Chapter 9: The Truth About the Third Daughter
Ella was taken to a safe location under police protection.
Maria rode with her.
I watched them leave, unable to stop thinking about the little girl's question.
“Mommy?””
Maria had waited six years to hear those words.
And now she had found a child who believed she was her mother.
But the documents suggested something even more disturbing.
Ella might not be biologically related to Maria.
Or Grace.
Or Simone.
If that was true, whose child was she?
Detective Brooks returned from the road.
“The vehicle belongs to a company registered under Victor Shaw's law firm.””
Marcus frowned.
“Victor Shaw?””
She nodded.
“He owns the vehicle through a private business entity.””
I looked toward the road.
“Then he was here.””
“Probably.””
“Why would he take Ella?””
Detective Brooks held up a document.
“Because he may be the person who has been managing the transfers since William Brooks died.””
Marcus examined the paper.
“There's a trust account here. It has been paying expenses for the lake house, including food, medical care, and private schooling.””
I stared at him.
“Who was paying for all of this?””
“Victor Shaw.””
I felt anger rise again.
“Then he's been maintaining a hidden family for six years?””
“That's what it appears to show.””
Detective Brooks turned toward me.
“Daniel, there's something else.””
“What?””
“The vehicle was captured on a traffic camera twenty minutes ago. It's heading toward St. Catherine's Medical Center.””
I looked at her.
“Why would he go there?””
She didn't answer.
Then my phone rang.
Grace.
I answered immediately.
“Where are you?””
“Daniel, I need you to listen.””
“Did you take Ella?””
“No.””
“Then who did?””
“Victor.””
I looked at Detective Brooks.
She motioned for me to put the call on speaker.
Grace continued.
“He's trying to destroy the original records.””
“Why?””
“Because the original records show who actually gave birth to all three children.””
I looked toward Marcus.
“What do you mean?””
Grace took a shaky breath.
“My father never intended to give me a child. He wanted to hide the fact that I had given birth to one.””
I stared at the phone.
“Then why did he make you disappear?””
“Because I refused to sign the guardianship documents.””
“Whose child did you give birth to?””
Grace began crying.
“My daughter.””
I closed my eyes.
“Which one?””
“Ava.””
Maria's daughter.
I looked at Detective Brooks.
Grace continued.
“Maria gave birth to a different baby that night. Simone's child survived too. But my baby was the one William wanted to place with you.””
My thoughts raced.
“Then why was Ava given to Maria?””
“Because Maria discovered what was happening. She tried to stop it.””
I looked at Marcus.
He was listening carefully.
Grace continued.
“My father changed the identification bands. He gave Maria's baby to Simone. He arranged for your daughter to be recorded as Maria's. Then he created another identity for the third child.””
“Ella?””
“No.””
I felt the room tilt.
“Then who is Ella?””
Grace's voice broke.
“Ella is Simone's biological daughter.””
I stared at the phone.
“What?””
“Simone's baby survived. My father told her the child had died because he wanted to keep her under his control. He gave the baby to Jonathan and changed her identity.””
I looked toward the lake house.
The little girl who had called Maria Mommy was actually Simone's daughter.
The child Simone had spent six years believing was dead.
I felt sick.
“Then who is Lily?””
Grace went quiet.
I repeated the question.
“Who is Lily?””
“Lily is Maria's biological daughter.””
I looked at Marcus.
He slowly shook his head.
The preliminary DNA result had suggested I was Lily's father.
Now Grace was telling us something completely different.
“That's impossible.””
“No,” Grace whispered.
“It's the truth.””
I rubbed my forehead.
“Then why did the DNA test show a relationship?””
Grace hesitated.
“Because William altered the samples.””
I stared.
“What?””
“The hospital retained tissue samples from the original deliveries. My father had access to them. He used those samples to create false comparisons.””
Marcus immediately took out his phone.
“Detective, we need to contact the laboratory and verify the chain of custody.””
Detective Brooks nodded.
Grace continued.
“Daniel, the only reliable records are in the hospital's original maternity archive. Victor is going there now.””
I looked at the detective.
“We have to stop him.””
She was already calling her team.
At St. Catherine's Medical Center, the morning shift was beginning.
Patients moved through the lobby.
Nurses pushed medication carts along the corridors.
Everything appeared ordinary.
But behind the maternity ward, an old records room remained locked.
Victor Shaw was standing outside it.
He wore a dark suit and carried a leather briefcase.
A hospital administrator approached him.
“Mr. Shaw, we weren't expecting you.””
Victor smiled.
“I'm here to collect a few private documents.””
“Do you have authorization?””
He opened his briefcase.
