Chapter 6: The Daughter's Name
Emily stared at the stranger.
“My real birth certificate?””
Thomas Reed nodded.
He was in his late sixties, with silver hair, a narrow face, and the tired expression of someone who had spent years carrying a secret.
“Your mother asked me to keep it safe.””
Emily looked at Jace.
“Why would I need another birth certificate?””
Thomas glanced toward the open storage locker.
“Because the document you have been living with for sixteen years isn't the complete truth.””
Rebecca stepped forward.
“Mr. Reed, I'm Rebecca Hayes. I'm representing Emily.””
Thomas studied her briefly.
“Good. She'll need someone who understands the legal implications.””
He opened his briefcase.
Inside was a sealed plastic folder.
He removed a birth certificate and placed it on the cabinet.
Emily approached slowly.
Her name was printed at the top.
Emily Margaret Carter.
Her mother's name was listed underneath.
But the space for the father's name was different.
It read:
*Father: Unknown.*
Emily frowned.
“That's not right.””
Thomas folded his hands.
“Your mother never wanted you to discover this through a stranger. She intended to tell you herself when you were older.””
“Tell me what?””
Thomas took a breath.
“Daniel Carter was not your biological father.””
The words landed like a physical blow.
Emily shook her head.
“No.””
“I'm sorry.””
“No. He was married to Mom. He's my father.””
“He raised you for the first four years of your life,” Thomas said gently.
“But your mother had already discovered the truth before you were born.””
Emily looked at Jace.
He seemed just as shocked as she was.
“Who is my father?”” she whispered.
Thomas glanced toward the photograph in his hand.
“That's what your mother wanted you to know.””
He placed the photograph on the cabinet.
It showed a younger Margaret standing beside a man outside a university building.
The man was tall, clean-shaven, and wearing a military-style jacket.
Emily studied his face.
There was something familiar about him.
His eyes.
His smile.
The shape of his jaw.
She had seen those features before.
On a photograph of herself as a little girl.
Thomas pointed to the man.
“His name was Robert Morgan.””
Jace's expression changed.
Marcus looked from Thomas to Jace.
Then back to the photograph.
“Hold on,” Marcus said.
Jace stepped forward.
“Robert Morgan?””
Thomas nodded.
“He was Margaret's first love. They were engaged before she met Daniel.””
Jace stared at the photograph.
Then he looked at Emily.
“Robert was my older brother.””
The room went silent.
Emily felt as though the floor had disappeared beneath her feet.
“Your brother?””
Jace nodded slowly.
“He died when I was twenty-six. Motorcycle accident. He was thirty.””
Emily looked at the photograph again.
Thomas continued.
“Robert and Margaret were together for several years. When Robert died, Margaret was devastated. Daniel later entered her life and married her.””
Emily swallowed.
“So Robert was…”
“Your biological father,” Thomas said.
Emily sank onto a nearby chair.
Jace remained standing.
He seemed unable to process what he had heard.
“My brother had a daughter?””
Thomas nodded.
“He knew Margaret was pregnant. But he died before Emily was born.””
Jace covered his mouth.
For a moment, the intimidating biker looked like a young man who had just lost his brother all over again.
“Why didn't anyone tell me?”” he whispered.
“Your mother asked us not to,” Thomas replied.
“She believed the truth would expose Emily to the people who were trying to steal the foundation's money.””
Jace turned sharply.
“Who knew?””
“Daniel. Victor Hale. And two members of the foundation's board.””
Emily looked up.
“Why would they care who my father was?””
Thomas opened another folder.
“Because Robert Morgan owned shares in the foundation's original property company. After his death, those shares were held in trust for his only child.””
Rebecca examined the paperwork.
“How much?””
Thomas gave her a document.
“Depending on the valuation, the shares are worth approximately twelve million dollars.””
Marcus let out a low whistle.
Emily stared.
“Twelve million?””
Thomas nodded.
“And according to the original trust agreement, the beneficiary becomes the sole legal owner when she turns sixteen.””
Emily looked at the date.
Her sixteenth birthday had been three months earlier.
Jace understood first.
“That's why Daniel came back.””
Thomas nodded.
“Daniel was appointed temporary guardian of Emily's financial interests. He was never supposed to own the assets. But he used his position to transfer money and conceal the trust.””
Rebecca flipped through the documents.
“This could constitute fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and possibly criminal misappropriation.””
Emily barely heard her.
She was looking at the photograph.
A man she had never met.
A father who had died before she could know him.
And a brother standing beside her who had spent three months making sure she didn't have to face the world alone.
“Jace?””
He turned.
