Filed to story: That Campus Prince Is a Girl
Since he couldn’t convince Cameron to come home, it was time to tell their parents everything. Maybe they’d have better luck.
Lance took the DNA test results and headed back to the island.
Before leaving, he called Levi and Jacqueline to let them know he had something important to share and asked them to stay up a little later than usual.
Gavin had a dinner engagement that night and couldn’t return to the island, so Lance didn’t include him in the conversation-for now.
It was nearly midnight when Lance finally stepped through the front doors.
Jacqueline was sitting on the couch, still dressed, though the weariness on her elegant face was impossible to miss. Her eyelids drooped despite her best efforts to stay alert.
Levi, in his usual casual clothes, looked anything but relaxed. He sat upright, his presence commanding as ever.
With a frown, Levi muttered, “This is ridiculous. Who knows what Lance is even doing this late? Your health can’t handle staying up like this. Go to bed.”
Jacqueline gave a soft, patient smile. “I’m fine. Lance asked us to wait. We can give him a little more time.”
“I’m home,” Lance’s deep voice rang out from the hallway before he even appeared.
A moment later, he stepped into the living room, tall, handsome, and composed.
Levi’s face immediately darkened. “What the hell took you so long? You know your mother isn’t supposed to sta made her wait?”
Lance turned to Jacqueline. “There was some delay on the road. Mom, are you okay?”
Jacqueline’s voice was gentle. “I’m perfectly fine. Don’t listen to your father.”
Levi gave her a look. “Oh, great. Maybe next time he will make you stay up all night.”
Lance didn’t waste time. It was already late.
He pulled the DNA test report from his bag and handed it to Jacqueline. “Mom, Dad, take a look at this.” ate. She’s not well. And you still
Jacqueline accepted it, flipping open the envelope curiously. “A paternity report? Levi and… Cameron Wallace? Who’s Cameron?”
At that, Levi’s scowl deepened. “Me and Cameron Wallace? What kind of nonsense is this? Lance, what the hell is going on? Is school out and you’ve got too much time on your hands?”
Lance stayed silent for a moment, his expression tight. “Dad, can you just take a look first before jumping to conclusions?”
He had used Levi’s DNA sample for the test with Cameron.
Jacqueline quickly skimmed the report, her eyes stopping at the conclusion: Probability of paternity-99.99%.
She looked up, stunned. “Cameron? Who is Cameron? Are you telling me Levi has another child?”
Her eyes welled up immediately.
“This is absurd!” Levi snapped. “A what? I don’t have some secret child!”
The accusation hit harder than it should have. Seeing the look on his mother’s face, Lance stepped forward quickly. “Mom, no-he’s not Dad’s secret child. Cameron is your son. Yours and Dad’s.”
Levi’s jaw clenched. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Jacqueline blinked, tears still in her eyes. “Lance, I… I don’t understand.”
Lance didn’t sugarcoat it. “Eighteen years ago, you gave birth to a baby everyone believed was stillborn-“
“Lance Yates!” Levi cut him off sharply. “Are you out of your mind?”
He looked like he was ready to explode.
‘That topic is completely off-limits. Everyone in the family knows it-Lance more than anyone. Does he have any idea how long it took his mom to recover from that?
‘How close she came to completely falling apart? And now he’s dragging it all back up, right in front of her?’. “Dad, just let me finish,” Lance said, trying to stay level. “There was no stillbirth. The baby was alive. A healthy newborn. It was the nurse who made the switch when Mom passed out during labor. She took our brother and replaced him with a dead infant.”
Both Jacqueline and Levi were stunned.
#
Lance’s words left both Levi and Jacqueline in stunned silence.
He said nothing more, simply watching them as they struggled to process what they had just heard.
After a long pause, Jacqueline looked up, her eyes already red. “Lance, is it true? I gave birth to a healthy baby?”
Levi gently placed a hand on her back, offering silent comfort.
Lance nodded. “Yes, Mom. It’s true. I would never joke about something like this.”
Jacqueline’s voice trembled. “So… your brother-he’s alive?”
Lance nodded again. “He is. He’s been through a lot over the years with his adoptive family, but he’s brilliant. He just scored a perfect SAT.”
But Jacqueline barely heard the second part. “He suffered? Where is he now?” Her voice broke. “Where is he?”
“Jacqueline, take it easy,” Levi said quickly, trying to steady her.
Though Levi was notoriously strict with his sons, he had always treated Jacqueline with the utmost tenderness.
Tears streamed down her face. “How could I possibly take it easy? Our youngest son… he’s alive. He’s really alive.”
“I know. I know,” Levi murmured, wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes.
He picked up the paternity report again and read it closely. There it was-confirmation of a 99.99% biological match with Cameron.
He turned to Lance. “How did you find him?”
“A little over a month ago, Helen called me,” Lance began. “She said she saw a guy who looked a lot like me. I didn’t think much of it. Then a few days ago, she sent me a photo. He really did look like me.”
He took a deep breath and continued, “So I started digging and found out his birthday is the same day as our brother’s.
“And that his adoptive parents had a stillborn the day he was born. I had no doubt-he was switched at birth. I did everything I could to get a DNA sample, and a few hours ago, the results came back.”
Jacqueline suddenly remembered. “So that’s why you insisted on plucking a few of your dad’s hairs…”
Lance nodded. “I needed a sample for the test.”
“Let me see the photo,” Levi said.
“Yes, show me,” Jacqueline added quickly.
Lance pulled out his phone and handed it over.
Levi took one glance and raised an eyebrow. “This is you in high school.”
Jacqueline stared at the screen, eyes misting over again. “That’s him? That’s our son?”
Cameron looked so much like Lance, it was almost surreal. But she could tell-this wasn’t her Lance. This was someone else.
“His name is Cameron?” she asked. “Where is he now? Where is he?”
Before Lance could answer, she repeated, more urgently, “Where is he?”
Lance sighed.
“What was that sigh for?” Levi asked, suspicious. “Is this some kind of prank?”
‘So Dad doesn’t believe me at all?’ Lance wondered.
Of course. That would explain the cool demeanor. He thought the whole thing was made up.
Truth be told, if Lance hadn’t discovered everything firsthand, he might’ve found it just as unbelievable.
“It’s all true,” Lance said. “But Cameron refused to come back with me.”
“I’ll go to him,” Jacqueline said, standing up at once. “Lance, take me to see him!”
Lance reached out to steady her. “Mom, I know you’re excited. I know how much this means to you. But it’s after midnight. He’s asleep by now. Let’s go in the morning, okay?”
“I don’t care. I’ll wait at his door until morning. I won’t wake him. I just want to see him,” Jacqueline insisted.
Levi frowned. “Jacqueline, what if this whole thing is some elaborate joke? You’re too quick to believe him.”
“Then don’t come,” she snapped.
Levi fell silent.
Lance hadn’t expected Jacqueline to be this emotional, this desperate to see Cameron.
