jealous.
He had intentionally tried to cause a massive scene so he could successfully snatch Lily in the chaos.
"Oh my God," I sobbed quietly, sliding slowly down the front of the dresser until I hit the floor.
Giovanni immediately crossed the room and dropped to his knees right beside me.
He didn't hesitate; he pulled me firmly into his broad, protective chest.
I cried hysterically into his expensive suit jacket, entirely overwhelmed by the massive betrayal.
He held me incredibly tight, his large hand gently stroking my messy hair.
"I will absolutely never let anyone hurt either of you ever again, Jessica," he promised fiercely.
I slowly pulled back, looking up into his incredibly intense grey eyes.
"You really expect me to completely fake a pregnancy with the Russian mob tomorrow night?" I asked weakly.
Giovanni’s jaw tightened dangerously.
"You won't actually have to fake anything at the formal dinner, Jessica."
I frowned in pure confusion.
"What do you mean?"
Giovanni reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, incredibly expensive velvet box.
He snapped it open, revealing a massive, perfectly flawless diamond ring.
"We are officially getting married tomorrow morning, entirely for real."
"And when Ivan Volkov aggressively demands absolute proof of the Fierro bloodline..."
Giovanni looked deeply into my eyes, his voice completely dead serious.
"I am going to formally introduce him to my five-year-old daughter."
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Before I could even process his insane, terrifying plan, the heavy bedroom door was violently kicked entirely open.
Vanessa, Tyler’s pregnant wife, stood fiercely in the doorway, holding a loaded silver revolver aimed directly at Lily's sleeping head.
