Chapter 7: The Name on the Birth Certificate
"Ask Victoria who signed the birth certificate.""
Daniel's voice echoed through Nathan's phone.
Nathan stared at Victoria.
She had gone completely pale.
"Daniel, what did you do?"" Nathan demanded.
A quiet laugh came through the speaker.
"Still asking the wrong questions, little brother.""
"Where is Amara?""
"Safe enough.""
"Put her on the phone.""
"Not yet.""
Nathan clenched his jaw.
"If you've hurt her—"
"You'll do what? Come looking for me? You already tried that six years ago.""
Nathan froze.
Daniel continued.
"You remember the night you called the police because Amara disappeared? You remember how quickly they found her abandoned car?""
Nathan's stomach tightened.
"That wasn't an accident.""
"No. It wasn't.""
"Who arranged it?""
Daniel laughed.
"You're standing next to the woman who knows.""
Nathan looked at Victoria.
She was shaking her head.
"Daniel, stop," she whispered.
Nathan heard her.
"Put him on speaker.""
Nathan pressed the button.
Jada moved closer, keeping Lily behind her.
Daniel's voice filled the rooftop.
"Hello, Victoria.""
Victoria closed her eyes.
"Leave me out of this.""
"You wanted to marry him. You wanted his money. You wanted his company. You wanted everything.""
"Shut up!""
Nathan stared at her.
"What is he talking about?""
Daniel chuckled.
"Ask her about the hospital.""
Nathan's expression changed.
"What hospital?""
Victoria began crying.
"Daniel, please.""
"Tell him.""
"I said please!""
Daniel's voice became cold.
"Tell him who signed Lily's birth certificate.""
Nathan looked at Victoria.
She slowly lowered her head.
Then she whispered something that made the world stop.
"I did.""
Nathan stared.
"What?""
"I signed it.""
"Why?""
Victoria wiped her cheek.
"Because Amara was unconscious when Lily was born. Daniel arranged everything. He told the hospital staff that you had refused to acknowledge the baby.""
Nathan's face drained.
"And you signed as her father?""
Victoria nodded.
Nathan looked at Lily.
The little girl was holding Jada's hand.
"Why would you do that?"" he asked.
Victoria's voice cracked.
"Because Daniel said the baby would never leave the hospital unless someone accepted responsibility.""
Nathan stared at her.
"You're telling me you put your name on my daughter's birth certificate?""
"I thought I was helping!""
"You thought you were helping?""
Victoria began speaking faster.
"Daniel said Amara was unstable. He said the baby needed a legal guardian. He told me you didn't want anything to do with them.""
Nathan stepped closer.
"And you believed him?""
"I wanted to believe him!""
The admission silenced everyone.
Nathan shook his head.
"You wanted to believe that the woman I loved was gone and that her child didn't belong to me.""
Victoria looked at Lily.
"At first, I thought the child wasn't yours.""
Nathan's voice dropped.
"At first?""
Victoria swallowed.
"Then I saw her.""
"What does that mean?""
"She had your eyes.""
Nathan closed his eyes.
For years, he had imagined what his daughter might look like.
He had imagined her first birthday.
Her first steps.
Her first day of school.
And all those moments had happened without him.
Meanwhile, someone else had been signing papers in his name.
Jada gently crouched beside Lily.
"Sweetheart, come sit with me.""
Lily shook her head.
"I want Daddy.""
Nathan immediately turned.
"I'm here, princess.""
"Are you going to leave me?""
Nathan knelt and held both her hands.
"Never.""
Daniel laughed through the phone.
"Careful, little brother. Promises are expensive.""
Nathan stood.
"Enough games. I want Amara.""
"Then bring me the company documents.""
Nathan frowned.
"What documents?""
"The original ownership transfer agreement. The one Father signed before he died.""
Nathan looked toward Marcus.
Marcus's expression changed.
That agreement had been missing for years.
Daniel continued.
"You'll find it in the private archive beneath the old Carter estate. Bring it to me. No police.