“Of course.””
The administrator examined the papers.
Then he stepped aside.
Victor entered.
What he didn't know was that Detective Brooks had already alerted hospital security.
Our vehicles arrived seven minutes later.
Detective Brooks led the team inside.
“Mr. Shaw!””
Victor turned.
His smile disappeared.
“Detective.””
“Step away from the cabinet.””
“I don't understand.””
“Put the briefcase down.””
Victor slowly placed it on the floor.
I walked into the room behind her.
He looked at me.
“Daniel. You shouldn't be here.””
I stepped closer.
“Where is Ava?””
“I don't know.””
“Where is Ella?””
He said nothing.
“Where is Grace?””
Victor sighed.
“Your family has created an extraordinary amount of confusion.””
I wanted to hit him.
But Detective Brooks stepped between us.
“Mr. Shaw, you're being detained pending investigation into the disappearance of a minor and suspected evidence tampering.””
Victor looked at the officers.
“You have no idea what you're doing.””
One officer opened his briefcase.
Inside were several hospital folders, two identification bracelets, and a small envelope.
Detective Brooks removed the envelope.
On the front was a name.
*AVA CARTER.*
I stared.
“Open it.””
The detective carefully unfolded the paper.
It contained a hospital record.
Three birth entries.
Three mothers.
Three different babies.
And one handwritten correction.
The document identified the original biological mother of Ava as Grace Bennett.
The biological mother of Lily as Maria Lopez.
The biological mother of Ella as Simone Brooks.
The original fathers were listed beneath each name.
For Ava, the father was Daniel Carter.
For Lily, the father was an unknown man.
For Ella, the father was Jonathan Brooks.
I looked at the page.
Something didn't make sense.
“Why does Lily's father say unknown?””
Victor gave a small smile.
“Because Maria never told you everything.””
I turned toward him.
“What does that mean?””
Victor leaned back.
“Maria had a relationship before she worked for your family. The man who fathered Lily was never identified.””
I looked at Detective Brooks.
“Is that true?””
She held up a hand.
“We'll verify the records.””
Victor continued.
“And Ella was Jonathan's daughter. Simone's child. Grace was only involved because she helped William arrange the paperwork.””
I stared at him.
“Then why did Grace tell me she gave birth to Ava?””
Victor's smile widened.
“Because she believes that.””
He leaned forward.
“But she was never in the delivery room.””
Detective Brooks narrowed her eyes.
“Are you suggesting the birth records are still false?””
Victor looked at me.
“I'm suggesting you have spent six years believing whichever story the last person told you.””
I stepped closer.
“Then tell me the truth.””
Victor glanced at the officers.
Then he spoke quietly.
“Your daughter was born in this hospital. But she was never supposed to be raised by you.””
I felt my chest tighten.
“Why?””
“Because William Brooks had discovered something about your family.””
I frowned.
“My family?””
Victor nodded.
“Your father had a child nobody knew about. A daughter.””
I stared.
“My father died when I was seventeen.””
“And he left behind a secret.””
Victor looked toward the maternity records.
“William believed your father's daughter was entitled to part of the Carter inheritance. He arranged the transfers to hide her identity.””
I shook my head.
“Who was she?””
Victor didn't answer.
Instead, he looked toward the doorway.
A woman stood there.
She was wearing a nurse's uniform.
Her hair was gray.
Her hands trembled.
Detective Brooks recognized her immediately.
“Patricia Williams?””
The woman nodded.
Then she looked directly at me.
“Daniel,” she whispered.
I stepped forward.
“Do you know who my father's daughter is?””
Patricia began crying.
“Yes.””
She looked at the hospital records.
Then she pointed to the third name.
“It's Lily.””
I felt the room go silent.
Maria's daughter.
The child who had been living in my house.
Patricia took a shaky breath.
“Your father had a daughter with Maria's mother.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
Patricia nodded.
“Maria and you share the same biological father.””
I couldn't move.
The implications hit me all at once.
Lily was Maria's daughter.
And if Maria and I shared a father, then Lily was also my niece.
Not my daughter.
The DNA result had been manipulated.
I looked at Victor.
He wasn't smiling anymore.
Patricia continued.
“But that's not the worst part.””
She reached into her pocket and removed a small photograph.
It showed a newborn baby.
A handwritten note was attached.
*THE FOURTH CHILD.*
I stared at the photograph.
“Four?””
Patricia nodded.
“William Brooks didn't arrange the transfer of three babies.””
She looked directly into my eyes.
“He arranged the transfer of four.””
May you like
Then she whispered:
“And the fourth child is the one you've been searching for all along.””
