Julian: Victoria, answer me right now! Why did she call my son her sweet boy?
Victoria: She's out of her mind, Julian! She inhaled too much smoke and she's hallucinating!
Maya: I'm not hallucinating, Julian. Look at his wrist.
Julian dropped to his knees on the grass beside Maya, his hands shaking as he pulled back the sleeve of the baby's white suit[cite: 1]. Around the infant's tiny wrist was a silver hospital ID bracelet, tarnished with soot[cite: 1]. Julian rubbed the black ash away with his thumb, reading the engraved names under the bright daylight[cite: 1].
Julian: "Mother: Maya Vance... Biological Father: Julian Sterling..."
Victoria: That bracelet is a forgery! She made that bracelet to blackmail us!
Julian: This is a official state medical band, Victoria! It has the city hospital seal stamped on the clasp!
Julian looked up from the bracelet, staring directly into Maya's tear-stained face[cite: 1]. He looked past the soot smudges and the simple pink waitress uniform, his eyes widening as a memory from two years ago crashed into his mind[cite: 1].
Julian: Maya... Maya Vance? The surrogate mother from the St. Jude Clinic?
Maya: I wasn't just a surrogate, Julian. Victoria told you I gave up my parental rights for money, but that was a lie.
Victoria: Shut your filthy mouth! Julian, don't listen to a word she says!
Maya: Two years ago, Victoria paid off the clinic director to forge my signature on the custody surrender forms while I was still unconscious after delivery!
Julian stood up slowly, his face turning pale with absolute rage as he turned toward Victoria[cite: 1].
Julian: Victoria... is this true? Did you forge her signature?
Victoria: Julian, darling, listen to me! She was a poor waitress! She couldn't give our family heir the life he deserved in this estate!
Julian: You told me the biological mother passed away from complications during birth!
Victoria: I did it to protect our family's reputation! If high society found out you had a child with a catering girl, the board of directors would have removed you as CEO!
Maya stood up from the grass, holding the little boy tightly against her shoulder as the baby finally stopped crying, resting his cheek against her neck[cite: 1].
Maya: I spent two years searching for my son, Julian. When I saw the catering job listing for your mansion today, I took it just so I could see his face once.
Julian: You took a waitress job... just to be near him?
Maya: I didn't care about the estate or your money, Julian. I just wanted to hold my baby.
Victoria's eyes flashed with panic as sirens began to wail in the distance, fire trucks and police cruisers turning into the long estate driveway[cite: 1].
Victoria: Julian, we have to leave right now! The press is coming! If they see this waitress holding the Sterling heir, our stock price will plummet!
Julian: The stock price is the last thing I care about right now, Victoria.
Julian turned back to Maya, tears welling in his eyes as he saw his son clinging to her pink uniform with complete trust and love[cite: 1].
Julian: Maya... I am so sorry. I had no idea she did this to you.
Maya: You were lied to, Julian. But today, the lies are over.