Chapter 9 - THE LAST BETRAYAL
Daniel stared at the photograph.
“My mother.”
Claire nodded.
“She chose Margaret.”
“No.”
“She always knew.”
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“She was afraid.”
Claire looked at him.
“Fear explains a choice. It doesn't erase it.”
He had no answer.
The police took us to a safe location.
For the first time in days, Noah slept peacefully.
I sat beside him.
Daniel sat across the room.
We barely spoke.
At midnight, my phone buzzed.
A message.
From my mother.
COME ALONE.
I showed Claire.
She shook her head.
“No.”
Another message arrived.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHO YOUR FATHER IS.
I froze.
Claire saw it.
She closed her eyes.
“They found another way to hurt you.”
I looked at her.
“Who is my father?”
She didn't answer.
“Mom.”
“I don't know.”
“What?”
“I never knew.”
“Then who is Claire Whitmore's daughter supposed to be?”
She swallowed.
“You were born through an anonymous donor.”
I stared at her.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“My biological father?”
“We don't know.”
“Then why would Margaret know?”
Claire looked terrified.
“Because she arranged the donation.”
The room went silent.
Daniel stood.
“So Emma's father was one of the men involved?”
“Possibly.”
I felt sick.
Then my phone buzzed again.
A photograph.
Margaret.
Standing beside a man.
I didn't recognize him.
But Claire did.
Her face went white.
“Who is he?”
She whispered:
“Your father.”
My heart stopped.
“Who?”
She looked at Daniel.
Then at me.
“Daniel's father.”
Nobody spoke.
The truth was worse than anything I had imagined.
My biological father was the same man who had helped erase my identity.
The same man who had been Daniel's father.
Which meant...
Daniel and I were half-siblings.
I couldn't breathe.
Daniel stepped backward.
“No.”
Claire nodded.
“I'm sorry.”
“No.”
Daniel looked at me.
I saw the same horror in his eyes.
Our marriage.
Our child.
Our entire life.
Everything collapsed at once.
The police doctor immediately intervened.
“Everyone needs to stay calm.”
But I couldn't.
I looked at Noah.
“Is he safe?”
Claire nodded.
“The baby isn't related to Daniel biologically.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
“Daniel isn't your biological half-brother.”
She took a breath.
“The photograph was staged.”
My head spun.
“What?”
“Your father is not the man in the photograph.”
“Then who is he?”
Claire looked at Daniel.
“Your father's brother.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“My uncle?”
“Yes.”
The man who had been involved was Daniel's uncle.
Not his father.
Not my father.
The bloodline had been manipulated.
The photograph was a lie.
The entire message was designed to make us doubt everything.
I almost collapsed.
Claire grabbed me.
“That's why they wanted you isolated.”
Daniel looked at the photograph again.
“The man is Thomas.”
Claire nodded.
“My brother.”
“The hospital director?”
“Yes.”
Rebecca suddenly entered the room.
“We found him.”
Everyone turned.
“Where?”
Rebecca held up her phone.
“At the bank.”
“Margaret?”
“No.”
“Thomas.”
I stared.
“Is he alive?”
Rebecca nodded.
“And he has the money.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Then we go.”
Claire grabbed his arm.
“No.”
“We need to end this.”
Claire looked at me.
“Not by chasing him.”
“Then how?”
She smiled faintly.
“By letting him come to us.”
I didn't understand.
Then she placed a small recorder on the table.
“He thinks Emma still doesn't know everything.”
“What do you want to do?”
Claire looked at me.
“Tell him the DNA test came back.”
I stared.
“And tell him what?”
She whispered,
“That Noah isn't Daniel's son.”
Daniel looked confused.
“But he is.”
“Yes.”
“Then why lie?”
Claire's eyes hardened.
“Because I want Thomas to tell us why he was so desperate to know.”
We sent the message.
Ten minutes later, the phone rang.
A man's voice said:
“Bring Emma to the old hospital.”
May you like
Claire smiled.
“He took the bait.”
