The Shocked Findings
1275 Words
Joshua felt like the air had been sucked out of the car.
“…Is that…?”
“Yeah,” Xavier said softly. “That’s Mom. And you.”
Joshua traced the edges of the photo. Olivia’s hair spilled over her shoulders in dark, glossy waves. She looked radiant. The baby’s tiny fingers clutched the neckline of her dress.
Xavier added, “That was taken at Mount Sinai Hospital. The day you were born.”
Joshua swallowed. “I… look like her.”
Xavier nodded. “Exactly like her. She used to say she couldn’t wait to see how your smile turned out. Turns out it’s the same as hers.”
Joshua flipped more pages. Each held documents: birth certificates, medical records, a photo of Harrison Gregory holding an infant, beaming.
He shook his head. “This… it’s too perfect. How do I know you didn’t fake this?”
Xavier gave him a long, level look. “You think I faked twenty-four years of paper trails and hospital records? Not even Kenny’s that good.”
Joshua snapped the folder shut, tossing it back toward Xavier. “So what? You show up, drop a folder on me, and I’m just supposed to forgive eighteen years of lies?”
Xavier didn’t flinch. “I’m not asking you to forgive anything. I’m just telling you the truth.”
Joshua stared him down. “Why should I believe you?”
Xavier sighed. “Because the Rowlands lied to you your whole life. And even after everything tonight, you’re still fighting for scraps of loyalty to them. You deserve better than scraps.”
Joshua’s chest rose and fell quickly. “They raised me.”
“I know.” Xavier leaned forward, resting his arms on the steering wheel. “But they also used you. And they were willing to toss you out the second Bianca came back.”
Joshua dropped his gaze, unable to argue.
Xavier said gently, “Tell me the truth. If it was Miles instead of you, do you think Meredith would’ve thrown him out?”
Joshua clenched his jaw.
“That’s what I thought,” Xavier murmured.
Joshua hissed, “Don’t talk about Miles like he’s part of this.”
“I’m not. I’m saying Miles is innocent. You’re the one they threw away.”
Joshua looked out the window, jaw working.
Xavier was quiet for a few seconds. Then he added softly, “I know it’s hard to hear. But you’re my brother. And I’ve been waiting my whole life to find you.”
Joshua huffed out a shaky laugh. “Lucky you. I’m a total mess.”
Xavier’s grin returned. “Good. You’ll fit right in.”
Joshua slumped against the seat, staring at his knees. “Why me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why did they take me? Out of all the babies in that hospital… why me?”
Xavier exhaled. “Because the Gregorys have enemies. And a baby with Gregory blood is worth a lot of leverage.”
Joshua shook his head. “So… someone stole me to mess with your family’s business?”
Xavier nodded slowly. “More or less. It’s complicated. And Mom and Dad will tell you the whole thing. But whoever did it wanted to keep you hidden. And they made sure the trail went cold.”
Joshua whispered, “So… I was… a bargaining chip?”
Xavier winced. “Not to us. Never to us.”
Joshua let out a long breath. “How did you even figure it out?”
Xavier flipped the folder open again and pulled out a photo: a high-resolution snapshot of Joshua at a charity gala two years ago, wearing a tux, standing beside Charles and Meredith.
“We started getting tips. People kept sending us pictures of you. Sometimes paparazzi shots. Sometimes from corporate events. At first, we thought it was a prank. But then… Dad looked at this one.”
Joshua took the photo, staring at his own face. He looked stiff, uncomfortable, his smile tight.
“Dad said your eyes were exactly like Mom’s,” Xavier murmured. “So we ran a DNA test. Quietly. Through an overseas lab so it wouldn’t leak.”
Joshua flipped the photo over. Scrawled on the back was a date: May 2023.
Joshua whispered, “So… you’ve known about me for two years?”
“Not known. Suspected.” Xavier’s voice dropped. “We didn’t want to come crashing in until we were sure. And until we could protect you.”
“Protect me from what?”
“From the people who took you in the first place. And from anyone who’d try to use you now.”
Joshua stared at the dashboard. “So… the Rowlands. Did they know the whole time?”
Xavier hesitated. “Meredith did. Probably.”
Joshua’s breath caught. “Meredith… knew?”
Xavier nodded. “Not the day you were born. But later. She started putting things together. She was worried about losing the Rowland business if you left. So she buried it.”
Joshua’s hands curled into fists. “Of course she did.”
Xavier reached over and lightly punched Joshua’s shoulder. “Listen. I’m not saying you have to forgive anyone. But don’t let the Rowlands define who you are. You’re a Gregory. You’re family. Whether you want to be or not.”
Joshua glared at him. “Thanks. Real comforting.”
Xavier grinned. “I try.”
Joshua rubbed his eyes. “So… what happens if I decide I don’t want anything to do with your family?”
Xavier’s grin faded. He said, very seriously, “Then we’ll respect that. And we’ll still make sure you’re safe. Because that’s what family does.”
Joshua blinked.
Xavier said quietly, “I’m not here to drag you anywhere. I’m here because you’re my brother. And because Mom will literally murder me if I go home without you.”
Joshua barked a soft laugh despite the tears gathering in his eyes.
Xavier squeezed his shoulder again. “Hey. You hungry?”
Joshua choked out, “I could eat an elephant.”
Xavier leaned over, buckled his seatbelt, and grinned. “Good. Let’s go home.”
He shifted the car back into drive, merging smoothly into traffic. Joshua stared out the window, clutching the folder in his lap.
For the first time all night, the word home didn’t sound completely impossible.
The dark windows of Manhattan rolled past like an endless film reel as Xavier guided the sleek sports car north along Fifth Avenue.
Joshua sat stiffly, the manila folder balanced on his lap, his thumb brushing the edge as if trying to convince himself it was real.
“So,” Joshua said finally, “are you ever going to tell me where we’re actually going?”
Xavier shot him a grin. “You’re gonna love it. I promise.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Xavier signaled a right turn. “Alright. Technically… we’re going home. To Empire Heights.”
Joshua blinked. “Empire Heights? I just left Empire Heights.”
Xavier barked a laugh. “Different Empire Heights. Ours is… a little more exclusive.”
Joshua gave him a skeptical side-eye. “Is that code for ‘ridiculously expensive?’”
Xavier tilted his head thoughtfully. “Yeah, that’s exactly what it’s code for.”
Joshua huffed a sigh, then muttered, “Figures.”
The car glided onto a private ramp that curved around a massive skyscraper’s side. High above them, sheer glass walls reflected the city lights like liquid gold.
Joshua craned his neck. “Holy crap. This is where you live?”
- Writer
