Ella heart skipped a beat, her mind racing. Had Aunt Laura, Lila's Mom figured it out?
"Lila is our daughter, who else could she be? Laura, you’re getting old and confused!" Lila's dad’s voice boomed across the living room.
Aunt Laura's eyes narrowed, eyebrows arching up. "James Peterson, did you just call me old?"
Her dad, known across the neighborhood for his strict but silent demeanor, rarely spoke to Aunt Laura so directly. Yet here he was, standing his ground with a tone Lila had only ever seen him use with stubborn vendors at the farmer’s market.
“Stop talking nonsense and just tell us where the child was last seen!” His voice was sharp and commanding, cutting through Aunt Laura's attempted rebuttal.
Aunt Laura’s face lost its color, her fingers clenched into a tight ball. After a pause, she muttered unwillingly, “The paternity testing center.”
Ella's heart dropped. Could Aunt Laura have taken both children for a DNA test?
“You had them tested? Laura, have you completely lost it?” Her dad’s voice was incredulous.
Aunt Laura glared directly at Ella, as though searching her eyes for a hidden truth. “How else was I supposed to know if that child is really my granddaughter?” Her gaze hardened, the frustration boiling over. “And you, Lila, are you really my Lila?”
Ella took a step back, caught off guard by Aunt Laura’s sudden question. She tried to find the words to explain, to reassure her Lila's mom somehow, but her dad gently pulled her behind him, his voice softening just slightly.
“Lila, don’t let your mother’s paranoia get to you. Ever since she hit menopause, she’s been suspicious of every little thing,” he said with a chuckle, trying to diffuse the tension. “Why don’t you go check on the kids?”
Grateful for the distraction, Ella gave a quick nod, her mind already racing with worry for the twins, Kai and Kaia. She turned and left, her mind buzzing with questions she couldn’t answer yet.
---
Downtown, City DNA Testing Center - Data Analysis Department
A little girl in a white dress and twin pigtails—looking every bit like a doll—strolled up to the door of the Data Analysis Department. She knocked with all the authority of a CEO.
A young lab technician looked up in surprise at the sight of this pint-sized intruder. “Can I help you, sweetie?”
The girl blinked, her big blue eyes wide and innocent. “I’m looking for my dad.”
The technician’s brows furrowed. “Oh, and who might your dad be?”
“His name is Mr. Charles,” the girl said confidently, her chin lifting with the air of someone used to getting her way.
The tech’s jaw dropped a bit. Charles? Wasn't he the director? Could it be true? She’d heard the rumors, but a daughter? She was still trying to process this news when the little girl pointed to a room down the hall.
“That’s Daddy’s office, right? I see his bag on the desk.”
The receptionist snapped out of her daze and nodded. “Yes, but, uh… your dad isn’t in right now.”
“Oh, it’s fine,” the girl said, slipping past her before she could say another word.
Once inside the office, she quickly closed the door and scanned the room. Satisfied she was alone, she pulled out a tiny USB stick from her pocket and slipped it into the computer. Her fingers moved with surprising agility as she opened files, clicked through menus, and began downloading something important.
In less than a minute, she finished, yanked out the USB, and slipped it back into her pocket like a seasoned pro. Then, she took a deep breath, straightened her dress, and opened the door as if she’d done nothing at all.
The receptionist was still on the phone, giving the little girl a chance to walk out without a second glance. As soon as she was out of sight, she sped off down the street and into a cozy corner cafe.
---
At a back table, a little boy was seated, his fingers dancing over a laptop keyboard. He glanced up as his sister approached, her eyes gleaming with pride. “Mission accomplished?” he asked, grinning.
“Do you even have to ask?” she replied, flipping her hair with a smirk. But then her face twisted in confusion. “Kai, how do you know Dr. Charles's name? And why did we need to plug the USB into his computer?”
Kai took a deep breath, unsure of how to explain the tangled mess of thoughts in his head. The past few hours had revealed way more than he’d ever wanted to know.
Their grandma’s reason for bringing them to the DNA center, it turned out, wasn’t to find their dad. The tests she ordered had nothing to do with Dr. Charles… they were meant to compare their DNA with hers.
In other words, their grandma didn’t believe they were really her grandchildren.
Kai's jaw tightened at the thought, but he kept his expression neutral for his sister’s sake. Stay strong for Kaia, just stay strong.
He leaned in close and ruffled her hair. “Grandma had to leave to run some errands,” he said, trying to sound cheerful. “And she said we’re on our own for dinner tonight. So, what sounds good to you?”
Kaia's eyes sparkled at the mention of food, the troubling thoughts about their grandma melting away. “I want pizza! No, wait… barbecue! And burgers… oh, oh! And Ice cream!”
Kai laughed, reaching for the restaurant’s menu. “Slow down! If you eat all that, you’ll be a little ball by the time Mom comes back.”
Kaia's expression turned conflicted, her love for food battling her vanity. “Okay, okay. Let’s go with burgers today. We can save pizza and cake for next time.”
Kai chuckled as he signaled the waiter to bring the check. KFC was just down the street, and he knew his sister couldn’t resist their chicken nuggets.
They hadn’t even made it to the counter to order before his phone buzzed in his pocket. Glancing at the screen, he felt a wave of relief seeing “Mom” flash across the caller ID. He answered in an instant. “Mom, did you just land?”
Ella's worried voice on the other end soothed him. “Kai, where are you right now? And is Kaia with you?”
Kaia, halfway through deciding on her order, perked up when she heard their mom’s voice. She bounced over, grabbing the phone. “Mommy! We’re at KFC! I’m having chicken nuggets, and Kai's going to eat a boring salad again!”
“KFC? Is it the one on Fifth Street?” her mother asked, her tone light with a hint of mischief.
“Yes! Mommy, how did you know…?”
“Turn around, my little detectives.”
Kaia froze for a second, then whirled around, her eyes widening in joy. Just outside the cafe window, her mom waved with a huge grin, already on her way toward the door.
“Mommy!” Kaia squealed, dropping her food and sprinting across the restaurant like her life depended on it. She launched herself into her mother’s arms, nearly bowling her over. “Mommy, you’re finally here! I missed you soooo much!”
Ella laughed, hugging her little girl tightly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I missed you too, my sweet Tangie. More than you could ever know.”
Kai walked over, his grin more restrained but just as heartfelt. “Glad you’re back, Mom.”
