Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 8

CHERYL'S POVThe taxi drove away from the Wilson estate, and I did not look back. I stared at the leather seat in front of me while the driver navigated through the quiet suburban streets. The silence in the car allowed my mind to drift backward, and the harsh memories of my high school years surfaced immediately.I remembered the exact afternoon my stepsister ruined my reputation. Helen had cornered me in the girls' locker room after classes ended. She brought Sandra Scott and two other girls with her, and they blocked the only exit."Hold her arms down," Helen had ordered Sandra."Please let me go," I begged them. "I did not do anything to you.""You exist," Helen replied bitterly. "You get the better grades, and father always introduces you first at his parties. I am tired of living behind you."They forced me against the cold tile wall and took those terrible, humiliating photographs. I cried the entire time, but Helen only laughed at my tears."If you ever tell anyone about this,

BRIAN'S POVI stood near the center of the grand ballroom while the classical music played softly in the background. Dozens of wealthy investors and corporate executives mingled around the elegant tables, but I struggled to focus on their conversations.Helen held tightly onto my left arm, and she smiled brightly at every person who walked past us.She wore a pale pink dress, and a very specific piece of jewelry rested near her collarbone. It was a small, tarnished silver brooch.I looked down at the old pin, and a heavy sense of obligation settled over my chest. I gave that exact brooch to a young girl many years ago after she saved my life during a terrifying kidnapping. I spent my entire childhood wondering what happened to my brave savior.I only discovered the truth shortly after my divorce from Cheryl. Helen casually wore the brooch to my house one afternoon. When I asked her about it, she explained how she kept it hidden for years because she did not want to bother me with the

BRIAN'S POVI stood in the lobby and stared at the heavy wooden doors. Cheryl had just walked through them with another man holding her arm. My chest burned with a sharp jealousy I had never experienced before.She lied to my face. I knew she lied because that little girl shared my exact features. The child had my dark hair, and she had my dark eyes. Carson Robinson could not be the father. The timing was wrong, and the physical resemblance was too obvious. Carson was just a shield she used to keep me away from my own flesh and blood.I refused to let her walk away so easily.I adjusted my suit jacket and walked across the marble floor. I pushed the conference room doors open without knocking, and the low murmur of conversation stopped instantly.Five hospital executives sat around a large glass table. Cheryl stood at the front of the room next to a presentation screen, while Carson sat beside her with an open laptop. Every single person looked at me in surprise."Mr. Wilson," Mr. Ste

BRIAN'S POVCarson shifted his weight and placed himself squarely between Cheryl and me. He did not look scared, and his calm demeanor irritated me even more."You are crossing a legal line, Mr. Wilson," Carson warned. "Step out of the elevator right now, or I will call the hotel security and have you escorted out of the building.""I do not care about security," I replied. I looked past Carson to focus on Cheryl. "You hid my child from me. I want the truth, and I want it right now."Cheryl did not flinch. She stood tall, and her face remained blank. She did not show any of the fear she used to show during our marriage."You do not get to make demands," Cheryl said. "You lost the right to ask me questions four years ago when you signed the divorce papers. My daughter was born in Geneva, and Carson is her father. That is the only truth you will ever get from me.""The timeline is wrong," I argued. I moved a step closer, but Carson held his ground and blocked my path. "You were still ma