Chapter 7: The Daughter Who Had Been Living Under My Roof
“She's been living in this house all along.””
Simone's words hung in the air.
I stared at her, waiting for her to explain.
But she only shook her head and began crying.
“Daniel, please. You have to understand.””
“Understand what?””
“That I didn't have a choice.””
I stepped closer.
“You just told me my biological daughter has been living in this house. Do you understand what you're saying?””
Simone covered her face.
Detective Brooks immediately moved between us.
“Mrs. Carter, I need you to answer one question. Who is the child?””
Simone looked toward the staircase.
“Lily.””
The name meant nothing to me.
Marcus frowned.
“Who is Lily?””
Simone wiped her cheeks.
“Lily is our niece.””
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Our niece?””
“My brother's daughter.””
I stared at her.
“You don't have a brother.””
Simone closed her eyes.
“I do.””
I looked at Marcus.
He looked equally confused.
“My father had another child,” Simone explained.
“A son. His name was Jonathan.””
Detective Brooks opened her notebook.
“Where is he?””
“Dead.””
“When?””
“Five years ago.””
I remembered Simone telling me about a cousin who had died in a car accident.
She had never mentioned a brother.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
“Because Jonathan was never supposed to be part of our family.””
I felt my voice rising.
“Start making sense!””
Simone flinched.
Detective Brooks raised her hand.
“Mrs. Carter, take a breath. Then explain who Lily is.””
Simone looked at me.
“Jonathan had a daughter. She was born six years ago. Her mother died shortly after delivery. My father took custody of her.””
“And?””
“He brought her here.””
I stared at her.
“When?””
“When she was a baby.””
“Where is she now?””
Simone looked toward the second floor.
“She lives in the east wing.””
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
The east wing contained the rooms used by our live-in staff and occasional guests.
A young girl named Lily had lived there for nearly two years.
She was seven years old, quiet, and usually accompanied by a private tutor.
Simone had told me she was the daughter of a distant relative who needed temporary help.
I had met her dozens of times.
I had bought her birthday presents.
I had watched her play with Ava in the garden.
And I had never questioned why she had the same dark eyes as mine.
I slowly turned toward Marcus.
“Lily.””
He nodded.
“We need a DNA test.””
Simone began sobbing.
“Please don't.””
I looked at her.
“Why?””
“Because if you find out the truth, everything will change.””
I almost laughed.
“Everything already changed.””
Detective Brooks ordered an officer to locate Lily.
A few minutes later, the officer returned with the little girl.
Lily wore a yellow cardigan and held a children's picture book against her chest.
She stopped when she saw the police officers.
“Am I in trouble?””
My heart broke.
“No, sweetheart,” I said gently.
She looked at me.
“Where's Ava?””
I knelt.
“We're trying to find her.””
Lily lowered her eyes.
“Is she coming back?””
“Yes.””
“Promise?””
I couldn't make that promise.
Instead, I said, “We're doing everything we can.””
Simone approached her.
“Lily, honey, come here.””
The girl hesitated.
Then she walked toward her.
Simone hugged her tightly.
I noticed something.
Lily didn't hug back.
She simply stood there, looking over Simone's shoulder at me.
“Can I ask you something?”” I said.
She nodded.
“Do you know who your parents are?””
Lily looked confused.
“Mommy said my daddy is in heaven.””
“And your mother?””
“She died when I was a baby.””
I swallowed.
“Did anyone ever tell you anything about your birth?””
Lily shook her head.
“No.””
Detective Brooks crouched beside her.
“Lily, would you be comfortable helping us answer a few questions? You haven't done anything wrong.””
The little girl nodded.
Simone tightened her arms around her.
“She's too young for this.””
Detective Brooks looked at her.
“Then you should have thought about that before hiding her identity.””
Simone released Lily.
The detective asked an officer to escort the child to another room with a female family liaison.
Before leaving, Lily turned toward me.
“Mr. Carter?””
“Yes?””
She hesitated.
“Why does Ava have the same birthmark as me?””
My heart stopped.
“What birthmark?””
Lily pointed behind her left ear.
I looked.
