Chapter 9: The Daughter Who Was Never Mine
For several seconds, Marcus couldn't hear anything.
The police were shouting.
Daniel was struggling against two officers.
Noah was crying on the staircase.
But all Marcus could hear was Victoria's sentence.
Lily is not your biological daughter.
He slowly turned toward her.
“What did you say?””
Victoria lowered her eyes.
“Lily isn't yours.””
Marcus shook his head.
“That's impossible.””
“She was born before Elina met you.””
“No.””
“Marcus—”
“SHUT UP!””
His voice echoed through the mansion.
He looked toward Noah.
The little boy was still standing on the stairs, clutching his blue toy car.
Marcus forced himself to breathe.
“Then whose daughter is she?””
Victoria wiped her face.
“Daniel's.””
The room went silent.
Marcus stared at his brother.
Daniel stopped struggling.
For the first time, neither man spoke.
Then Daniel gave a small, bitter laugh.
“You weren't supposed to find out.””
Marcus looked at him.
“You're Lily's father?””
Daniel shrugged.
“It happened before you married Elina.””
Marcus felt sick.
“How?””
Daniel looked away.
“Elina and I were together briefly. Before you met her.””
Marcus remembered the charity auction.
The strange coincidence.
The way Daniel had insisted on introducing them at a business dinner months later.
The way he had always made jokes about Marcus being lucky to have found such a beautiful wife.
All those memories suddenly became poisonous.
“You knew she was pregnant?””
Daniel nodded.
“I knew.””
“And you let me raise her?””
Daniel's expression hardened.
“You were happy to play father.””
Marcus stepped toward him.
“She called me Daddy.””
“Because I let her.””
Marcus's fist struck Daniel's jaw.
The officers pulled them apart.
“Mr. Hale! Stop!””
Marcus struggled.
“You let me believe she was mine!””
Daniel spat blood onto the carpet.
“You wanted a family. I gave you one.””
Marcus stared at him in disbelief.
“You destroyed my family.””
Daniel smiled.
“No. Your wife did that when she decided to keep secrets.””
Victoria suddenly began crying.
“Please, Marcus. You don't understand what happened.””
He turned toward her.
“Then explain.””
Victoria sat down on the sofa.
She looked at the photograph in her hands.
“Elina was pregnant when she married you. She knew Daniel was the father, but she also knew you loved her.””
Marcus felt his stomach turn.
“Why didn't she tell me?””
“Because she wanted to protect you. Daniel threatened to expose everything if she ever told the truth.””
“And the twins?””
Victoria looked up.
“Elina had another pregnancy. This time, the children were yours.””
Marcus stared.
“Then why did you say Lily wasn't mine?””
Victoria hesitated.
“Because I wanted you to believe that Elina had deceived you about everything.””
Marcus shook his head.
“You're lying.””
Victoria began sobbing.
“I was jealous.””
The confession came out quietly.
“I loved you, Marcus. I thought that if Elina disappeared, you would eventually choose me.””
“You imprisoned her because you wanted to marry me?””
Victoria nodded.
“And Daniel wanted the company. We made a deal.””
Marcus looked at his brother.
Daniel remained silent.
Victoria continued.
“But things went wrong. Elina survived the attack. She gave birth to the twins. Daniel took the boy, and I brought the girl to your house.””
Marcus frowned.
“Which girl?””
Victoria looked confused.
“Lily.””
“Who is Lily's mother?””
“Elina.””
Marcus felt his head spinning.
“Then why did you tell me she wasn't mine?””
Victoria swallowed.
“Because I thought she was Daniel's.””
Daniel suddenly shouted.
“THAT'S NOT TRUE!””
Everyone turned.
Daniel was staring at Victoria.
“She was mine. Elina told me herself.””
Victoria shook her head.
“She lied to you.””
Marcus looked between them.
“What?””
Victoria stood.
“Elina had already discovered that Daniel wasn't the biological father of the first child either.””
Daniel's face darkened.
“Be quiet.””
Victoria continued.
“The DNA results were hidden. Elina knew Lily wasn't Daniel's.””
Marcus stared.
“Then whose child is she?””
Victoria opened her mouth.
But before she could answer, Harris's phone rang.
He listened for a few seconds.
Then his expression changed.
“Mr. Hale, we have a problem.””
Marcus turned.
“What?””
“Your daughter has disappeared from the mansion.””
Marcus felt his blood turn cold.
“Lily?””
“Rosa reported that someone entered the property twenty minutes ago. She was taken from her bedroom.””
Marcus rushed toward the door.
“Who?””
Harris showed him a photograph from the security system.
A woman wearing a black coat was carrying Lily through the garden.
Marcus recognized her immediately.
Elina.
His wife had taken their daughter.
But why?
His phone rang.
He answered instantly.
“Elina!””
Her voice was trembling.
“Marcus, listen carefully.””
“Where are you? Is Lily safe?””
“She is with me.””
“Why did you take her?””
“Because Victoria was going to tell you something that would put her life in danger.””
Marcus looked at Victoria.
“What are you talking about?””
Elina took a shaky breath.
“Lily isn't Daniel's. She isn't yours either.””
Marcus closed his eyes.
“Then whose daughter is she?””
Silence.
Then Elina whispered:
“She's the daughter of the man who murdered your mother.””
Marcus felt the entire world stop.
He remembered the adoption papers.
His father's letter.
The photograph of Daniel as a teenager.
His brother's biological father had supposedly been the man who tried to destroy the company.
But that man was dead.
Or so Marcus had always believed.
“Elina, who is Lily's father?””
She began crying.
“Your father's.””
Marcus staggered backward.
“No.””
“I'm sorry.””
“That's impossible.””
“Your father had another family. He hid everything from your mother. Lily was born from that secret.””
Marcus looked at Daniel.
His brother was staring at him with an expression of absolute horror.
Then Elina spoke again.
“There's one more thing, Marcus.””
“What?””
“The man who raised Daniel wasn't his biological father.””
Marcus frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Elina whispered:
“Daniel and Lily have the same biological father.””
Marcus's hands began shaking.
He looked at the adoption document from his mother's cabinet.
He looked at the photograph of his father.
Then he remembered the letter.
Daniel's biological father was the man who tried to destroy our company.
Elina continued.
“Your father was the man Daniel spent fourteen months trying to protect.””
Marcus swallowed.
“But my father died seven years ago.””
A long silence followed.
Then Elina said something that made him drop the phone.
“Marcus, your father is alive.””
At that exact moment, the front door of Daniel's mansion opened.
An elderly man stepped inside.
He was wearing a dark overcoat and holding a silver cane.
Marcus knew that face.
He had seen it on his father's funeral portrait.
The man looked directly at him.
“Hello, son.””
Marcus couldn't move.
The man smiled.
“It's been a long time.””
May you like
Then he turned toward Daniel.
“Now, tell your brother what really happened to his mother.””
