Chapter 4 - Derek Revealed That He Wasn't Doubting Lily’s Paternity—He Was Terrified Because the Man Hunting Her Had Already Paid Him to Steal Her Medical RecordsSaint Clare chapel was abandoned.
Snow covered the steps.
Derek stood inside.
He looked exhausted.
No expensive suit.
No Brittany.
Just a man who had finally realized he was in danger.
“You came.”
I stayed near the entrance.
“What do you know?”
He handed me a folder.
“Your daughter's medical records.”
I opened it.
Genetic information.
Blood tests.
Birth data.
And a list of requests.
Several came from a private company.
One name appeared repeatedly.
Haven Security International.
I knew nothing about them.
Derek did.
“They contacted me before Lily was born.”
“Why?”
“They wanted access.”
“To what?”
“Your medical files.”
“Why?”
“They knew about the Moretti bloodline.”
I stared.
“You knew about the mark.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“My mother.”
Lorraine had been involved.
She had worked for Victor's father years ago.
She knew the family secrets.
Derek continued:
“She told me to marry you.”
I felt sick.
“What?”
“She said if I married you, your daughter would be born into the right family.”
“For money?”
“For access.”
“To the Rossi archive.”
“Yes.”
I stared at him.
“So the entire relationship was planned.”
“Not at first.”
“What do you mean?”
“I loved you.”
I laughed bitterly.
“Then you became scared.”
“Yes.”
“And Brittany?”
“Part of the cover.”
“So you humiliated me because you were afraid.”
“Yes.”
I wanted to hate him.
But the truth was more complicated.
“What happened to Brittany?”
“She wasn't pregnant.”
I stared.
“What?”
“Her pregnancy was fake.”
I closed my eyes.
Everything had been staged.
The mistress.
The refusal.
The DNA test.
The hospital humiliation.
All designed to delay the birth certificate.
Why?
Because registering Lily under my married name would trigger certain legal records.
The family would discover her.
Derek had been trying to hide her.
He had done it terribly.
But maybe he hadn't been the only villain.
“Who ordered you?”
Derek whispered:
“Anthony Moretti.”
Victor's brother.
The man hunting Lily.
I looked at the file.
Anthony wanted the archive.
He wanted Lily.
And Derek had been his pawn.
“Where is he?”
Derek said:
“Inside the hospital.”
I froze.
“What?”
“His people are everywhere.”
A noise came from outside.
Derek looked at me.
“They found us.”
Gunfire erupted.
I ducked.
Derek pushed me behind the altar.
Luca—
No.
Victor.
He arrived with his security team.
The chapel erupted into chaos.
When the shooting stopped, Derek was wounded.
Victor dragged him behind cover.
“Where is Anthony?”
Derek gasped.
“He has the hospital.”
Victor went still.
“My granddaughter.”
I grabbed Lily.
“We have to go.”
Victor nodded.
May you like
The next destination was obvious.
The hospital.
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