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All Chapters of I Gave Them the Daughter They Wanted: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

“Dr. Hale, once you enter the North Star Project, you will be cut off from the outside world for at least ten years.”The official on the phone paused.“In seven days, your current identity will be terminated. Your name will disappear from public databases and civilian systems. If you want to withdraw, this is your last chance.”I looked at the confidentiality agreement on my desk.“I’ve made my decision. I’m joining.”After the call ended, I saw three people approaching through the glass doors of the research center.My father, Vincent Moretti. My mother, Celeste. My older brother, Luca.In my first life, I had waited twenty-six years for them to come toward me like that.Celeste reached me first and took my hand.“Elena, we’ve decided. Seven days from now, the Moretti family will hold a formal recognition banquet and announce that you are our biological daughter.”She softened her voice.“Sofia will stay with us. We’ll adopt her legally. You’ll be our daughter by blood, and she’ll be

Chapter 2

The next afternoon, we arrived at the Moretti estate in North Ridge.Vincent had canceled a family meeting. Celeste brought the hot chocolate I had once mentioned liking, and Luca had his men close the mountain road so we would not be disturbed.It was the first time in either of my lives that the four of us had gone anywhere together like a real family.We were less than half an hour from the summit when the family steward, Henry, hurried toward us.“Don.”Vincent stopped.Henry glanced at me before lowering his voice.“There’s been an incident. Miss Sofia overheard the family discussion. She learned that Miss Elena would be formally recognized as your biological daughter and that she would remain in the family as your adopted daughter. She locked herself in the bathroom and cut her wrists. By the time the staff found her, she had lost a great deal of blood.”The thermos slipped from Celeste’s hand into the snow.“Where is she?”“North Ridge Hospital.”Luca turned immediately and star

Chapter 3

Sofia was still in surgery when we reached North Ridge Hospital.The Moretti family physician came out with Sofia’s latest results.“She has lost too much blood. We need more immediately.”I stepped forward. “I’m B-negative. Test me.”The doctor checked my blood pressure and hemoglobin..“Miss Hale has been outside in severe cold, and both numbers are already low. Donating now could put you into shock.”Celeste went pale. “Then she shouldn’t do it.”Vincent looked toward the operating-room doors. Luca was already on the phone trying to locate compatible blood elsewhere.An alarm sounded behind the emergency-room doors.The doctor glanced back. “We may not have time to wait for another unit.”I thought of the life I remembered and of Sofia dying before any of us understood how much that death would change the family.“Use mine.”Celeste caught my hand. “Elena, you heard what he said.”“I did.”Luca lowered his phone. “You don’t owe Sofia this.”“I’m not doing it because I owe her.”I lo

Chapter 4

Celeste stood beside the broken glass at her feet while Luca called the Moretti family’s contacts in law enforcement.“Get me the accident report, traffic footage, and everything recovered from that car.”Vincent turned to one of his men. “Send our people to the crash site.”Twenty minutes later, they were heading toward the coast.Emergency vehicles covered the highway. Far below the damaged guardrail, the black sedan had been reduced to a burned shell.A senior officer met them near the barrier.“Don Moretti.”“Where is my daughter?”“We haven’t formally identified the victim.”Vincent’s expression hardened. “Then why is her name on the news?”“The ride was booked through Dr. Elena Hale’s account. Her wallet and identification were recovered from the vehicle, but the fire caused extensive damage. We’ll need forensic testing.”Celeste went pale.Luca looked toward the wreckage. Elena had left the hospital voluntarily, packed her belongings, turned off her phone, and cleared her apartm

Chapter 5

Luca spent the next three days trying to find out where Elena had gone.Every search ended the same way.Her civilian records had been terminated at midnight, and the government SUV that picked her up belonged to a program none of the Moretti family’s contacts were willing to discuss.On the fourth day, Luca finally received a response from a federal official he had known for years.It contained only three lines.Dr. Elena Hale voluntarily entered classified federal service.Her former civilian identity has been terminated.No private contact is permitted.Vincent read the message twice.“That’s it?”“That’s all they’ll give us.”“Then go higher.”“I already did.”Luca closed the file.“Anyone with enough clearance to know where she is also has enough sense not to tell the Moretti family.”Vincent’s expression darkened, but there was no one in the room he could order into solving the problem.For most of his life, the Moretti name had opened doors.This one remained closed.Celeste had

Chapter 6

The North Star press conference had barely ended when my assistant stepped into the private briefing room.“Dr. Hale, there are three people asking to see you.”I was still closing my laptop.“Who?”She hesitated.“The Morettis.”My hand stopped.For ten years, I had known this day might come.I just had not expected it to arrive less than an hour after I returned to public life.“They’re waiting in the east lobby.”I nodded.“I’ll see them.”Vincent was standing near the windows when I entered. Celeste sat beside him, while Luca remained by the door.They all looked older.My father had more gray at his temples. Luca’s face had hardened into the controlled expression of a man who had spent years preparing to become Don.Celeste changed the most when she saw me.She stood so quickly that her chair moved backward.“Elena.”She took two steps toward me before stopping.I did not move.For a moment, none of us knew what to say.Vincent broke the silence first.“Pack your things.”I looked

Chapter 7

The surveillance car was gone by the time federal security checked the next block.That did not make Luca less concerned.By the following morning, Moretti men were positioned around the hotel where the North Star team was staying. Federal agents were already there, and the two security groups clearly disliked each other, but neither side interfered.I noticed immediately.“You said you would protect me until you knew what the Bellandis wanted.”Vincent looked up from his phone.“We still don’t know.”“So half your men are staying outside my hotel?”“Until this is settled.”I glanced at Luca.He gave me a small shrug.“At least he asked the federal team before placing them.”For Vincent, apparently, that counted as progress.I had no intention of returning to the Moretti estate, but I also had no interest in pretending the threat was imaginary.The Bellandis had spent years fighting the Morettis over ports, contracts, and territory. For ten years they had not known where I was. My retu

Chapter 8

Six months later, Bianca Moretti turned eighty-five.Her invitation arrived at my apartment in a plain cream envelope with no Moretti seal on it.There was only one sentence inside.Come have dinner with your grandmother.I read it twice before calling her.“I’ll come.”Bianca laughed softly.“I knew you would.”I had not returned to the Moretti estate since the family council meeting.Vincent, Celeste, and Luca respected the boundary I had set. Celeste sent me a message once a month, usually something simple about the weather or Bianca’s health. Luca contacted me only when there was a security issue I genuinely needed to know about.Vincent never called.I knew enough about him to understand that silence was probably harder for him than any apology.When my car entered the Moretti estate that evening, the gates looked exactly as I remembered them.The house did not.Or perhaps I was the one who had changed.Bianca was waiting in the main sitting room.She opened her arms the moment sh

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