He Mocked My Cooking Until He Discovered I Owned the Restaurant—and His Daughter Had His Eyes

Rebecca was lying in a private hospital room when I arrived.

An oxygen tube rested beneath her nose. Her usually perfect silver hair was tangled against the pillow, and her hands trembled beneath the blanket.

For the first time since I had known her, she looked old.

Daniel stood beside the window.

He wouldn't look at me.

Martin was near the door, speaking quietly with a nurse. Jonathan had arrived moments earlier and was reviewing documents.

Rebecca opened her eyes.

"Amara.""

I approached the bed.

"You said you knew who Sophie's father was.""

Her lips trembled.

"I do.""

"Then tell me.""

She glanced at Daniel.

"Not while he's here.""

Daniel turned sharply.

"Mother, don't start.""

Rebecca closed her eyes.

"Please leave us.""

"No.""

I looked at him.

"Daniel, I think you should wait outside.""

He stared at me, then at Rebecca.

Finally, he walked into the corridor.

Rebecca waited until the door closed.

Then she reached beneath her pillow and pulled out a small envelope.

"Richard knew," she whispered.

"Knew what?""

"That Sophie might not be Daniel's daughter.""

I stared at her.

"You told the hospital she belonged to Nathan.""

"Because I believed it.""

"Why?""

Rebecca looked toward the ceiling.

"Richard and I had been married for years, but our marriage was never what people believed. He had secrets. I had secrets. And Nathan was not the only child he had outside our family.""

I felt my stomach tighten.

"You're saying Richard had another child?""

She nodded.

"Years before he met me, Richard had a relationship with a woman named Eleanor. They had Nathan. But after Nathan disappeared, Richard discovered Eleanor had been seeing another man.""

"Who?""

Rebecca swallowed.

"Richard never told me his name.""

I frowned.

"Then why did you think Sophie was Nathan's?""

"Because Richard received a letter shortly before he died. It said Nathan had fathered a child with a woman connected to the Carter family.""

"Me?""

Rebecca nodded.

"Richard believed you might have been involved with Nathan before you married Daniel.""

I shook my head.

"That's impossible. I had never met Nathan.""

"I know that now.""

"Then why did you separate Sophie from me?""

Rebecca's eyes filled.

"Because I was afraid.""

"Of what?""

"Richard had left instructions that any child connected to Nathan's bloodline would receive a portion of the family trust. If Sophie was Nathan's daughter, she would have a claim.""

I looked at her.

"And if she wasn't?""

Rebecca turned her face away.

"Then I had made an unforgivable mistake.""

I stood very still.

"Where did the false paternity declaration come from?""

Rebecca closed her eyes.

"I created it.""

The admission seemed to drain the air from the room.

"You forged a document claiming Nathan was the father of my baby?""

"Yes.""

"And you gave my daughter away because of a letter?""

"I thought I was protecting the family.""

I leaned closer.

"You were protecting money.""

Rebecca began crying.

"At first, yes.""

"At first?""

She opened the envelope.

Inside was a handwritten letter signed by Richard.

I recognized the signature from the trust documents.

Rebecca pushed it toward me.

"Read it.""

The letter was dated two weeks before Richard died.

Rebecca,

I have discovered that the child Amara carries may not be Daniel's. Do not interfere with her pregnancy. Do not alter any hospital records. Whatever the child's parentage, she must be allowed to remain with her mother.

I stopped reading.

The next paragraph was even more disturbing.

If the child is connected to Nathan, the trust must protect her. If the child is mine, the trust must protect her twice over. No one is to use this child as leverage.

I looked at Rebecca.

"Richard believed he might be Sophie's father?""

Rebecca nodded.

"He had been seeing someone in secret. A woman who worked for one of his companies. He never told me her name.""

"Was it me?""

"No. Richard never met you before Daniel introduced you to the family.""

I breathed out.

"Then how could Sophie be his daughter?""

Rebecca looked toward the door.

"Because the woman he had been seeing was your mother.""

My knees weakened.

"What?""

"Your mother, Elaine.""

I gripped the bedrail.

"That's a lie.""

"Your mother and Richard knew each other long before you met Daniel. They had a relationship when she was young. She ended it and married your father.""

I shook my head.

"My father raised me.""

"David loved you. He was your father in every way that mattered.""

I stared at her.

"Are you telling me David isn't my biological father?""

Rebecca nodded slowly.

The room seemed to tilt.

I thought of my father teaching me to cook, holding my hand through school, and sitting beside me when I opened my first restaurant.

He had never made me feel like anything less than his daughter.

"Did he know?""

Rebecca looked down.

"Yes.""

I swallowed.

"And Sophie?""

"Richard was her biological father.""

The words landed like a physical blow.

I looked at the letter again.

Richard Carter was Sophie's grandfather in the legal family structure.

But biologically, he was her father.

That explained the genetic report.

It also explained why Rebecca had panicked.

I sat down.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?""

"Richard planned to acknowledge Sophie privately. He intended to amend the trust and provide for her without exposing your mother or you to scandal.""

"And then he died.""

Rebecca nodded.

"Three days after he discovered the truth.""

I looked at Martin.

"His death.""

Martin stepped forward.

"We've been waiting for toxicology records from the original investigation.""

Rebecca's voice became urgent.

"Daniel knows more than he's admitting.""

I turned.

"About Richard's death?""

She nodded.

"Daniel was at the estate that night.""

The door opened.

Daniel stood in the doorway.

His face was pale.

"Mother, stop.""

Rebecca looked at him.

"You cannot keep lying.""

Daniel stared at me.

"I didn't kill my father.""

Nobody had accused him yet.

But the speed of his denial frightened me.

I stood.

"Then tell us what happened.""

He looked at the floor.

"Father confronted me about the trust. He said he was changing everything.""

"Because of Sophie?""

Daniel nodded.

"He told me there was another child. He said the child would receive a protected share, and that I would never control it.""

"Did you know Richard was Sophie's biological father?""

Daniel hesitated.

"Not then.""

"Did you know he was planning to change the trust?""

"Yes.""

Rebecca began crying.

Daniel's voice cracked.

"I was angry. I went to the house to argue with him. We fought.""

"What happened next?""

"He collapsed.""

I stared at him.

"You were there when he died?""

Daniel nodded.

"I called Mother. She told me not to touch anything until she arrived.""

Rebecca whispered, "I was trying to protect him.""

Daniel turned toward her.

"You told me to leave!""

"Because you were panicking!""

I stepped closer.

"Did you call an ambulance?""

Daniel didn't answer.

Martin moved toward him.

"Mr. Carter, did you?""

Daniel looked up.

"No.""

The silence was unbearable.

He continued.

"I thought he'd had a heart attack. Mother said we couldn't let the police discover the argument because it would destroy the company. She said she'd handle everything.""

Martin's expression hardened.

"Did you know he had been poisoned?""

Daniel shook his head.

"No.""

Rebecca looked at me.

"But I did.""

My breath caught.

She reached for my hand.

"Richard wasn't poisoned by Daniel.""

"Then who did it?""

Rebecca's eyes filled with terror.

"Your father.""