Page 67 of Faking with Three

“What’s going on?” I ask, my voice rough. “Why are you giving me this?”

“I had my lawyers dig deeper into Charlie Green,” she says, her voice steady but with an edge of urgency. “I couldn’tunderstand why she was so intent on hurting us. It felt too personal, too calculated.”

“And?” Marcus presses, his tone sharp.

Olivia swallows hard. “And I thought… what if itispersonal? What if it’s not just about us or Love Lab?”

The envelope feels heavier in my hand. “What are you saying, Olivia?”

She takes a deep breath. “As you know, only a parent can access a child’s birth records. So even I don’t know for sure what’s in there. But I have a strong suspicion.”

The world tilts slightly. My pulse quickens as I glance down at the envelope. My name is scrawled across the front in Olivia’s handwriting. My throat feels tight.

“Go on,” Olivia says gently, almost like she’s afraid of what’s about to happen.

I slide my thumb under the flap and rip it open. The paper feels thin, almost fragile, as I pull it out. A single sheet, folded neatly, stares back at me. I hesitate for a moment before unfolding it.

The words hit me like a freight train.

Birth records. A child’s name. My name listed under “Father.”

“What the hell?” I whisper, my knees nearly buckling. I grab the edge of the table for support as my eyes dart over the document, rereading the words as if they’ll change if I just look at them long enough.

“Jax?” Marcus’s voice is cautious, but I can hear the underlying tension.

I lift my head, my eyes locking onto Olivia. “Is this… is this for real?”

Her lips press together, and she nods. “It looks like it.”

“You had your lawyers pull this?” Ethan asks, stepping closer. His voice is sharp, almost accusing.

“I had to,” Olivia says defensively. “Something about Adam didn’t sit right with me, and Charlie’s behavior only made me more suspicious. I needed to know the truth.”

“Adam?” I say confused.

“We’ve met him before,” she tells me, brows furrowed. And then I remember.

Adam. The kid at the skating rink. The one I thought looked familiar.

My chest tightens. “He’s… mine?”

“It looks like it,” Olivia says softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

I sink into the nearest chair, the document still clutched in my hand. My mind races, a thousand questions firing off at once. How? When? Why didn’t I know? Does Adam even know?

“How is that even possible?” I say, my voice shaking. My mind races as I stare at the birth record in my hands. “I’ve never even met Charlie Green in my life.”

“Well,” Ethan says, crossing his arms, his voice laced with sarcasm, “you did have your share of fun back in the day. And judging by Adam’s age, he might’ve been born when you were still in school.”

The comment cuts deep, but I can’t even snap back. My head feels like it’s spinning as I try to piece together the fragments of my teenage years. The parties. The hookups. But nothing clicks.

“I don’t…” I trail off, rubbing the back of my neck. “I don’t remember anything.”

Olivia steps forward, her voice calm but firm. “That’s because Charlie isn’t Adam’s mother.”

“What?” I blink, completely thrown.

“Her younger sister, Charmaine, is,” Olivia says, her eyes locking onto mine.

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