Chapter 2 - Damian Took Me to His Private Hospital, and a Blood Test Told Us the Truth I Had Prayed to HearI barely remembered leaving La Veyra.
The world seemed distant.
People spoke.
Doors opened.
Cars moved.
But all I could focus on was Leah.
She refused to let go of my hand.
Damian noticed.
He said nothing.
At the private hospital, doctors took samples from both of us.
The wait was unbearable.
I sat beside Leah.
She leaned against me.
Damian stood by the window.
Finally, he spoke.
“If the test says she isn't your child?”
I looked at him.
“I'll accept it.”
“And if she is?”
I swallowed.
“I don't know.”
He nodded.
Neither of us needed to say the rest.
The results arrived.
The doctor looked at Damian.
“Mr. Caruso.”
“What?”
“You should sit.”
Damian didn't.
“Speak.”
The doctor handed him the report.
He read it.
His face changed.
Then he looked at me.
“It's a match.”
I stopped breathing.
“What?”
“The child is genetically yours.”
I heard the words.
But my mind couldn't process them.
My daughter.
Alive.
Leah was my daughter.
I grabbed the edge of the chair.
A sound came from my throat.
Half sob.
Half laugh.
Damian sat down.
He looked at Leah.
“My daughter…”
Then he looked at me.
“You're her mother.”
I covered my face.
For two years, I had mourned a child who was alive.
For two years, I had visited a grave that contained no one.
For two years, I had blamed myself.
The doctor continued.
“There are irregularities in the original medical records.”
“What kind?”
“The birth date.”
I froze.
“What?”
“It was changed.”
“To what?”
“Three days later.”
Damian stood.
“Who authorized that?”
The doctor looked at the file.
“Dr. Helena Weiss.”
My stomach dropped.
I knew that name.
She was the doctor who told me my baby had died.
Damian's expression became lethal.
“Find her.”
The hospital staff rushed away.
I stared at Leah.
“Why would they take you from me?”
Damian's jaw tightened.
“We'll find out.”
Leah reached for him.
“Daddy.”
It was the first time I had ever heard her call him that.
He froze.
Then lifted her.
He held her against his chest.
His shoulders shook.
I looked away.
Because some moments belonged only to a father and daughter finding each other.
But then Leah reached one hand toward me.
“Mama.”
Damian brought her closer to me.
The three of us sat together.
A family that had existed without knowing itself.
Then the door opened.
A man entered.
His face was pale.
He wore a hospital badge.
“Mr. Caruso.”
Damian looked at him.
“Who are you?”
“Thomas Reed.”
“Why are you here?”
“I worked at Saint Aurelia.”
My heart raced.
“What do you know?”
Thomas looked at me.
“I saw your daughter.”
“When?”
“Two years ago.”
My breath stopped.
“She was alive.”
“Yes.”
“Why did you say nothing?”
“I was threatened.”
“By whom?”
“Dr. Weiss.”
“Why?”
“She was paid.”
“By whom?”
He hesitated.
Then whispered:
“Your husband.”
I stared at Damian.
He went completely still.
“What?”
Thomas continued.
“Not you.”
He looked at me.
“Her husband.”
I shook my head.
“I wasn't married.”
Damian frowned.
“You weren't?”
“No.”
“I was engaged.”
Thomas looked confused.
“To whom?”
I gave him the name.
“Evan Monroe.”
My older fiancé.
The man I had left after discovering he was stealing money from my family.
The man who had told me our baby died while I was unconscious.
My blood turned cold.
“He was there?”
Thomas nodded.
“He signed the release.”
Damian looked at me.
“You knew this man?”
“Yes.”
“He wasn't in your records.”
“He changed his name.”
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
Thomas gave Damian a file.
Inside were photographs.
Evan.
Dr. Weiss.
A newborn baby.
My baby.
And another man.
The same man who now managed Damian's financial operations.
Nicholas Rourke.
Damian stared.
“Nicholas.”
I looked at him.
“Who is he?”
“My most trusted adviser.”
The room went silent.
A traitor inside the Caruso organization.
Someone who had access to hospital records.
Someone who had known Leah existed.
Someone who had lied for two years.
Damian stood.
“Lock the building.”
I grabbed his arm.
“Don't kill him.”
He looked at me.
“I won't.”
I wasn't sure.
But he nodded.
“For you.”
We found Nicholas at his office.
He was waiting.
He had already packed.
Damian entered.
Nicholas smiled.
“You found out.”
“Yes.”
Nicholas looked at me.
“You're alive.”
“So is my daughter.”
He nodded.
“Apparently.”
“Why?”
“Money.”
The answer was almost insulting.
“Evan paid you?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“Enough.”
“Why steal my child?”
Nicholas laughed.
“We didn't steal her.”
“What?”
“We protected her.”
“From what?”
“Your family.”
My heart froze.
“My family?”
“Your father was not the man you thought.”
I stared.
He revealed that my father had been involved in a criminal financial network.
He had owed millions.
Evan was trying to collect.
But when I became pregnant, they realized the baby could inherit assets.
So they staged the death.
Leah became leverage.
And then Damian's organization became involved.
Nicholas had sold the information.
But there was one thing he never expected.
Damian would eventually become attached to the child.
Even without knowing she was mine.
I stared at him.
“You knew who I was.”
“Yes.”
“Then why let me suffer?”
Nicholas looked away.
“I didn't think anyone would care.”
I stepped forward.
“I cared.”
He had no answer.
Damian ordered his arrest.
We handed everything to investigators.
Nicholas was taken away.
But before he left, he said:
“There is someone above me.”
Damian turned.
“Who?”
Nicholas smiled.
“Your father.”
Damian went pale.
“My father is dead.”
Nicholas shook his head.
May you like
“No.”
“He isn't.”
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