Chapter 18: The Truth About My Daughter
I walked home without remembering the road.
I don’t remember the traffic.
I don’t remember the people passing me.
I only remember one thought.
*Cole is not the father.*
The sentence kept repeating.
But underneath it was something worse.
Who was?
When I arrived home, Claire was waiting.
One look at my face and she knew.
“What happened?””
I sat down.
“He’s not the father.””
She froze.
“What?””
“The DNA test.””
I looked at her.
“The real one says he’s not the father.””
Claire covered her mouth.
“No.””
I nodded.
“Yes.””
For a while, neither of us spoke.
Then Claire whispered:
“Does Cole know?””
“Yes.””
“How?””
“Someone found the original test.””
I looked toward the nursery.
“My whole pregnancy…”
My voice broke.
“Everyone has been lying around me.””
Claire sat beside me.
“But you still have her.””
I touched my stomach.
That was the only thing that mattered.
The next morning, I received a call from an unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
But I answered.
“Hello?””
A man’s voice responded.
“Emily Carter?””
“Yes.””
“My name is Adrian.””
I froze.
“Adrian who?””
“Adrian Wells.””
The name meant nothing.
Until he said:
“I believe I’m your daughter’s biological father.””
I couldn’t speak.
“You’re wrong.””
“I wish I was.””
“Who are you?””
A long pause.
“Someone Cole paid to disappear.””
My heart started racing.
“What?””
“I was with you before you married him.””
I closed my eyes.
The memories came rushing back.
The year before Cole.
The relationship I never talked about.
The man who left suddenly.
The man who told me he needed to go away.
Adrian.
I had forgotten him.
But he remembered me.
“How do you know?””
“Because Cole found out.””
I gripped the phone.
“Explain.””
“He discovered I was your ex when he started investigating your life.””
My stomach tightened.
“He knew?””
“Yes.””
“Then why did he stay?””
Adrian’s answer was quiet.
“Because he realized your baby could connect him to your family.””
I felt sick.
Another plan.
Another reason.
“Did you know about the baby?””
“No.””
The sadness in his voice sounded real.
“I found out after Cole contacted me.””
“What did he say?””
Adrian paused.
“He offered me money to disappear.””
My hands went cold.
“And you did?””
“I was afraid.””
I looked down.
Everyone had been afraid.
Everyone except me.
“Why come back now?””
His voice softened.
“Because I saw what he was doing.””
A pause.
“And because I don’t want my daughter growing up believing I abandoned her.””
I closed my eyes.
My daughter.
The words felt strange.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
“I need proof.””
“I expected that.””
He sent a file.
A DNA report.
Not the one Cole had shown.
A new one.
My hands shook as I opened it.
The result was clear.
Adrian Wells.
Biological father.
I stared at the screen.
Then my phone buzzed again.
Another message.
From Cole.
*Now you know why I had to protect myself.*
I looked at it.
Then another message appeared.
*If Adrian gets involved, you’ll lose everything.*
I slowly deleted the message.
Because for the first time, I understood something.
Cole wasn’t protecting himself anymore.
He was afraid.
And fear made people reveal the truth.
I looked at Claire.
“We need to prepare.””
“For what?””
I placed my hand over my belly.
“For the moment he realizes he has nothing left to control.””
Because my daughter was almost here.
May you like
And when she arrived…
The final battle would begin.
