Evelyn's POV
The side room smelled like old carpet and printer ink. I stood behind a thin wall and listened to Emmanuel's voice carry through the speakers outside.
He did not shout. He did not rush. He laid each piece of evidence on the podium the way a carpenter lays tools before he builds something that will last.
"The DNA results were verified by two independent laboratories," he said. "The match between Evelyn Ada Valentine and the biological family of Goodluck Valentine is confirmed at ninety-nine point eight percent. She is his daughter. She is Sarah Valentine's child. There is no dispute."
The room outside erupted. Journalists shouted over one another. Camera shutters fired like rain on a tin roof.
Matthew stood beside me, arms folded, watching through the narrow gap in the doo
