Chapter Ten: The Day Everything Changed

Elena read the message again.

Tomorrow's surgery will never happen if Damien learns the truth.

Her hand trembled.

She looked at Noah sleeping peacefully in the hospital bed.

For five years, she had protected him from everything she could control.

This was different.

Someone knew exactly when his surgery was scheduled.

Someone knew Damien was close to discovering the truth.

And someone had access to the hospital.

Elena stood and walked to the nurses' station.

"I need to speak with security."

The nurse looked up.

"Is there a problem?"

"Someone threatened my son."

The nurse's expression immediately changed.

"Please wait here."

Within minutes, a security officer arrived.

Elena showed him the messages.

He read them carefully.

"We'll increase security around your son's room."

"Can you find out who sent this?"

"We'll try."

"Trying isn't enough."

Her voice cracked.

"My son's surgery is tomorrow."

The officer nodded.

"I understand."

But Elena could see the uncertainty in his eyes.

That frightened her more.

---

Damien arrived shortly after midnight.

He found Elena sitting beside Noah.

"You called me."

She looked up.

"I received another message."

She handed him her phone.

Damien read it.

His expression hardened.

"Did you tell security?"

"Yes."

"Good."

He looked at Noah.

"Where's the doctor?"

"He's gone home."

Damien checked his watch.

"Then I'm staying."

Elena shook her head.

"You don't have to."

"I know."

He pulled a chair beside the bed.

"I'm staying anyway."

She watched him silently.

There was something different about Damien now.

Five years ago, she had known a man who made promises easily.

This Damien didn't make promises.

He simply stayed.

And somehow, that meant more.

---

At two in the morning, Noah woke.

"Mama?"

"I'm here."

He looked toward Damien.

"You're still here."

Damien smiled.

"I told you I would be."

Noah frowned.

"You promised?"

"Yes."

Noah smiled sleepily.

"Good."

He closed his eyes again.

Damien remained still.

Elena watched him.

"You shouldn't promise things you aren't sure you can keep."

Damien looked at her.

"I know."

"Then why did you?"

"Because I intend to keep this one."

Her heart skipped.

She quickly looked away.

Neither spoke for several seconds.

Then Damien asked quietly:

"What was I like?"

Elena turned back.

"Before?"

He nodded.

"Before I forgot you."

She hesitated.

"You were stubborn."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"That sounds familiar."

"You were also kind."

He looked surprised.

"Really?"

"Sometimes."

She smiled despite herself.

"You made me laugh."

Damien watched her carefully.

"Did I love you?"

The question caught her completely off guard.

Elena looked at Noah instead.

"You said you did."

"Did you believe me?"

Her eyes filled with tears.

"Yes."

The single word carried five years of pain.

Damien lowered his gaze.

"I wish I could remember."

"So do I."

---

The following morning, the hospital became unusually busy.

Doctors moved quickly through the corridors.

Nurses prepared Noah for surgery.

Elena stood beside his bed, holding his hand.

Damien remained nearby.

When the surgical team arrived, the doctor smiled reassuringly.

"Everything is ready."

Elena nodded.

"Please take care of him."

"We will."

Noah looked at her.

"Mama."

She bent down.

"I'll be right here when you wake up."

"Promise?"

She kissed his forehead.

"Promise."

The nurses began wheeling his bed toward the operating area.

Elena walked beside him until the doors stopped her.

Noah looked back.

She smiled through her tears.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

The doors closed.

Elena stood there.

For the first time in five years, she had no control over what happened next.

Damien stepped beside her.

"He's going to be okay."

She nodded.

"You don't know that."

"No."

He looked at the closed doors.

"But I'm going to believe it."

---

Two hours passed.

Then three.

Elena paced the hallway.

Damien remained nearby.

He didn't try to distract her.

He simply stayed.

Finally, a doctor emerged.

Elena rushed forward.

"Doctor?"

The doctor smiled.

"The surgery went well."

Her knees nearly gave way.

"He's okay?"

"He's stable. The next few hours are important, but everything went as planned."

Elena covered her mouth.

Tears streamed down her face.

Damien released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Thank you," Elena whispered.

The doctor nodded.

"We'll move him to recovery shortly."

Elena turned toward Damien.

For the first time, she didn't hesitate.

She stepped forward and hugged him.

Damien froze.

Then slowly wrapped his arms around her.

Neither spoke.

For a few seconds, the five years between them disappeared.

It felt familiar.

Painfully familiar.

Then Elena pulled away.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be."

Their eyes met.

Something had changed.

Not enough to erase the past.

But enough to make the future feel possible.

---

Across the hospital, a man watched through a security monitor.

He had been waiting for the surgery to fail.

It hadn't.

He picked up his phone.

"The boy survived."

A pause.

Then:

"Yes. Damien is still with them."

He listened.

His expression hardened.

"No. We can't wait anymore."

Another pause.

Then he looked toward the corridor where Damien stood.

"If the DNA results come back, everything is over."

He ended the call.

His fingers tightened around the phone.

There was only one way left to stop Damien from discovering the truth.

---

That evening, Damien received a call from the DNA laboratory.

He answered immediately.

"Yes?"

"Mr. Ashford, I'm calling regarding your test."

Damien stepped away from Elena.

"Are the results ready?"

"Yes."

His heartbeat quickened.

"Send them to me."

"I'm afraid there's a problem."

Damien's expression changed.

"What problem?"

"The original result has been deleted from our system."

Silence.

"What?"

"We don't know how it happened."

Damien's eyes hardened.

"Can you recover it?"

"We're trying."

"When?"

"There's another issue."

Damien waited.

"The backup copy was accessed this morning."

His blood ran cold.

"By whom?"

The technician hesitated.

"We don't have a name."

"Then give me whatever you have."

A few seconds passed.

"We have the access credentials."

Damien closed his eyes.

"Whose?"

The answer came quietly.

"Yours."

Damien stared through the hospital window.

Someone was using his identity again.

But this time, they had done something much worse.

They had erased the answer to the question that could change all their lives.

Was Noah really his son?