All Chapters of The Adopted Lie: Chapter 11 - Chapter 13

Lincoln walked to the phone, picked up the receiver, and dialed a number.“Jack? It’s Lincoln Barner. I need your department’s help with a case.”He hung up and looked at me.“Victor will be taken into custody tomorrow.”“And Sophia?”“She’s his accomplice.” My father’s mouth tightened into a cold smile. “Falsifying records. Extortion. Attempted fraud. There’s enough there to keep her busy for a long time.”I was quiet for a moment.Then I said, “Dad… Noah.”“The boy?” My father looked at me, his expression unreadable. “What about him?”“He’s a child,” I said. “He doesn’t understand any of this. He only did what the adults told him to do.”Lincoln fell silent.After a long time, he sighed.“You’re just like your mother.“Too soft-hearted.”I did not argue.He walked to the window and looked out over the yard.“If both of his biological parents are taken away, what do you plan to do with him?”“I…”“Think before you answer,” he said. “This isn’t a small decision. Raisi

But in the end, I chose a different path.Not because I was noble.Because of Noah.That child taught me something.Hating someone was easy.Letting go, starting over, and choosing to be better took far more courage.On Noah’s birthday, I took him to the science museum for a space exhibit.The planetarium had a massive dome that could recreate the entire night sky.When the lights went out, thousands of stars appeared overhead.Noah stood beneath them with his face tipped up, his eyes glowing as brightly as the stars themselves.He reached up as though he could touch them.“Uncle Lucas,” he asked, “when people die, do they turn into stars?”“Some people do.”“What about my mom? Did she?”I was quiet for a moment.I thought of Sophia crying in court.Of Victor’s silence.Of the old scars on Noah’s arm.“Yes,” I said. “She’s watching you from up there. She wants you to be happy.”Noah nodded.Then he took my hand.“Uncle Lucas, thank you for not giving up on me.”I