Chapter 12 - THE DNA TEST
The room became silent.
Nobody moved.
Dad looked at every person around the table.
My mother.
Lillian.
Thomas.
Clara.
Vanessa.
The attorneys.
Security.
Nobody spoke.
Then the second message arrived.
Look at the person holding the blue folder.
Everyone looked down.
Mr. Harrison was holding a blue folder.
He slowly raised his eyes.
“I don't know what this means.”
Dad stepped forward.
“Open it.”
The attorney hesitated.
“Daniel…”
“Open it.”
He opened the folder.
Inside was the original DNA report.
The report showed all four heirs were biologically connected to the Hayes family.
The altered version had been created afterward.
Dad stared.
“Who changed it?”
Mr. Harrison shook his head.
“I didn't.”
Then Thomas stepped forward.
He took the report.
He looked at the digital signature.
“This wasn't created here.”
“Where?”
“Europe.”
Dad frowned.
“Who has access?”
Thomas answered:
“Someone who worked for the company before.”
“Who?”
Thomas looked at Vanessa.
“Her former lawyer.”
Vanessa froze.
“My lawyer?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he handled your identity documents.”
Vanessa covered her mouth.
“He worked for my grandfather.”
“No.”
Thomas shook his head.
“He worked for Robert.”
Then the security alarm sounded.
Someone had entered the company headquarters.
Dad immediately took us there.
The building was empty.
Lights flickered.
The boardroom door stood open.
Inside was a computer.
On the screen was a video.
My grandfather.
He was sitting behind a desk.
But this recording had been made years earlier.
He said:
“If you're watching this, I am probably dead.”
Dad stared.
The video continued.
“Or arrested.”
He smiled.
“But you have already made my mistake.”
Dad frowned.
“What mistake?”
The video answered:
“Trusting Robert.”
Everyone froze.
The recording revealed that Robert had been stealing from my grandfather for years.
He had created his own network.
He had manipulated both sides.
He had wanted the trust for himself.
My grandfather had believed Robert was loyal.
He wasn't.
Robert had created the conflict between the family branches.
He had made everyone fight.
Then he planned to take control once everyone was destroyed.
Dad looked at the screen.
“So Robert was the real mastermind.”
The recording continued.
“Robert believes he will inherit everything.”
My grandfather smiled.
“He won't.”
Then the video ended.
The computer displayed one final message.
CHECK THE WEST WING.
Dad looked at us.
Again.
The west wing.
We returned to the mansion.
The hidden room was still there.
But something had changed.
The wall behind the old bed had been opened.
Inside was another room.
A room none of us had seen.
There were filing cabinets.
Boxes.
And a large safe.
Dad opened it.
Inside was a stack of passports.
All with different names.
Robert.
Vanessa.
Victoria.
Thomas.
Lillian.
And mine.
I stared at my passport.
It had a different birth date.
Dad looked horrified.
“This is fake.”
My mother shook her head.
“No.”
She picked it up.
“This is your original.”
“What?”
She showed us the birth certificate.
My name was different.
Not Lily Hayes.
Lillian Sophia Bennett.
Dad froze.
“That was your first name.”
I stared.
“Then why am I Lily?”
My mother whispered:
“Because your grandfather believed Lillian was the heir.”
She had changed my name to hide me.
My sister had been given another name.
I had been given hers.
That meant the entire family had been searching for the wrong child.
The real Lillian.
Me.
I was the first heir.
My older sister was another protected heir.
The trust was even more complicated than we thought.
Dad sat down.
“So all these years…”
My mother nodded.
“I had to keep you hidden.”
Then someone clapped slowly behind us.
We turned.
Robert stood in the doorway.
He had escaped custody.
He smiled.
“Now you understand.”
Dad moved toward him.
Robert raised a phone.
“If you touch me, every document in this room disappears.”
Dad stopped.
Robert smiled.
“I don't want the money.”
“What do you want?”
Robert looked at me.
“The original heir.”
Me.
May you like
He pointed at me.
“Lily.”
