Chapter 12: The Bloodline Nobody Expected
The next morning, I drove to the hospital where Lily was born.
I hadn’t been there in years.
The building looked smaller than I remembered.
But the memories were still exactly the same.
The smell of disinfectant.
The quiet hallways.
The room where I first held my daughter.
The room where Claire cried tears of happiness.
I found the records department and asked for the archived files.
The woman behind the desk looked confused.
“Sir, these records were sealed.””
“By who?””
She checked the computer.
“Your first wife.””
I froze.
“Claire?””
She nodded.
“She requested that nobody access them without legal approval.””
My heart raced.
“Can I see them?””
The woman hesitated.
Then she made a phone call.
Twenty minutes later, a doctor arrived.
An older man.
Gray hair.
Tired eyes.
“Marcus?””
I looked at him.
“Yes.””
He sighed.
“I wondered when this day would come.””
My chest tightened.
“You know about this?””
He nodded.
“I was the doctor who delivered Lily.””
I sat down.
“Then tell me the truth.””
He looked toward the hallway.
“Your wife knew something was wrong.””
“What?””
“The paperwork.””
He opened a file.
“Someone attempted to replace Lily’s birth records.””
My hands tightened.
“Who?””
The doctor looked at me.
“I never knew the person directly.””
“Then what did you know?””
He lowered his voice.
“The person claimed to be a relative.””
My heart stopped.
“Whose relative?””
The doctor hesitated.
Then:
“Vanessa’s.””
I closed my eyes.
The nightmare continued.
“What did Claire discover?””
The doctor opened another document.
“She discovered the original records.””
He placed them in front of me.
I looked down.
Everything seemed normal.
Until I reached the final section.
*Biological Father.*
The name was covered.
I looked up.
“Why is it hidden?””
The doctor shook his head.
“Because Claire requested it.””
“Why?””
He looked at me sadly.
“Because she was afraid.””
My phone buzzed.
A message from Ethan.
*Dad, you need to come home. Now.*
I stood.
“Can I take this?””
The doctor nodded.
“Your wife left one final note with the records.””
I stopped.
“What note?””
He handed me an envelope.
I opened it.
Claire’s handwriting.
Again.
*Marcus,*
*If you are reading this, then they found the truth.*
My heart pounded.
*I wanted to tell you myself, but I was afraid it would put Lily in danger.*
I kept reading.
*The man listed as Lily’s biological father is someone you know. Someone close.*
My hands shook.
The final sentence was barely visible.
*Someone who has been pretending to protect you.*
I looked at the covered name.
Then at the doctor.
“Who?””
The doctor’s expression changed.
He whispered:
“Marcus…”
The door behind me opened.
Daniel was standing there.
His face was pale.
“You found it.””
I stared at him.
“Were you the one?””
Daniel said nothing.
That silence was enough.
May you like
I stepped closer.
“Are you Lily’s biological father?””
