Chapter 9 - The Father I Never Knew ExistedI spent the entire night thinking about Daniel's words.
Your biological father.
It sounded absurd.
I had grown up believing Arthur Hayes was my father.
He had raised me.
Protected me.
Loved me.
He had been there for every birthday.
Every school event.
Every heartbreak.
There had never been another man.
So why would Daniel say such a thing?
The next morning, I confronted Arthur.
He was sitting in his study.
He knew immediately that something was wrong.
“What happened?”
I placed the photograph on his desk.
“Who is this?”
He looked at it.
His face changed.
I had never seen fear in my father's eyes.
Not even during the worst moments of my accident.
But now…
He looked terrified.
“Where did you get that?”
“Daniel.”
He closed his eyes.
“Of course.”
“Dad.”
He looked at me.
“There are things I should have told you.”
I sat down.
“Then tell me.”
Arthur explained that before he married my mother, she had been involved with another man.
His name was Michael Carter.
Michael was wealthy.
Powerful.
And dangerous.
He was also my biological father.
My mother left him when she discovered he was involved in illegal business.
She was pregnant.
She didn't tell him.
Arthur met her later.
He knew about the pregnancy.
And he chose to raise me.
“He loved you?”
I asked.
Arthur smiled sadly.
“He loved you before you were born.”
“Then why didn't he tell me?”
“Because your mother was afraid.”
“Of him?”
“Yes.”
Michael eventually discovered I existed.
He wanted access to me.
My mother refused.
Arthur protected us.
Michael disappeared.
For years.
Until recently.
“Where is he?”
Arthur looked at me.
“Dead.”
I stared.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did Daniel say he ordered my accident?”
Arthur didn't answer.
I felt something cold settle over me.
“Dad.”
He finally whispered:
“Because Michael wasn't dead when you had your accident.”
My heart stopped.
Arthur admitted the truth.
Michael had returned years earlier.
He had contacted Daniel.
He had contacted Evelyn.
He wanted my inheritance.
He wanted access to the company.
But more importantly…
He wanted me.
Not because he loved me.
Because I was the heir to a trust my mother had created.
A trust worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Michael believed he could manipulate me into giving him control.
When I refused…
He became dangerous.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Arthur's eyes filled with tears.
“Because I thought I could protect you.”
I shook my head.
“You all keep saying that.”
A pause.
“And somehow I always end up being the person nobody tells anything.”
Arthur lowered his head.
“I was wrong.”
Michael had used Victor.
Victor had used Evelyn.
Evelyn had manipulated Daniel.
Daniel had recruited Marcus.
Every betrayal was connected.
But Michael had been the beginning.
He had created the chain.
And then he disappeared.
Or so everyone believed.
I asked Arthur one final question.
“Where is Michael now?”
He looked at me.
“We don't know.”
That night, I received a message.
Unknown number.
One sentence.
“Your father lied to you.”
Then another.
“Michael Carter is alive.”
Attached was a photograph.
An older man standing outside a private clinic.
The face was unfamiliar.
May you like
But the eyes…
They looked exactly like mine.