No security team. No lawyers.""
Nathan looked at the phone.
"And if I refuse?""
A pause.
Then Daniel answered.
"Your daughter will never see her mother again.""
The call ended.
For several seconds, Nathan stood without moving.
Then Victoria spoke.
"Don't go.""
Nathan turned.
"You've spent six years lying to me. Why should I listen to you now?""
"Because Daniel isn't bluffing.""
"How do you know?""
Victoria looked toward the floor.
"Because he told me what happened after Amara gave birth.""
Nathan stepped closer.
"What happened?""
Victoria's eyes filled.
"Daniel took the baby.""
Jada gasped.
Nathan's face went rigid.
"What?""
"He said he was going to arrange for her to be adopted. He wanted the baby away from you permanently.""
Nathan looked at Lily.
"Where was she?""
Victoria swallowed.
"At a private clinic.""
"And then?""
"I was supposed to take her home.""
Nathan's voice cracked.
"You?""
Victoria nodded.
"But I couldn't.""
"Why?""
"Because Amara woke up.""
Nathan stared at her.
Victoria continued.
"She screamed for her baby. She begged the nurses to tell her where Lily was. Daniel told me to keep her quiet.""
Nathan's hands curled into fists.
"What did you do?""
Victoria looked directly at him.
"I gave Lily to a nurse.""
Nathan blinked.
"Why?""
"Because I couldn't watch her cry anymore.""
Jada's expression hardened.
"After everything you've done, you want credit for giving a mother her child back?""
Victoria looked away.
"I didn't know what else to do.""
Nathan turned toward Marcus.
"Find out which clinic she was taken to.""
Marcus nodded.
"I'll start immediately.""
Nathan looked at his phone.
The photograph of Amara was still on the screen.
He zoomed in.
Something appeared behind her hospital bed.
A framed certificate.
He enlarged the image.
The certificate carried the name of a private medical center.
Marcus leaned closer.
"That's the facility Daniel mentioned in the photograph.""
Nathan nodded.
"Find it.""
Marcus began typing.
A few moments later, his expression changed.
"Nathan...""
"What?""
"The facility closed three years ago.""
Nathan's heart sank.
"Where did the patients go?""
Marcus studied the information.
"One rehabilitation center took over its remaining records.""
Nathan looked at the screen.
"Address?""
Marcus read it aloud.
Nathan immediately reached for his jacket.
Victoria grabbed his arm.
"Don't go there.""
Nathan looked down at her hand.
"Let go.""
"Daniel wants you to go there.""
"Then I'll go.""
"You're walking into a trap!""
Nathan pulled his arm free.
"Why should I care what happens to me?""
Victoria's voice broke.
"Because Lily needs you!""
Nathan looked at the little girl.
Then back at Victoria.
"She needed me six years ago.""
He turned toward Jada.
"Please keep her safe.""
Jada nodded.
"I will.""
Nathan walked toward the glass doors.
But Lily suddenly ran after him.
"Daddy!""
He turned.
She held up her tiny silver necklace.
"Mommy said this belongs to you too.""
Nathan knelt.
Lily placed the pendant in his palm.
He turned it over.
The tiny heart had a small seam along its edge.
He pressed it.
A hidden compartment opened.
Inside was a miniature memory card.
Nathan stared.
Jada leaned closer.
"What is it?""
Nathan looked at Lily.
"Your mother hid something inside this.""
Then his phone vibrated.
An incoming message from Daniel.
Good. You found the key.
Nathan's blood ran cold.
Another message appeared.
Now you finally understand why I needed you to bring the necklace.
Nathan looked at Lily.
Daniel hadn't merely been waiting for Nathan to discover the truth.
He had been waiting for Nathan to find the evidence.
And whatever was hidden on that tiny memory card was important enough for his brother to threaten an entire family.
Nathan slipped the card into his pocket.
Then he looked at Marcus.
"Nobody leaves Lily alone. Not for one second.""
Because now he understood something.
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The danger wasn't over.
It had only changed hands.
