“Maybe the internet did.”
She thrust her phone toward me, the screen displaying a headline from a notorious tabloid site.
“Secret Love Children?
The inside scoop on Dr. Logan Turner, son of actress Trinity Turner, and the two daughters he kept hidden. Click to understand the full story.”
I desperately wanted to click the link. There was nothing in the world I wanted more than to understand this damn situation.
“How did this get out?” I asked, my mind reeling.
“For now, it’s just on one website, and it’s not even a reliable one. But it will spread. We need to get ahead of it.” She swept into the room, stopping to scrutinize the girls. “Damn, Logan… Did they have to look quite so much like you? The first step is a DNA test, but… let’s be honest, that’s just a formality. There’s no way they aren’t yours.”
The two girls just blinked, looking confused by the exchange.
Janet continued, “They even got the names. Can you believe it? So, which one is Aurora, and which one is Anna?”
“I’m Anna,” the one in blue said, her tone suspicious. “She’s Rory.”
“Wow. They’re identical. I remember you at that age, Logan. It’s like they made two carbon copies.”
“Can we have this conversation in private?” I asked Janet through gritted teeth.
I led her to a far corner of the spacious suite, where we could speak without being overheard. I handed my lawyer the letter, and she scanned it quickly.
“Logan, I’m a corporate lawyer. Not a family lawyer.”
“You’re the only one I can trust with this, Janet. I need your help.”
“Now that it’s hit the media? We schedule a DNA test, and you step up. You’ll have to take them home while their mother is missing. This power of attorney gives you temporary guardianship. Honestly, we could have handled this tomorrow. You didn’t need to drag me here in the middle of the night.”
“It’s not just that, Janet. This conference is critical for my career. I’m in the running for director of the New York Medical Center. Besides being a good doctor, the director of an institution like that needs to have an impeccable reputation. You know what they’ll say, right? That I abandoned a pregnant woman. When I didn’t even know!”
“Well, this letter would be a great alibi,” she said. “Only…”
“Only what?”
“It doesn’t mean much without Eleanor here to verify it. Anyone could have written this to make you look better.”
“I can’t find Eleanor in two days. And I’m being introduced to the hospital board tomorrow. If they hear about this…”
She let out a tired sigh. I didn’t blame her; this was a disaster.
“You’re the father of two little girls, and it’s public now. There’s no changing that. You’re a public figure, Logan, thanks to your family. Even as the most reclusive of your brothers, no one will believe you’ve been raising them all along. They’ll think you knew and rejected them. The only thing that could salvage your reputation is proving you truly had no idea until today.”
“And how am I supposed to prove that by tomorrow? If the letter isn’t enough, what is?”
She was quiet for a moment, thinking. “What if we had a woman come forward as their mother? Someone to confirm the story that you were completely in the dark.”
“A fake mother?”
“Yes. We officially present the story that she came to you and introduced you to the daughters you never knew you had.”
“I don’t know if I like the idea of a lie this big.”
“It’s only half a lie. Youdidjust meet them. We’d just be providing someone to play the part and corroborate your story.”
At first, the idea seemed utterly absurd and riddled with risk. But the more I thought about it… it would only be for the duration of the conference.
