Chapter 10 - The Betrayal Before the Marriage
Celeste told the story in fragments.
Thirteen years earlier she had been a junior case coordinator for Meridian Patient Advocacy.
The organization appeared legitimate.
In reality, it sometimes negotiated secret settlements for pharmaceutical trials.
Families received money.
Hospitals avoided lawsuits.
Companies avoided headlines.
Celeste was assigned to Evelyn after Samuel’s supposed death.
Evelyn refused a settlement.
Instead, she demanded records.
When she discovered the infant identification discrepancy, she threatened to go public.
Dr. Cole panicked.
Richard Hawthorne panicked more.
Celeste claimed Richard offered her $500,000 to report every move Evelyn made.
Jonathan stared.
“You took it?”
“Yes.”
Maya closed her eyes.
Celeste continued.
“At first I told myself I was only giving him information.”
“That is what spying is.”
“I know.”
“Did you tell him Samuel was alive?”
“No.”
“Did you know?”
“Eventually.”
Cole admitted the switch to Evelyn.
The child who died under Samuel’s name had been patient N-15.
Samuel, patient N-14, had survived the medication.
Why switch them?
Because N-15 had been the child officially enrolled in the trial.
But Samuel received the drug accidentally after identification tags were reversed during a night shift.
When N-15 later deteriorated from unrelated complications, hospital staff realized the records exposed an unauthorized dose to Samuel.
Someone ordered the children’s identifiers altered to protect the trial.
“Who?”
Celeste shook her head.
“I never knew.”
Evelyn secretly moved Samuel out of the hospital under a false identity.
Jonathan stood.
“My wife took my son and never told me?”
“She wanted to.”
“Then why didn’t she?”
“Because Richard threatened Noah.”
Jonathan froze.
Noah had not even been conceived yet.
Celeste corrected herself.
“He threatened any future child.”
Richard allegedly told Evelyn that if she exposed Hawthorne Medical, Jonathan would lose everything and any family they built would live under permanent scrutiny.
Evelyn still refused.
Then Richard threatened to accuse her of kidnapping another woman’s baby.
Because legally, the surviving infant was now documented under a different identity.
Maya understood the trap.
Expose the switch, and Evelyn could be painted as unstable.
Hide it, and Samuel lived.
Jonathan sat down slowly.
“She chose to hide him.”
“Yes.”
“Without telling me.”
“She didn’t trust you.”
That hurt most.
“Why?”
“Because you always believed Richard.”
Jonathan said nothing.
It was true.
Celeste had betrayed Evelyn by reporting her efforts to investigate Vale and the medical trial.
Then something changed.
“What?”
“Evelyn caught me.”
Jonathan stared.
“She knew you were Richard’s informant?”
“Yes.”
“What did she do?”
“She offered me another choice.”
Help protect Samuel.
Or continue working for Richard.
Celeste chose Evelyn.
For almost nine years afterward, she secretly helped maintain Samuel’s false identity.
Then Evelyn became sick.
Dr. Cole reappeared.
He warned that Martin Vale had returned to the United States and was searching for old trial records.
Evelyn began investigating again.
That explained Cole’s hospital visits.
But it did not explain why Celeste later married Jonathan.
“Why did you come into my family?”
Celeste’s eyes filled.
“Evelyn asked me to.”
Jonathan stared.
“No.”
“She wanted someone close to Noah.”
“No.”
“She didn’t trust Richard, and she knew she might die.”
“You expect me to believe my wife asked you to marry me?”
“No.”
Celeste shook her head.
“She asked me to protect Noah.”
Jonathan’s expression darkened.
“You chose the marriage.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Celeste looked at him.
And for once the answer was simple.
“Because I fell in love with you.”
Jonathan laughed bitterly.
“You drugged my son.”
Her face collapsed.
“Yes.”
“Then whatever you felt for me stopped mattering.”
May you like
Celeste lowered her head.
That was the first time she did not defend herself.
