Filed to story: That Campus Prince Is a Girl
Whoever ended up dating him one day was in for a lifetime of cold shoulders.
She let out a sigh. The handsome boy was gone, and chances were, she’d never see him again.
Lance was already on the road, Bluetooth earpiece in, making a call. He gave a few instructions before hanging up.
Ten minutes later, his phone buzzed with a return call.
He tapped his headset. “Talk.”
“Mr. Yates, we found him. Cameron, eighteen years old, just graduated from Langford Academy. He scored a perfect SAT.
“About a month ago, he discovered he was adopted and had his adoptive parents sent to jail. The reason? His adoptive mother had a stillbirth and- using her sister’s position as a nurse-switched the dead baby with a living one.”
“A stillbirth?”
Lance slammed the brakes and yanked off his headset, pressing the phone to his ear.
“Repeat that. His adoptive mother gave birth to a stillborn and then switched the baby?!” His voice was sharp.
‘A stillbirth?’
That was what his mother had gone through..
Could it really be just a coincidence?
Yes, sir,” the man replied on the other end,
Lance gripped the phone lighter. “What else did you find?”
The Wallace family went bankrupt two months ago. Cameron’s sister was caught stealing
“What’s Cameron’s birthdate?” Lance cut him off, his voice tense.
He didn’t care about the rest. He only wanted to know one thing.
“February seventeenth,” came the reply.
Lance’s tone shifted. “Send me every piece of contact info you’ve got on him. And get me a DNA sample. Whatever it takes.”
“Mr. Yates… that might be difficult,” the man hesitated.
“I don’t care. Make it happen,” Lance ordered.
“Yes, sir!”
He ended the call, staring down at Cameron’s name on his screen.
Then he tapped into another contact and placed a new call.
This time, to his older brother-Gavin Yates.
It rang several times before Gavin finally picked up.
“What?” came the cool reply.
“I need to ask you something,” Lance said directly.
“Go ahead.”
“Do you remember what day our stillborn brother was born?” Lance asked.
“What did you just say?” Gavin’s voice sharpened instantly.
“I said “Lance repeated calmly.
“I heard you the first time,” Gavin snapped. “What the hell’s gotten into you? Do you even realize what would happen if Mom heard you talking like that?
“I have a reason, Gavin,” Lance said, keeping his voice even. “I think… our brother didn’t die. I think he was switched at birth.”
Then he laid everything out for Gavin, from Cameron’s background to the switch, to the date of birth.
“You’re serious?” Gavin asked after a long pause.
“Do you think I’d joke about something like this?” Lance replied..
Gavin fell silent again.
Finally, he said, “Send me a photo of this Cameron kid.”
“I’ll send it over in a minute,” Lance said. “Do you know what day our brother was born?”
“No,” Gavin admitted.
Lance blinked. “Seriously?”
“Don’t even think about asking Mom,” Gavin warned.
“I won’t,” Lance said. “I know better.”
Their mother, Jacqueline, had never recovered from losing that baby. For years, she’d been on the verge of collapse. The trauma nearly tusks her completely. It was the reason their father had taken the family to live in near-isolation on the island estate.
Eighteen years had passed.
She had finally found some peace.
Lance wouldn’t be the one to destroy that.
And besides, none of this was confirmed.
If he was wrong… he’d only be ripping open an old wound that had barely healed.
“Send the photo,” Gavin said again.
“I will,” Lance replied quietly.
After hanging up, he sat in the car for a long while.
He couldn’t ask his mother.
He couldn’t ask his father either-even if the man pretended to be calm, that loss had been devastating.
But there was one person who might know.
Edwin Harlow. The family’s butler.
He’d been at Yates Manor longer than Lance had been alive.
Lance pulled up Edwin’s number and called.
“Edwin, I need to know something,” Lance said. “The day my mother gave birth to my younger brother… what day was it?”
There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end. “Sir, that’s not something we talk about. If the Madam hears-she’ll be heartbroken all over again.
“Just give me the date,” Lance said firmly.
Edwin hesitated. Then finally answered, “It was February seventeenth. I’ll never forget that day for as long as I live.”
“February seventeenth?” Lance’s voice rose. “You’re sure?!”
“I’m absolutely sure. But please, sir, don’t bring this up with the Madam again. It nearly destroyed her…”
Lance barely registered the rest.
His mind was already spinning.
February seventeenth.
That was Cameron’s birthday.
He looked exactly like Lance.
He’d been switched with a stillborn.
That meant Cameron wasn’t just some stranger.
He was his brother.
Lance had no doubt left in his mind.
