Chapter 7 - THE BLOODLINE
For twenty minutes, I said nothing.
Daniel Cole.
Evelyn's firstborn son.
Nathan's uncle.
My biological father.
The man who had supposedly died before I was born.
I looked at Diana.
"Is this real?"
She didn't answer immediately.
"I need to verify it."
Margaret had sent copies of the birth records.
The documents showed that my mother had listed Daniel Cole as my biological father.
But the original record had been amended.
Michael Bennett's name had replaced his.
The date of the amendment was six months before I was born.
Diana stared at it.
"This is forgery."
"Who changed it?"
"Someone with access to the hospital."
Margaret called again.
I answered.
"Tell me everything."
Her voice was weak.
"Daniel was Evelyn's son."
"I know."
"He fell in love with your mother."
I closed my eyes.
"Then what happened?"
"Evelyn hated the relationship."
"Why?"
"Because Daniel had discovered what she was doing with the company."
"So he tried to expose her."
"Yes."
"And my father protected my mother?"
"Michael took you in."
I swallowed.
"Why?"
"Because Daniel was killed."
The room went silent.
"How?"
"Car accident."
I laughed bitterly.
"Another accident."
Margaret didn't answer.
"Was it Evelyn?"
"She ordered it."
I felt sick.
"But why change my birth certificate?"
"Because Evelyn wanted Daniel's child erased."
I looked at the trust.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
Michael had created the trust for me.
Not because I was his daughter.
Because I was Daniel's daughter.
He had protected me as if I were his own.
He had sacrificed everything.
And the Cole family had spent decades trying to erase me.
Diana looked at another document.
"There is a problem."
"What?"
"Daniel wasn't simply an heir."
"What was he?"
"The original owner of the controlling shares."
My heart stopped.
"The company belonged to him?"
"Yes."
"So the assets in the trust..."
"Originally belonged to Daniel."
I stared at the documents.
The thirty-two million dollars.
The properties.
The investments.
The company.
They had all been stolen from my biological father.
And now they legally belonged to me.
I finally understood why Evelyn was desperate.
If I survived until thirty-five, the entire fortune would become legally untouchable.
But there was another question.
"Where is Daniel?"
Margaret was silent.
Then she whispered:
"He's dead."
I exhaled.
At least one part of the story was settled.
Then Margaret said:
"Or so Evelyn believes."
I froze.
"What?"
"Daniel survived the accident."
I looked at Diana.
"Where is he?"
Margaret began crying.
"I don't know."
"Margaret!"
"He disappeared because Evelyn tried to kill him again."
"When?"
"Two years ago."
I stared.
Two years ago.
That was when Nathan had begun transferring money.
That was when Evelyn had started pressuring me about my estate.
That was when Iris had entered Nathan's life.
The timeline fit perfectly.
Then Margaret said:
"There's one thing Daniel left behind."
"What?"
"A video."
"Where?"
"In the original Cole family house."
"The mansion?"
"Yes."
I knew the place.
Evelyn had hosted Thanksgiving there every year.
The house where I had once sat beside Nathan and believed I had married into a loving family.
We drove there that night.
The mansion was dark.
Empty.
The front door opened with a key Margaret had sent.
Inside, the house smelled like dust.
We found the hidden room behind the library.
A small camera sat on a table.
Diana turned it on.
Daniel appeared on the screen.
Older.
Scarred.
But alive.
He looked directly into the camera.
"If Sofia is watching this, Evelyn failed."
I covered my mouth.
Daniel continued.
"I need you to know one thing."
"I never abandoned you."
Tears filled my eyes.
"I was told you were dead."
"I know."
"I tried to come back."
He paused.
"But every time I got close, someone disappeared."
My father.
Margaret.
Witnesses.
Lawyers.
Doctors.
Then Daniel said something that made my blood run cold.
"Nathan knows the truth."
I stared at the screen.
"He knows who you are."
The video ended.
Behind the camera was a note.
I picked it up.
May you like
Five words were written on it.
ASK YOUR HUSBAND ABOUT THE BABY.
