Chapter Eleven: The Missing Result

Damien stared at the hospital window long after the call ended.

The city outside continued moving as though nothing had happened.

Cars passed beneath the building.

Lights flickered across distant towers.

People went about their ordinary lives.

But Damien's life had just changed again.

The DNA result was gone.

Not delayed.

Not lost by accident.

Deleted.

And somehow, his credentials had been used to do it.

He looked down at his phone.

Someone was becoming desperate.

That meant the truth was closer than he had realized.

"Damien?"

Elena's voice pulled him back.

He turned.

She stood a few feet away, watching him carefully.

"What happened?"

He hesitated.

He didn't want to add another burden to her shoulders.

But after everything that had happened, keeping secrets was no longer an option.

"The DNA result was deleted."

Her face fell.

"What?"

"The laboratory called me."

"Can they recover it?"

"They're trying."

Elena stared at him.

For several seconds, she said nothing.

Then she whispered, "Someone doesn't want you to know."

Damien nodded.

"That's what I think."

She looked through the glass toward Noah's recovery room.

"Why?"

Damien followed her gaze.

"Because the truth threatens someone."

"And what truth?"

He met her eyes.

"The truth about us."

---

Noah remained asleep for several hours after surgery.

When he finally opened his eyes, Elena was beside him.

"Hey, superhero."

His eyelids fluttered.

"Mama."

"I'm here."

He smiled weakly.

"Did I do good?"

"You did better than good."

He looked toward Damien.

"Is he here?"

Damien stepped closer.

"I'm here."

Noah smiled.

"You kept your promise."

Damien felt something tighten in his chest.

"I did."

Noah reached for his hand.

Damien hesitated for only a second before taking it.

The child's fingers were small inside his.

A strange warmth spread through him.

He had spent years surrounded by people who wanted something from him.

Money.

Power.

Influence.

But Noah wanted nothing.

He simply trusted him.

Damien looked at Elena.

She was watching them.

There was fear in her eyes.

But there was something else too.

Hope.

---

Later that evening, Elena stepped into the hallway with Damien.

"You should go home."

He shook his head.

"Not yet."

"Damien, you've been here all day."

"So have you."

"I'm his mother."

"And I'm trying to find out if I'm his father."

She went silent.

Damien immediately softened.

"I'm sorry."

"No."

Elena looked at him.

"You have a right to know."

She folded her arms.

"But if the result says yes, everything changes."

"I know."

"And if it says no?"

Damien looked toward Noah's room.

"Then I'll still be grateful I met him."

Elena's expression softened.

"You really mean that?"

"Yes."

He paused.

"But I hope it says yes."

Her heart skipped.

Before she could respond, Damien's phone rang.

Marcus.

Damien answered.

"What did you find?"

"We recovered part of the laboratory access log."

"Who accessed it?"

"That's the problem."

Marcus's voice lowered.

"The credentials were yours, but the access originated from a computer inside Ashford Tower."

Damien's eyes narrowed.

"Which computer?"

Marcus hesitated.

"Your uncle Richard's office."

Damien's expression hardened.

He ended the call.

Elena immediately noticed.

"Richard?"

Damien nodded.

"I think he knows more than he's telling me."

"Your uncle?"

"Yes."

Elena looked uneasy.

"What are you going to do?"

"Ask him."

---

Richard was waiting when Damien arrived at Ashford Tower.

He was standing beside the window of his office, his hands behind his back.

"You came."

Damien closed the door.

"Did you delete my DNA results?"

Richard didn't turn around.

"No."

"Did you access the laboratory?"

"No."

"Someone used your office."

Richard finally looked at him.

"Then perhaps you should ask your security team why."

Damien stepped closer.

"Stop lying to me."

Richard's expression hardened.

"You don't know what you're doing."

"I know someone erased evidence concerning my son."

"You don't know that he's your son."

"Neither do you."

Silence.

Damien watched him closely.

Richard's face remained calm.

But his eyes had changed.

Fear.

Just for a second.

Damien saw it.

"You know."

Richard said nothing.

"You know whether Noah is my son."

Still nothing.

Damien's voice dropped.

"Tell me."

Richard finally sighed.

"Some truths destroy families."

"You already destroyed mine."

Richard looked away.

"I was protecting you."

"From what?"

Richard's answer came quietly.

"From your father."

Damien froze.

"My father?"

"Your father knew about Elena."

Damien's mind raced.

"What did he know?"

Richard's expression became grim.

"He knew you were going to leave the family for her."

Damien stared at him.

"That's impossible."

"He was terrified you would abandon the company."

"So he arranged the accident?"

Richard didn't answer.

Damien's breathing slowed.

"Did he?"

"No."

Richard looked directly at him.

"But after the accident, he made a decision."

"What decision?"

Richard's voice dropped.

"He ordered everyone to make sure you never found Elena again."

Damien felt the room tilt beneath him.

"Why?"

"Because he believed she was the reason you nearly died."

Damien shook his head.

"She wasn't."

"I know."

"Then why?"

Richard's eyes filled with regret.

"Because your father believed the Ashford name mattered more than your happiness."

Damien stepped back.

His entire childhood suddenly looked different.

Every family gathering.

Every conversation.

Every decision made on his behalf.

He had thought he was being protected.

Maybe he had simply been controlled.

"Where is my father now?"

Richard looked away.

"You know where he is."

Damien's eyes narrowed.

His father had been living overseas for years, rarely appearing in family affairs.

But suddenly, the distance made sense.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Richard's voice cracked.

"Because I was afraid."

"Of him?"

"Of what would happen if he knew you remembered."

Damien stared at him.

Then his phone vibrated.

A message from an unknown number appeared.

ASK YOUR UNCLE WHAT HAPPENED THE NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT.

Damien looked up.

Richard had seen the message.

His face went pale.

"You shouldn't have come here."

Damien frowned.

"Why?"

Richard moved toward him.

"Because if they know you're asking questions—"

A loud crash came from the hallway.

Both men turned.

The office door swung open.

Marcus stood there, breathing heavily.

"Mr. Ashford."

"What happened?"

Marcus looked at Damien.

Then at Richard.

"It's Elena."

Damien's blood ran cold.

"What about her?"

Marcus swallowed.

"She left the hospital with Noah ten minutes ago."

"Where did she go?"

"We don't know."

Damien's phone rang.

Unknown number.

He answered.

No one spoke.

Then he heard Elena's voice.

Not speaking.

Crying.

A man's voice came through next.

"Mr. Ashford, if you want Elena and the boy alive, stop looking for the truth."

The call ended.

Damien stood completely still.

Then he looked at Richard.

For the first time, his uncle's fear was unmistakable.

"Now you know," Richard whispered.

Damien's eyes turned cold.

"No."

He reached for his phone.

"Now I'm going to find them.”