LOGINOlivia arrived at the old Carter house with Lucien at her side. The moment she stepped through the gate, emotion rose sharp and unexpected. She had not returned since Richard moved her away as a child. The overgrown path, the darkened windows, the silence everything felt heavier than she remembered. Lucien noticed her discomfort but did not press her to speak. “I was told to come alone,” she said. “And I decided your life was more important than following instructions from a stranger,” he answered. Olivia was irritated, yet privately relieved she was not facing the house alone. They entered. The place appeared abandoned at first glance, but small details betrayed recent presence. A lamp had been replaced. Fresh footprints marked the hallway dust. Someone had been maintaining the property. Olivia found the room where her mother once kept her belongings. The diary was still there, but several pages had been torn out exactly the entries surrounding Olivia’s birth. Whoever
Olivia could not speak. The man’s voice on the other end of the line was calm, yet heavy with emotion. He told her he had wanted to speak to her for years. She forced the question out. “Are you my father?” Silence stretched between them. “Yes,” he answered at last. The single word broke something open inside her. Tears rose before she could stop them. “Why did you abandon me?” He corrected her at once. “I didn’t abandon you. Leaving was the only way I believed I could keep you alive.” Olivia demanded to know where he was. He refused. There were people listening to the call, he said. She must not trust anyone completely, not even those who claimed to be protecting her. Anger flared. She had spent her entire life being shielded by secrets. She wanted answers, not another warning. “If I tell you where I am, they will find you,” he said. Before ending the call he gave her one instruction: “Find your mother’s diary.” She asked where it was. The line went dead.
Olivia could not stop staring at the photograph. The unknown man’s hand rested protectively over her as a newborn while Richard stood beside him. She asked Lucien whether he recognized the face. Lucien studied the image carefully but did not know the man. What he did notice was the distinctive ring on the man’s finger, the same symbol that appeared in one of Jonathan’s old documents. The photograph had not been sent at random. Someone wanted her to find this man. Instead of returning immediately to Richard’s room, Olivia decided to investigate. Lucien enlarged the image. Behind the two men a hospital sign was partially visible, showing a room number. He connected it to an old hospital archive. They discovered that on the night Olivia was born a visitor had been registered under a false name: Michael Carter. Richard had never mentioned anyone by that name. Lucien warned her not to assume the identity was real. The visitor had stayed only eleven minutes before leaving through a
Olivia and Lucien returned to the hospital the moment they learned Richard had regained consciousness. Olivia’s hands trembled as she held the birth record that listed Jonathan Ashford as her father. After everything she had uncovered, she believed she finally stood at the edge of the truth. She placed the document in front of Richard and asked the question directly. “Was Jonathan my biological father?” Richard shook his head at once. “No, Olivia. Jonathan was never your father.” The answer left her stunned. After weeks of following clues, forged documents, and carefully planted lies, she realized someone had deliberately written a false identity into her birth records. Richard saw the hurt and confusion in her eyes and, for the first time, decided she deserved at least part of the truth. Richard explained that Jonathan’s name had been placed on the records to conceal the identity of her real biological father. Jonathan had agreed to help because someone was already searchin
Victor stood in the doorway of the archive, the light from the corridor casting a hard edge across his face. Olivia confronted him at once. “Why did you know about that photograph?” Victor gave no immediate answer. Lucien stepped between them and demanded to know what his father had been hiding. Victor’s voice was low. “You have no idea what you’ve uncovered.” Olivia held up the photograph. “Then tell me who he is.” Victor looked at the image for a long moment before speaking. “His name is Marcus Vale. He is Damien’s father. But he was never yours.” Olivia’s confusion deepened. “Then why is my father connected to him?” Victor finally confessed. Marcus had once been Jonathan Ashford’s closest adviser, trusted by both Jonathan and Richard. Over time he became obsessed with gaining control of both families. He manipulated his son Damien and used him to carry out his plans. Victor claimed he discovered the scheme years earlier. Instead of exposing Marcus at once, he made
The archive plunged into complete darkness. Olivia’s breath caught as she realized they were trapped. Lucien moved quickly, searching for another exit. He found an emergency door, but it had been deliberately disabled from the outside. “Who could have locked us in?” Olivia asked. Lucien understood at once. Damien still had access to Jonathan’s old security system. A hidden speaker activated. Damien’s voice filled the room. “You wanted the truth. Now you can have it.” He ordered Lucien to explain what happened three days before the wedding. The lights returned. A countdown timer appeared on a monitor. They had limited time. Olivia turned toward Lucien. “Tell me the truth.” Lucien finally admitted that three days before their wedding he received what appeared to be solid evidence that the Carters had been responsible for Jonathan’s death. The documents showed Richard meeting someone connected to Jonathan. Lucien had believed Richard betrayed his family. That conviction