“Yeah, sweetheart?””
“Why did you come to my graduation?””
His eyes filled.
“Because you saved my life.””
“But you didn't know who I was.””
“Not at first.””
“Then why?””
Jace looked at his brother's photograph.
“Because I recognized your mother's name. And when I saw your face, I started wondering.””
Emily reached for his hand.
“Did you ever know about me?””
“No.””
He swallowed.
“If I had known, I would have found you.””
Emily looked down.
For the first time, she understood that she hadn't simply been abandoned by one father.
She had been kept away from an entire family.
Thomas sat down and explained the remaining documents.
Robert had established a trust before his death.
The trust was designed to protect his future children and provide them with education, housing, and financial security.
After Robert died, the foundation managed the assets.
Daniel was appointed guardian because Margaret trusted him at the time.
But the financial records showed that Daniel had been moving money out of the trust for years.
The recent transfer to Northstar Holdings was the largest.
Rebecca carefully collected the documents.
“I'm going to need certified copies of everything.””
Thomas nodded.
“I have them.””
Emily looked at him.
“Why did you wait until now?””
His face tightened.
“Because I was threatened.””
“By Daniel?””
“By Victor Hale. He told me that if I revealed Robert's trust, he would make sure Emily lost everything.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“Did he threaten you physically?””
Thomas looked at him.
“He didn't need to. He knew where my grandchildren went to school.””
Jace's jaw tightened.
“Where is Victor now?””
“I don't know,” Thomas replied.
“But I received a message yesterday. He knows Emily has the documents.””
Rebecca stood.
“Then we need to get her somewhere safe and notify the authorities.””
Emily shook her head.
“No.””
Jace looked at her.
“Emily, this isn't something you should handle alone.””
“I know.””
She picked up her mother's letter.
“But I've spent my entire life being told to stay quiet, stay out of the way, and accept whatever adults decide for me.””
Her voice trembled, but she continued.
“My mother worked so hard to protect me. I want to know what happened to her. I want my money back. And I want everyone who stole from her to answer for it.””
Jace studied her.
Then he smiled faintly.
“You sound like Robert.””
Emily looked at him.
“Was he brave?””
Jace nodded.
“He was the bravest man I ever knew.””
They left the storage facility shortly after noon.
Marcus insisted that Emily ride with him in his truck while Jace followed on his motorcycle.
Rebecca arranged a meeting with the district attorney for the following morning.
Thomas promised to provide the original trust documents.
For the first time, Emily felt that the truth might finally be within reach.
But as Marcus pulled onto the highway, his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
“Unknown number.””
He answered through the vehicle's hands-free system.
“Marcus speaking.””
A distorted voice came through.
“Tell Jace to stop digging.””
Marcus glanced at Emily.
“Who is this?””
“Someone who knows what happened to Robert Morgan.””
Emily sat upright.
“What did you say?””
The voice continued.
“Your little graduation celebration is over. The girl needs to understand that some families have secrets for a reason.””
Marcus tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“Listen carefully. If you want to talk, give me your name.””
The caller laughed.
“Ask Jace why his brother was really on that motorcycle the night he died.””
Then the call disconnected.
Marcus immediately contacted Jace.
Within seconds, Jace's motorcycle pulled alongside the truck.
He signaled for Marcus to pull over.
Emily climbed out.
“What does that mean?””
Jace removed his helmet.
His face had lost all its color.
“Emily, there's something about Robert's death I never told you.””
She stared at him.
“What?””
Jace looked down at the road.
“Everyone believed my brother died in a motorcycle accident.””
“Didn't he?””
Jace shook his head.
“No. His motorcycle had been tampered with.””
Emily covered her mouth.
“Who did it?””
Jace looked at the documents in her hands.
“That's what I've been trying to find out for sixteen years.””
He paused.
Then he added something that made Marcus step closer.
“The last person Robert called before he died was Daniel Carter.””
Emily's knees weakened.
Her father.
Again.
Before she could speak, Jace's phone rang.
He answered.
A familiar voice came through.
Daniel Carter.
“Jace, I know you found the documents.””
Jace's expression hardened.
“What do you want?””
Daniel spoke quietly.
“I want to make a deal.””
“What kind of deal?””
“Give me the original trust papers, and I'll tell you who killed Robert.””
Jace looked at Emily.
Then Daniel delivered the final blow.
“And there's something else, Emily. Something your mother never told you about the night she died.””
Emily stepped toward the phone.
“What happened to my mother?””
Daniel hesitated.
Then he whispered:
May you like
“She didn't die from cancer.””
And the call ended.
