Chapter 10: The Father of My Daughter
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
Daniel stood beside me, holding Lily's photograph in one hand and staring at my face.
The phone was still pressed against my ear.
"Margaret, what did you just say?""
Her breathing was uneven.
"I know this is difficult, Emily.""
"You're telling me Daniel isn't Lily's father?""
"Yes.""
I looked at Daniel.
He shook his head slowly.
"That's impossible.""
Margaret continued.
"Your daughter is connected to the Whitmore family. That's why Victor has been watching her.""
I gripped the edge of the dresser.
"Who is her father?""
A pause.
Then Margaret whispered a name.
"Alexander.""
I looked at the photograph of the teenage boy.
The boy wearing the silver star bracelet.
"Alexander is dead," I said.
"No, sweetheart. He isn't.""
My knees weakened.
"How can that be?""
"Because Victor arranged for another baby to be declared dead twenty-six years ago. Alexander survived. He was raised under another name.""
I looked at Daniel again.
He was staring at the floor.
"Margaret, I need you to explain everything.""
"I can't do that over the phone. Victor has people listening.""
"Where are you?""
"At a motel near the old highway. Come alone.""
"No.""
I heard her crying.
"Emily, please. I've already lost twenty-two years with you. I don't want to lose another minute.""
The call ended.
I stood motionless.
Daniel finally spoke.
"Emily, don't believe her.""
I turned toward him.
"Why?""
"Because she's been missing for years. We don't know what she's been told or who has been manipulating her.""
"She knew about Lily.""
"That doesn't prove anything.""
I looked at him.
"Do you know who Lily's biological father is?""
His expression changed.
It was subtle.
But I saw it.
"Daniel?""
He placed the photograph on the dresser.
"There's something I should have told you.""
My heart began pounding.
"What?""
He rubbed his hands together.
"Before you and I met, I worked at another hotel. A private resort owned by a company connected to the Whitmores.""
I stared at him.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"Because I left under difficult circumstances.""
"What happened?""
Daniel looked toward Lily.
"I was working in the kitchen. One evening, a guest collapsed. A young man.
He was drunk, but he wasn't unconscious. I helped him get to a private medical room.""
"And?""
"He had a seizure. The hotel management told me to keep quiet. They said the guest had taken something illegal and that the family wanted privacy.""
"Who was he?""
Daniel closed his eyes.
"Alexander Whitmore.""
I felt cold.
"What?""
"He was around twenty-three. He had recently returned from overseas. He was angry, unpredictable, and clearly struggling with something.""
I remembered the photograph.
The little boy.
The silver star.
The missing child.
"Did you know who he was?""
"Not at first.""
"What happened?""
Daniel swallowed.
"He woke up and asked me to help him leave. He said his family was keeping him somewhere against his will.""
I stepped closer.
"And you helped him?""
"Yes.""
"Did you see him again?""
Daniel nodded.
"Months later.""
My throat tightened.
"Where?""
"At a private medical clinic.""
I stared at him.
"Daniel, what does this have to do with Lily?""
He looked at me with tears in his eyes.
"Alexander was the man you met before we started dating.""
I couldn't breathe.
A memory surfaced.
A charity event at a hotel.
A quiet young man sitting alone near a window.
A conversation about loneliness.
A brief friendship that had lasted only a few weeks.
I had told Daniel about it once.
I had never mentioned the man's last name.
"Are you saying...""
Daniel nodded.
"I suspected Alexander might be Lily's biological father when I saw the birth date. But you told me he had disappeared, and I didn't want to reopen something painful.""
"You knew?""
"I wasn't certain.""
"How could you hide something like this?""
"I loved you, Emily.""
"That doesn't answer my question!""
My voice echoed through the empty room.
Daniel looked down.
"I wanted to be her father. I wanted us to be a family.""
I stared at him.
"You are her father. You raised her. You changed her diapers.
You stayed awake when she was sick. But you should have told me the truth.""
He nodded.
"I know.""
A sudden sound came from the hallway.
Footsteps.
Samuel appeared at the doorway.
"We need to leave.""
"What happened?""
"The fire alarm was a diversion. Someone has entered the building.""
He looked at the open dresser.
"Did you find something?""
I held up the birth bracelet.
"Lily Bell.""
Samuel's face tightened.
"That's the name of the child Margaret mentioned?""
"Yes.""
He looked at Daniel.
"Then we need to move now.""
We left through the rear entrance.
Outside, two black vehicles were parked near the gate.
One of the men standing beside them recognized me.
He raised his phone.
"She's here.""
Samuel grabbed my arm.
"Run!""
We hurried toward the parking lot.
Daniel carried Lily while I clutched the documents from Room 214.
A car pulled up beside us.
The passenger window lowered.
Eleanor was behind the wheel.
"Get in!""
We climbed inside.
She accelerated before the doors were fully closed.
I looked back.
The men were running toward us.
"How did you know?"" I asked.
"Margaret Shaw called me.""
I stared at her.
"She was arrested.""
"She wasn't arrested. She was taken into a private office by someone pretending to be security.""
Eleanor gripped the steering wheel.
"Victor is desperate.""
I looked at Lily.
Then at Daniel.
"Margaret said Alexander is her biological father.""
Eleanor's hands tightened.
"Then Richard was right.""
"What does that mean?""
She looked at me through the rearview mirror.
"It means my son may still be alive.""
May you like
Her voice broke.
"And Victor has been keeping him from us for twenty-six years.""
