Chapter 6 - THE FILE HIDDEN FOR THREE YEARS
The call ended.
Alexander stared at his phone.
“Lauren?”
No answer.
He called again.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
Panic replaced anger.
Something was happening.
Something dangerous.
He grabbed his jacket.
Then stopped.
Sophia.
He couldn’t leave her alone.
Not again.
Never again.
He walked into the guest room.
Sophia was sleeping.
Holding the old stuffed animal she had carried since she was a baby.
Alexander stood there quietly.
Three years.
He missed three years.
He promised himself he would never miss another moment.
He called Michael.
“Prepare the car.”
“Sir?”
“Now.”
A few minutes later, Alexander arrived at the Queens apartment building.
It was nothing like the places he owned.
The hallway smelled old.
The lights flickered.
The walls were damaged.
He walked up the stairs and felt something he hadn’t felt in years.
Shame.
Because his daughter had lived here.
And he never knew.
The apartment door was slightly open.
Alexander stopped.
“Lauren?”
No answer.
He pushed the door open.
The apartment was small.
Very small.
A cheap table.
Old furniture.
A few children’s drawings taped to the wall.
One drawing caught his attention.
A picture of three people holding hands.
A father.
A mother.
A little girl.
Above them were the words:
“My family will come back someday.”
Alexander felt his chest tighten.
Then he heard a sound.
A woman crying.
He followed the voice.
In the bedroom, he found Lauren sitting on the floor.
Her face was pale.
Her hands were shaking.
“Lauren.”
She looked up.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Three years of pain stood between them.
Then Lauren whispered:
“You found her.”
Alexander nodded.
“I found our daughter.”
Tears filled Lauren’s eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
Alexander shook his head.
“I’m sorry.”
The words surprised her.
“I believed her.”
Lauren looked down.
“I know.”
Before Alexander could say more, Michael entered.
“Sir.”
Alexander turned.
“What?”
Michael held a folder.
“I found something.”
He opened it.
Inside were documents.
Bank transfers.
Emails.
Legal records.
Michael’s face was serious.
“This changes everything.”
Alexander took the papers.
The first page was a custody agreement.
The second page was a payment record.
Then he saw the signature.
His blood turned cold.
Because someone had forged his name.
“What is this?”
Michael looked at him.
“Your mother created a legal arrangement showing you approved limited contact with Sophia.”
Alexander stared.
“I never signed this.”
“I know.”
Lauren looked at the documents.
“She did this.”
Alexander flipped through more pages.
Then he found the final document.
A private adoption proposal.
His expression changed.
“Why would she have this?”
Lauren’s voice shook.
“Because she wanted Sophia removed from me.”
Alexander looked up.
“What?”
“She wanted full control.”
Michael stepped closer.
“Sir…”
“What?”
“There’s one more thing.”
Alexander looked at him.
“What?”
Michael pointed to the bottom of the document.
A date.
A date from three years ago.
The same week Lauren disappeared.
And below the date was a signature.
Not Victoria’s.
Not Daniel Cross’s.
Someone else.
Someone Alexander never expected.
His own father’s former business partner.
The man who had disappeared after a company scandal.
Michael whispered:
“Your mother wasn’t working alone.”
Alexander looked at the signature.
His entire family history suddenly looked different.
Because the betrayal was bigger than stolen money.
Bigger than a lie.
May you like
Someone had planned this.
And Sophia was never the only victim.
