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Brecken just tightens his hold on my hand, staring Laurent down with a hundred, vicious warnings. I’m kind of glad for his reaction right now. And it hasn’t escaped Sienna’s notice.
“Many years ago, while in between marriages here, I had a short fling with a woman while in Paris. The DNA tests confirm that Laurent is the result of that fling.”
Well, that explains why Balthazar keeps pronouncing his name with a French accent.
“What DNA tests? Who did these tests? A doctor?”
“I did,” Sienna says, her voice proud.
Brecken and I lock eyes. Iknewsomething was up. And I doubt the cause of her search was to track down long-lost aunts or cousins. To confirm, I ask, “Anyone else? Perhaps relations on your side, Sienna?”
She shakes her head, opening up her Coast tote and bringing out what is presumably the relevant, gut-wrenching paperwork. I can’t bear to think of what the repercussions are from this.
And to hell with bonding over our grief.
“Only Laurent.”
Reuben snatches it from her outstretched hand. “What the fuck is this?” he hisses. “You went to a DNA company and posted the results for anyone to see? Are you fucking crazy?!”
“This is a violation of our privacy,” Luca growls. “We’re exposed on sites like these. We’re traceable by millions of people, Sienna. Why the fuck would you do this?” Sapphire eyes burn right through her. “How did you get the samples for the tests?”
“Your hair,” I murmur, remembering her weird behavior on New Year’s Day. I didn’t see her touch Reuben, but she must’ve done so at some stage. “She stole your hair.”
“I didn’tstealanything.”
“You’ve stolen much more than just our hair,” Brecken voices. He’s shaking, my hand trembling within his. “Because you know what this means for us going forward.”
A shrug. “It’s not necessarily a bad thing. At one point you were happy to sell.”
“It’s not a bad thing foryou,” Luca points out. “So, what? You’ve agreed between you that the hotel group should be sold and that you get a fat share?”
“What have you got to say about this?” Reuben demands, a hard stare aimed at his newly revealed sibling. “What’s your game here?”
“No game. It is just me and mymaman. I have always wanted to meet my biological father and, er, my new family— if I had one. I didn’t realize I had so many brothers.” His English is heavily-accented, and if I didn’t hate everything he jeopardizes right now, I’d be laughing at how cute he sounds. And it’s easy to see the resemblance to Balthazar. To his brothers. Tipping over six feet, he has blue eyes and dark hair. And the way he watches everything unfold before him reminds me of Luca’s quiet assessment. Of Balthazar’s unnerving attention.
“And sisters,” I remind him. “Or sister.”
He nods. “Oui.Sienna.”
A thought strikes me across the temple, bright and burning. There were three envelopes in Sienna’s bag that fell in the restroom. “Where’s your DNA chart?” I ask her. “Let’s see it.”
“I didn’t bring it,” she explains.
“Why not?”
“It fell out of my bag. Besides, any one of these charts prove the familial link.”
“You wanted to check we were his legitimate sons,” Luca says angrily, drawing our attention to her real angle. If she could displace any of them from whatever retirement plans Balthazar will commit to, then her outlook is more promising. She gets her sale.
Draining his wine, Reuben asks. “Did you steal Balthazar’s DNA too?”
“No. I wanted to keep Dad out of this,” she simpers, offering her father a sweet look. It makes me want to hurl.
“Well you failed,” Brecken growls. “I’d say he’s very much involved.”
Reading Brecken’s DNA results from my spot next to him, the chart shows that he’s linked to Luca and Reuben and Laurent by his father, and by the same percentage. They are equal half-brothers, and it’s indisputable.
“I want to discuss the future of the hotel. Seeing as none of you want to offer me any kind of training or help, I want it sold. Laurent is with me.”