There was a tiny crescent-shaped mark.
Exactly like the one Maria had described on one of the newborns in the hospital photograph.
I looked toward Simone.
She had gone completely white.
The DNA samples were collected that afternoon.
Detective Brooks arranged for an independent laboratory to conduct the testing under proper legal procedures.
Marcus remained with the investigators while I returned to the study.
I needed to understand how my own family had become a collection of strangers.
I called Grace.
She answered on the second ring.
“Daniel?””
“Tell me about Jonathan.””
There was a long silence.
“Simone told you?””
“She told me Lily is her brother's daughter.””
Grace sighed.
“Jonathan was my father's son from another relationship. He grew up believing he was just another member of the Brooks family.””
“Was he involved in the hospital transfers?””
“Yes.””
“How?””
“He helped my father arrange the paperwork. But he didn't know everything.””
I rubbed my forehead.
“Why would my daughter be living in my house under a false identity?””
Grace's voice trembled.
“Because Jonathan believed he was protecting her.””
“Protecting her from whom?””
“From William.””
I looked through the study window.
A police officer was standing beside the garden gate.
Grace continued.
“My father wanted control over all three children. He believed that if he placed them in different families, he could control their inheritance and prevent anyone from discovering what happened.””
“Why would he care about three newborns?””
“Because each child had a different legal connection to his estate.””
I sat down.
“Explain.””
Grace took a breath.
“My father had secretly created three trusts. One for his biological descendants, one connected to his business holdings, and another tied to a property settlement involving your company.””
I frowned.
“My company?””
“Yes. He invested in your first development project before you married Simone.””
I remembered.
William Brooks had provided the initial financing for a commercial property I had struggled to acquire.
He had always described it as a business opportunity.
“Are you telling me my company was part of this?””
“Not intentionally. But your name was used in the documents.””
I looked toward the desk.
“Which child was connected to my company?””
Grace hesitated.
“The child you raised as Ava.””
I felt sick.
“Why?””
“Because William wanted to secure a future claim over your assets through the child.””
I stood abruptly.
“So he used my daughter as a financial instrument?””
“Yes.””
I paced across the room.
“And Lily?””
“Jonathan's daughter was supposed to inherit the family trust.””
“What about the third child?””
Grace's voice dropped.
“That child was never supposed to be identified.””
“Why?””
“Because the third baby was born with information that could expose everything.””
I stopped.
“What information?””
Before she could answer, someone knocked on the study door.
Marcus entered.
“Daniel, the laboratory has an expedited preliminary result.””
I looked at him.
“Already?””
“It's not the final report, but the preliminary comparison is significant.””
Grace was still on the phone.
“Daniel?””
I put her on speaker.
Marcus placed a document on the desk.
The first result showed a biological relationship between me and Lily consistent with fatherhood.
I stared at the page.
Then I looked at Grace's name on my phone.
“Why would I be Lily's father?””
Grace began crying.
“Because Jonathan wasn't her biological father.””
I felt the room spin.
Marcus read the next line.
“There's another result.””
He looked at me.
“The comparison between Maria and Ava confirms a biological mother-daughter relationship.””
I closed my eyes.
For the first time, the truth was becoming undeniable.
Ava was Maria's daughter.
Lily was mine.
But then Grace spoke.
“And there's something else you need to know.””
I opened my eyes.
“What?””
“Your biological daughter wasn't the only baby William moved.””
I stared at the photograph on the desk.
“Then who is the third child?””
Grace whispered:
“The little girl you have been calling Lily isn't the only child with your blood.””
The call disconnected.
Marcus slowly lowered the paper.
Before either of us could speak, Detective Brooks appeared at the door.
She was holding another document.
“Daniel, we have a problem.””
“What now?””
She placed the document on the desk.
“Lily's legal birth certificate lists a different mother.””
I looked down.
The name was Simone Brooks.
And beneath it was a second line.
*Biological father: Daniel Carter.*
I stared at the paper.
Then I looked toward the hallway.
Lily was standing there.
She was holding a photograph of three newborn babies.
May you like
And she whispered:
“Mr. Carter, I know where the other girl is.””
