Chapter 5: The Daughter Nobody Had Told Him About
Emily entered the coffee shop carrying a small leather handbag.
She stopped when she saw Daniel.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Her eyes moved from Daniel to Marcus, then finally to Zoe.
"Hi," she said quietly.
Marcus stood.
"Emily.""
She ignored him.
Instead, she looked at Daniel.
"Are you Daniel Carter?""
He nodded.
"Yes.""
Emily pulled out a chair.
"Then I think we need to talk.""
Daniel sat down slowly.
"Of course.""
Emily placed a photograph on the table.
It showed a little girl sitting on a man's shoulders at a county fair.
The man was Daniel.
He recognized the blue shirt, the baseball cap, and the crooked smile.
But he didn't recognize the little girl.
"Where did you get this?""
Emily swallowed.
"My mother gave it to me.""
Daniel looked at her.
"Your mother?""
"Vanessa.""
His heart began pounding.
Emily pointed at the photograph.
"She told me this was a picture of me and my biological father. But when I asked her why I couldn't remember him, she said I was too young.""
Daniel stared at the little girl.
"How old were you?""
"Three.""
He remembered the photograph now.
It had been taken at a family picnic eighteen years earlier.
Vanessa had brought Emily along and introduced her as Marcus's daughter.
Daniel had spent the afternoon carrying her around, buying her cotton candy, and helping her win a stuffed bear.
He had thought she was just a little girl who needed someone to make her feel included.
He had never known she might have been his child.
Emily wiped her eyes.
"Mom told me Marcus left before I was born. She said he didn't want responsibility.""
Marcus lowered his head.
"I never knew she was pregnant with you.""
Emily turned toward him.
"Then why did you sign my birth certificate?""
Marcus looked devastated.
"Because Vanessa told me you were mine.""
Daniel stared at both of them.
The realization was becoming unbearable.
Vanessa hadn't merely hidden a possible biological connection.
She had created separate realities for two men and two children.
Emily continued.
"Last month, I found an old photo album in Mom's closet. There were pictures of me with Daniel, but Mom had written Marcus's name on the back.""
Daniel frowned.
"Why did you contact Marcus?""
"Because I found a letter.""
Emily opened her handbag and removed a folded page.
"It was addressed to my mother. The handwriting was hers.""
She handed it to Daniel.
He unfolded it carefully.
Vanessa,
I cannot keep pretending I don't know what happened. Daniel was present when Emily was born, and you have repeatedly told me that he isn't her father. But you also told Daniel that Marcus was Emily's father.
I don't understand why you're doing this.
If you refuse to tell them, I will.
Please stop using these children to protect yourself.
The letter was signed by someone named Patricia.
Daniel looked up.
"Who is Patricia?""
Emily answered.
"Mom's older sister.""
Zoe frowned.
"Aunt Patricia?""
"Yes. She lives in Cincinnati.""
Daniel stared at the letter.
"Does she know about all this?""
Emily nodded.
"She was the one who helped me find the original records.""
Marcus leaned forward.
"There's something else.""
Daniel looked at him.
Marcus removed a second folder.
"Three weeks ago, I contacted a private testing company. I wanted to find out whether Emily and Zoe were biologically related.""
Zoe blinked.
"Why?""
"Because if both of you were Vanessa's daughters, and if I was potentially the biological father of one of you, then the test could help establish the relationship.""
Emily looked at Zoe.
"I received the results yesterday.""
She pushed a sealed report across the table.
Daniel didn't touch it.
"What does it say?""
Emily looked at Marcus.
He nodded.
She opened the envelope.
The first page contained a genetic relationship analysis.
Emily read silently.
Then her lips parted.
"Oh my God.""
Zoe reached for her hand.
"What?""
Emily looked at Daniel.
"The report says Zoe and I share approximately fifty percent of our DNA.""
Daniel's face went pale.
Marcus leaned back.
"That means you're full biological sisters.""
Zoe stared at him.
"Full sisters?""
Emily nodded.
"Yes.""
Daniel looked at the two young women.
They had the same dark eyes.
The same shape of their noses.
Even the same small dimple near the left corner of their mouths.
He had never noticed before.
He had never been given the chance.
Emily began crying.
"I always wanted a sister.""
Zoe wrapped her arms around her.
"Well, now you have one.""
For a moment, the two girls held each other while Daniel sat motionless.
Then he asked the question that had been burning inside him.
"If they're full sisters, who is their biological father?""
Marcus looked at the report.
"That's why I asked for another test.""
Daniel's voice was almost inaudible.
"And?""
Marcus hesitated.
"The preliminary relationship analysis indicates that I'm not their father.""
Silence.
Daniel stared at him.
Marcus continued.
"It points to another man.""
Daniel felt his stomach drop.
"Who?""
Marcus took out a final document.
Before he could answer, Emily's phone vibrated.
She glanced at the screen.
A message from Vanessa.
Come home immediately. Don't tell Daniel anything else.
Emily showed the message to Zoe.
Zoe shook her head.
"She's still trying to control everything.""
Marcus looked at Daniel.
"There's something you should know about Vanessa's behavior. She wasn't only protecting herself. She was protecting someone else.""
Daniel frowned.
"Who?""
Marcus lowered his voice.
"Her father.""
Daniel blinked.
"Her father?""
Marcus nodded.
"Robert Hale.""
Daniel recognized the name.
Robert was a wealthy businessman who had owned several construction companies in Ohio.
He had met him twice at family gatherings.
A stern man who rarely spoke to Daniel and had once described him as a temporary fixture in Vanessa's life.
Daniel remembered one particular evening.
Robert had pulled him aside and said, "Some people are born into certain families, Daniel. Others are invited into them. Don't confuse the two.""
At the time, Daniel had assumed it was simply another insult.
Now it felt different.
Marcus continued.
"Robert paid for Vanessa's apartment when Emily was born. He paid for Zoe's medical bills. He also arranged for the original hospital records to be sealed.""
Daniel stood slowly.
"Why would he do that?""
Marcus looked at him.
"Because he knew who the biological father was.""
Before Daniel could respond, the coffee shop door opened.
Vanessa entered.
She looked directly at Emily.
Then at Zoe.
Finally, her eyes landed on Daniel.
"Everyone needs to stop this nonsense.""
Emily stood.
"Mom, sit down.""
Vanessa ignored her.
She pointed at Marcus.
"You had no right to contact my daughters.""
Marcus remained seated.
"They're adults, Vanessa.""
Vanessa turned toward Daniel.
"Come home. We can discuss this privately.""
Daniel shook his head.
"Not until you tell me who their father is.""
Vanessa's eyes filled.
For a moment, she looked as though she might finally confess.
Instead, she said something that stunned everyone.
"Daniel, you need to understand. If you find out the truth, you'll lose everything.""
Daniel stared at her.
"What exactly am I supposed to lose?""
Vanessa looked at Zoe and Emily.
May you like
Then she whispered:
"Because the man you're looking for is still alive, and he's the reason I married you.""
