Chapter 8 - THE NAME THAT WAS ERASED

“Emma.”

Ethan’s voice was different now.

Not angry.

Not loud.

Just broken.

“What did she mean?”

Emma said nothing.

“Why does Lena’s birth certificate have another name?”

The silence answered before she did.

Ethan stepped back.

“No.”

Emma’s eyes filled with tears.

“I can explain.”

“Everyone always says that.”

His voice cracked.

“They always say they can explain after they destroy everything.”

Lena was his daughter.

He knew that.

He felt it.

But suddenly there was a question he couldn’t ignore.

“What don’t I know?”

Emma covered her face.

“When Lena was born…”

She stopped.

The memory hurt.

“The hospital made a mistake.”

Ethan stared.

“A mistake?”

“No.”

Emma shook her head.

“I’m lying.”

She took a deep breath.

“The hospital didn’t make the mistake.”

“Then who did?”

Emma looked at him.

“Daniel.”

The name filled the room with anger.

“He changed the records.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

“Why?”

“Because he wanted control.”

Emma walked toward the window.

“When Lena was born, Daniel found out about the trust you created for her.”

Ethan remembered.

His daughter’s future.

Her protection.

Her security.

Daniel wanted access.

“He told me if Lena legally belonged to someone else…”

Emma’s voice trembled.

“He could control everything.”

Ethan looked confused.

“But she’s my daughter.”

“Yes.”

“Then why didn’t you fix it?”

Emma closed her eyes.

“Because Daniel threatened to take her.”

Ethan went silent.

“He said if I fought him, he would prove I was an unfit mother.”

“That’s insane.”

“He had money.”

Connections.

Power.

People who would believe him.

Emma looked at him.

“And I had a newborn baby and nowhere to run.”

Ethan felt the weight of those words.

Seven years.

She had been alone.

Protecting their daughter.

But there was still something missing.

“Who was listed as her father?”

Emma looked down.

Then whispered:

“Daniel.”

The room went silent.

Ethan felt sick.

“My brother?”

“Yes.”

“He made himself Lena’s father?”

“He tried.”

Emma quickly added.

“But I never accepted it.”

Ethan looked toward the door.

His daughter was out there.

Somewhere.

Scared.

Thinking nobody was coming.

“I’m bringing her home.”

Emma grabbed his arm.

“Ethan.”

He stopped.

“You don’t understand Daniel.”

“I understand enough.”

“No.”

Her eyes filled with fear.

“Daniel doesn’t want money anymore.”

Ethan turned.

“What does he want?”

Emma whispered:

“You.”

Before Ethan could respond, his phone received another message.

A video.

This time, Lena was in it.

She was sitting in a room.

She looked scared.

But she wasn’t crying.

That was what broke Ethan’s heart.

She was trying to be brave.

Daniel sat beside her.

“Say hello.”

Lena looked at the camera.

“Daddy?”

Ethan’s eyes filled.

“Lena…”

Daniel smiled.

“Beautiful moment, isn’t it?”

Ethan stared at the screen.

“When I find you…”

Daniel laughed.

“You still don’t understand.”

He leaned closer.

“This isn’t about taking your daughter.”

The video zoomed closer.

Daniel whispered:

“It’s about making you lose her.”

The screen went black.

CLIFFHANGER:

Daniel didn’t want Ethan’s money.

May you like

THE MAID’S DAUGHTER

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE,” HIS FIANCÉE TOLD THE MAID—THEN THE MAFIA BOSS LOOKED AT HER LITTLE GIRL“Get out of my house. And take that...

**MY HUSBAND CALLED ME A “BARREN LEECH”—HE DIDN’T KNOW MY MONEY WAS KEEP...

My husband threw his wedding ring at my feet and told security to remove the “barren leech” from the ballroom.He had no idea he wa...

MY DAUGHTER’S NOTE STOPPED MY WEDDING—AND EXPOSED MY BRIDE

MY DAUGHTER SLIPPED ME A NOTE BEFORE “I DO”—AND EXPOSED MY BRIDE’S PLANPART 1 — TEN MINUTES BEFORE THE VOWS“Daddy, if you marry he...

He wanted something far more painful.

He wanted Ethan to experience the same loss he had created seven years ago.