Chapter 12: The Daughter Who Was Running Out of Time
Damien reached the hospital before sunset.
Nora sat beside him in the back of the SUV, clutching the leather case against her chest. Neither spoke during the drive.
The recording had changed everything.
The Cross family had not merely hidden children to protect a reputation. They had been involved in a secret medical program, one that appeared to depend on the biological relationship between Elena's triplets.
And according to Richard's own voice, one of the children left with Elena had begun to deteriorate.
Damien's phone rang.
The pediatrician caring for Lily and Rose.
“Mr. Cross, I need you to come to the hospital immediately.””
His stomach dropped.
“Which child?””
“Lily. She's experiencing severe abdominal pain and a fever. We're running tests, but her blood results are unusual.””
Damien gripped the seat.
“Is she in danger?””
“We don't know yet. Please come as soon as possible.””
He ended the call.
Nora looked at him.
“Lily?””
He nodded.
Nora closed her eyes.
“Then it has started.””
“What has?””
“The condition Richard was talking about.””
Damien turned toward her.
“You know what this is?””
“Not exactly. But Evelyn told me the triplets were born with a rare genetic disorder. She said Richard believed he could control it by separating the children and monitoring their development.””
Damien felt sick.
“Why didn't you tell me earlier?””
“Because I didn't know Lily was ill. And because I was afraid you would think I was making everything up.””
He stared at her.
“I'm not interested in protecting my pride anymore. If you know something that could save my daughter, tell me.””
Nora opened the leather case and removed a folded medical document.
“This is a copy of my childhood medical file. Evelyn kept it hidden in her safe. I only found it after her death.””
Damien scanned the page.
The report described a rare inherited metabolic condition that affected the body's ability to process certain proteins. The symptoms included fatigue, abdominal pain, neurological changes, and progressive organ damage.
At the bottom was a handwritten note from Dr. Stefan Keller.
The condition may be manageable through a combination of targeted treatment and compatible biological material from a genetically matched sibling. Further research is required.
Damien looked up.
“Biological material?””
Nora nodded.
“I don't know what he meant. The rest of the file is missing.””
The SUV pulled into the hospital entrance.
Damien was out before the driver had fully stopped.
Lily lay in a hospital bed beneath a white blanket.
An IV line ran into her arm. Her face was pale, and her dark hair clung to her forehead with sweat.
Rose slept in a bassinet nearby, watched by a nurse.
When Lily saw Damien, she tried to sit up.
“Daddy?””
He rushed to her bedside.
“I'm here, sweetheart.””
“Does my tummy hurt because I ate too much?””
“No.”” Damien took her hand.
“You're sick, and the doctors are trying to find out why.””
“Am I going to die?””
The question nearly stopped his heart.
He leaned forward until their foreheads touched.
“No. We're going to get you the best care possible.””
“You promise?””
Damien remembered the promises he had broken without knowing he was breaking them. He remembered Elena begging him to protect a family he hadn't even known existed.
He kissed Lily's forehead.
“I promise I'll do everything I can.””
She closed her eyes.
“Mommy used to say that too.””
Damien stayed beside her until a specialist entered the room.
Dr. Samuel Reed was a renowned pediatric metabolic specialist who had been flown in from Boston. He reviewed Lily's results with a serious expression.
“Mr. Cross, your daughter has a rare inherited condition. We suspect it's the same disorder mentioned in these historical records.””
He examined the documents Nora had brought.
“The notes are incomplete, but they suggest her biological siblings may be relevant to treatment planning. We need to confirm the diagnosis through modern genetic testing.””
“Can you treat her?””
“We have several options, depending on the precise mutation and how advanced the disease is. Some inherited metabolic conditions can be managed very effectively when identified early. Others require more complex treatment.””
Damien's voice tightened.
“How much time do we have?””
“I won't give you a timeline without the full results. We need to act quickly, but panic won't help her.””
Nora stepped forward.
“I'm her sister. Test me.””
Dr. Reed nodded.
“We'll arrange that.””
Damien looked at Rose.
“And her?””
“Rose should also be tested. If the three children share the condition, understanding their genetic profiles may help us identify the safest treatment.””
For the first time since the wedding, Damien felt a fragile thread of hope.
Then Dr. Reed added, “There's something else. Lily's results suggest that her condition may have been monitored before.””
Damien stared at him.
“Monitored by whom?””
“Her blood contains traces of a compound that isn't part of standard pediatric treatment. We need to investigate its origin. I can't tell you what it means yet.””
Nora went pale.
“Victoria.””
Damien turned.
“What?””
“She told me that the treatment was harmless. She said she was checking whether my body was responding correctly.””
“Did she give you injections?””
Nora nodded.
“Every few months. She said they were vitamin supplements.””
Damien looked back at the doctor.
“Could Lily have received the same compound?””
“It's possible, but we cannot assume that. We need to test her samples and establish exactly what the substance is.””
Damien's hands curled into fists.
