Chapter 3: The Secret Julian Buried
I stared at the message until the words stopped looking like words.
*Your son is mine.*
Four simple words.
Four words that made my entire body go cold.
My baby slept peacefully beside me, unaware that adults were already fighting over his existence.
I reached for my phone with trembling fingers and typed a reply.
*Who are you?*
The message showed as delivered.
No response.
I waited.
Ten seconds.
Thirty.
A minute.
Nothing.
I wanted to believe it was a cruel joke.
A stranger trying to scare a woman who had just given birth.
But deep down, I knew something was wrong.
Too many things had happened for this to be random.
The doctor’s reaction.
The name Adrian Cole.
The warning from Eleanor.
The panic in Julian’s message.
Everyone seemed to know a secret except me.
And somehow, that secret was my son.
A soft cry pulled me away from my thoughts.
I looked down.
My baby’s tiny face tightened as he moved his little hands.
“Hey,” I whispered, immediately forgetting everything else.
I carefully lifted him into my arms.
“I’m here.””
My voice cracked.
“I don’t know what’s happening, but I promise you one thing.””
I kissed his forehead.
“No one is going to take you away from me.””
The door opened.
A nurse stepped inside carrying a folder.
“Ms. Carter?””
I nodded.
“Yes?””
“There are some additional forms for your baby’s testing.””
My heart skipped.
“What testing?””
She glanced at the folder.
“The doctor requested a few additional checks.””
“Why?””
The nurse hesitated.
“I’m not sure. Dr. Harris only said it was urgent.””
I looked at my son.
Then at the folder.
“Has my husband authorized this?””
The nurse looked confused.
“Your husband?””
“He’s not here,” I said quickly.
Her expression softened.
“I’m sorry.””
I hated that word.
Sorry.
People had said it to me for months.
Sorry your husband left.
Sorry your insurance was canceled.
Sorry you’re alone.
Sorry.
But nobody ever stayed.
“I want to speak with Dr. Harris,” I said.
The nurse nodded.
“He’ll come by soon.””
After she left, I sat there holding my son and thinking about Julian.
The man who had promised to protect me.
The man who had kissed my stomach and whispered goodnight to our baby.
The man who had walked away as if we meant nothing.
I wondered how long he had known.
Because that was the question burning inside me.
Not whether there was a mystery.
There was.
But whether Julian was part of it.
An hour later, the door opened again.
This time, it was him.
Julian Vance.
The sight of him almost made me forget how much I hated him.
Almost.
He looked different.
Not physically.
He was still wearing the same expensive suit.
The same expensive watch.
The same perfectly styled hair.
But his confidence was gone.
His face was pale.
His eyes moved immediately to the baby.
“Is he okay?””
The question shocked me.
I tightened my hold on my son.
“You don’t get to ask that.””
Julian stopped.
“Vivian—”
“No.””
My voice was quiet.
But firm.
“You don’t get to disappear for months, leave me alone while I’m pregnant, and suddenly walk in here pretending you’re worried.””
His jaw tightened.
“I made mistakes.””
“Mistakes?””
I laughed bitterly.
“You emptied our account.””
“I was angry.””
“You canceled my insurance.””
“I thought—”
“You thought what?””
He looked away.
That was the first time I saw guilt on his face.
Not enough.
Never enough.
But it was there.
“I didn’t know things would get this complicated.””
I stared at him.
“Things?””
I looked down at my son.
“You mean our child?””
Julian’s eyes moved back to the baby.
And something strange happened.
His expression changed.
Not love.
Not exactly.
Fear.
He looked afraid.
“Did Dr. Harris talk to you?””
My entire body went still.
There it was.
The proof I needed.
“You know about him.””
Julian didn’t answer.
“Julian.””
He rubbed his face.
“I knew this would happen eventually.””
My voice lowered.
“What would happen?””
He looked at the floor.
“The truth would come out.””
A cold anger spread through me.
“The truth about what?””
He walked closer.
“Vivian, you need to understand something.””
“No. You need to understand something.””
I stood carefully, still holding the baby.
“You abandoned me.””
His face tightened.
“I know.””
“You let everyone believe I cheated.””
Silence.
“You watched your mother destroy my reputation.””
Silence.
“And now you come here because you’re scared?””
His eyes filled with frustration.
“You don’t understand.””
“Then explain.””
He looked at our son.
Then at me.
“Because if you knew everything, you would hate me.””
I almost smiled.
“Julian, I already do.””
The words hit him.
For the first time, he looked genuinely hurt.
But before he could answer, there was a knock on the door.
Dr. Harris entered.
His eyes moved between us.
“Julian.””
The way he said the name made my stomach drop.
They knew each other.
Not casually.
Personally.
Julian looked at him.
“Have you told her?””
Dr. Harris shook his head.
“Not everything.””
I looked between them.
“Why does everyone keep deciding what I can handle?””
Neither man spoke.
I stepped forward.
“I carried this baby alone.””
My voice trembled.
“I gave birth alone.””
I looked directly at Julian.
“And I deserve the truth.””
Dr. Harris sighed.
Then he closed the door.
“Alright.””
He sat down.
“Adrian Cole was not just a patient.””
Julian looked away.
“He was my brother.””
The room went silent.
My eyes widened.
“Your brother?””
Dr. Harris nodded.
“Half-brother.””
Julian swallowed.
I looked at him.
“And you knew him?””
Julian didn’t respond.
Dr. Harris answered for him.
“Yes.””
My chest tightened.
“How?””
Dr. Harris looked at Julian.
Then back at me.
“Because Adrian was part of Julian’s life before you ever met him.””
I felt like the floor disappeared.
Julian finally spoke.
“Vivian…”
“No.””
I shook my head.
“No more secrets.””
He closed his eyes.
“My family and Adrian’s family were connected.””
“How?””
Julian hesitated.
Then said:
“Business.””
I stared at him.
“That’s not the whole truth.””
He didn’t deny it.
Dr. Harris leaned forward.
“Adrian and Julian were not just business associates.””
Julian’s face became tense.
“They were friends.””
“Were?””
Dr. Harris looked at me.
“Until the night Adrian died.””
I looked at Julian.
“You were there?””
His silence answered.
My hands went cold.
“You were there when he died?””
Julian looked like he wanted to speak.
But he couldn’t.
Finally, he whispered:
“Yes.””
A thousand questions exploded in my mind.
But one came first.
“How does any of this connect to my baby?””
Nobody answered.
Then Dr. Harris slowly opened the folder he was holding.
Inside was a photograph.
He placed it on the table.
My eyes moved to it.
A young man.
Dark hair.
A familiar smile.
And standing beside him…
A woman.
I stopped breathing.
Because the woman in the photograph was me.
Except it wasn’t possible.
I had never seen that picture before.
I had never met Adrian.
I had never stood beside him.
Yet there I was.
Twelve years younger.
Smiling.
Holding his hand.
Julian looked at my face.
And I watched the guilt return to his eyes.
“Vivian,” he whispered.
“I need you to listen carefully.””
My fingers tightened around my son.
“What?””
Julian looked at the photograph.
Then at me.
“Before I married you…”
He swallowed.
“There was a reason I recognized you the first time we met.””
My heart started racing.
“What reason?””
He looked terrified.
“Because you weren’t a stranger to me.””
The room became silent.
“Julian…”
May you like
His voice dropped to a whisper.
“You were Adrian Cole’s missing fiancée.””