Victoria had stood in his wedding hall and called Lily a scammer.
She had known about the stolen babies.
She had monitored Nora's health for years.
And now Lily was lying in a hospital bed with an unexplained compound in her blood.
He walked into the corridor and called Marcus.
“Find Victoria Sterling. I want her location, her travel records, and every company she's associated with.””
Marcus sounded tense.
“Sir, she's already left New York. Her private jet departed for Geneva two hours ago.””
“Geneva?””
“Yes. And there's something else. We traced payments from Sterling Holdings to an offshore medical research company.
The company was dissolved last year, but its former director was Dr. Stefan Keller.””
Damien closed his eyes.
“Find out where Keller is.””
“I'm trying. But the financial records show payments continuing after his reported death.””
“From whom?””
Marcus paused.
“Victoria Sterling.””
Two hours later, Dr. Reed returned with the first round of genetic results.
Lily's diagnosis was confirmed.
Rose carried the same inherited condition, though her current tests showed fewer signs of active disease.
Nora's results were still pending.
Grace had also agreed to provide a sample.
Damien stood beside the conference table, staring at the family tree the geneticist had prepared.
Three biological sisters.
Three children with the same inherited disorder.
And a medical program that had been hidden for seven years.
Dr. Reed pointed to the treatment notes.
“Based on the historical research, your family may have been involved in an unauthorized experimental protocol. But the documents do not establish that the treatment was effective or safe. We will not repeat anything described in these records without independent clinical evidence.””
“Then what can we do?””
“We treat Lily's current symptoms, confirm the exact genetic variant, and consult a specialist team about evidence-based options. If any sibling-based therapy is relevant, we'll explain the risks and benefits before proceeding.””
Damien nodded.
“Do whatever is necessary to help her.””
Dr. Reed left the room.
Nora sat beside him.
“If the treatment Richard used hurt Lily, then we have to find out what he gave her.””
“We will.””
“And if Victoria knows how to reverse it?””
Damien looked at her.
“Then she'll answer for what she did.””
His phone rang.
An unknown number.
He answered.
“Damien Cross,” a man said.
“My name is Stefan Keller.””
Damien's entire body went rigid.
“Dr. Keller?””
“Yes. And before you send anyone after me, understand that I didn't kill Elena Bennett.””
“Then why did you disappear?””
“Because Richard Cross ordered me to continue an experiment after I discovered it was harming the children.””
Damien gripped the phone.
“What did you do to my daughters?””
“Nothing that wasn't ordered by your father. But I can help Lily.””
“Where are you?””
“Geneva.””
“I'm coming.””
“No. You need to listen first.””
Damien heard papers rustling on the other end.
“The compound in Lily's blood is not a treatment. It's a suppressive agent. It was designed to conceal the progression of the inherited disorder while the research continued.””
Damien felt his blood turn to ice.
“Who administered it?””
“Victoria Sterling. She inherited the research files after Richard died.””
“Why would she do that?””
“Because she believes the original experiment can still be completed.””
Damien looked through the glass wall at Lily's hospital room.
His little girl was sleeping, unaware that powerful people had spent years treating her life as a scientific project.
“What does Victoria want?””
Keller's voice dropped.
“She wants the triplets together.””
“Why?””
“Because the original data suggested that the three girls might hold the key to a treatment. But the research was never completed, and no one knows whether the theory is correct.””
Damien's mind raced.
“Then why did she take one baby and hide another?””
“Because your father believed separating them would make it easier to control the experiment. Margaret Sterling was given one child. Evelyn Cross took another. Elena was left with the third.””
“And now?””
“Now Victoria is desperate. The suppressive agent is no longer working as expected.””
Damien stared at Lily.
“How do we help her?””
“I have the original research files and the results of the last clinical analysis. But I won't hand them over to Victoria. She has already threatened to destroy them.””
“Send them to me.””
“I will, but you need to understand something. Victoria isn't the only person involved.””
Damien went silent.
Keller continued.
“Richard had a partner. Someone who financed the entire project and helped falsify the records.””
“Who?””
A long pause followed.
Then Keller said, “Your father-in-law.””
Damien felt the world narrow around him.
“Victoria's father?””
“Yes. Charles Sterling. He's alive, and he's the one who ordered Elena's death.””
The call ended.
Damien stood frozen in the corridor.
Charles Sterling had attended the wedding rehearsal. He had shaken Damien's hand, praised the ceremony, and toasted the future of their families.
He had smiled while knowing Elena was dead.
And he had helped build the machinery that had stolen three children from their mother.
Damien looked toward Lily's room.
Then his phone vibrated.
A message from Victoria.
*If you want your daughter to survive, bring all three girls to Geneva. Come without the police, and I will tell you what Elena was really hiding.*
A second message appeared.
It contained a photograph of Rose asleep in her bassinet.
The picture had been taken inside the hospital.
May you like
Someone was watching his children.
And Victoria had just proved that she was willing to use them to get what she wanted.
