Chapter 2 - The File With My Daughter's Name
Adrian closed the folder.
“Where did you get this?”
The assistant looked nervous.
“It came from legal.”
“Who authorized it?”
“Your father.”
My blood ran cold.
Adrian's father, Richard Kane, was the chairman of Kane Global Holdings.
He was also famous for controlling everything.
People.
Companies.
Reputations.
Even family.
Adrian looked at me.
“I need you to take Mia home.”
“Why?”
“Because this has nothing to do with work.”
“That isn't an answer.”
He hesitated.
Then he handed me the file.
I opened it.
My daughter's name was printed on the first page.
Mia Harper.
Underneath was a birth date.
Her birth date.
Then a photograph.
A newborn baby.
My baby.
I looked at Adrian.
“What is this?”
He pointed to another page.
A DNA analysis.
I read the result.
My hands began shaking.
Probability of biological relationship: 99.99%.
I looked at him.
“This can't be real.”
He didn't speak.
“She's not related to you.”
He looked at me.
“I don't know.”
I stared.
“What does that mean?”
“My father ordered a private investigation six years ago.”
“Why?”
He took a breath.
“Because your daughter may be my brother's child.”
I froze.
“Your brother?”
Adrian nodded.
“Ethan.”
I remembered the name.
Ethan Kane.
The reckless Kane heir who had disappeared from Manhattan years ago.
He had been involved in a scandal.
Then vanished overseas.
I looked at Mia.
“No.”
Adrian's voice softened.
“My brother disappeared six years ago.”
I shook my head.
“Jason was my daughter's father.”
“Who is Jason?”
“My daughter's biological father.”
“Are you sure?”
I stared at him.
“Yes.”
Adrian looked at the report again.
“Then someone falsified something.”
“Or someone lied.”
I felt dizzy.
“Why would your father investigate my daughter?”
Adrian didn't answer immediately.
Then:
“Because Ethan had a relationship with someone six years ago.”
My heart stopped.
“Who?”
Adrian looked directly at me.
“You.”
I couldn't breathe.
“What?”
“My father believes you and Ethan knew each other.”
“I've never met Ethan.”
He studied me.
“I believe you.”
“Then why is this happening?”
“Because someone wants you to believe otherwise.”
He handed the folder back.
“Go home.”
I took Mia and left.
That night, I couldn't sleep.
I searched every memory I had.
Every relationship.
Every name.
Jason.
My daughter's father.
The man I had believed was Mia's biological father.
But I suddenly remembered something strange.
When Mia was born, Jason refused to sign the birth certificate.
He said he needed time.
Two weeks later, he disappeared.
I had always thought he was simply a coward.
Now I wasn't sure.
At midnight, my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hello?”
A man's voice whispered:
“Stop asking questions about Ethan Kane.”
I froze.
“Who is this?”
“If you care about your daughter, you'll forget the Kane family exists.”
The line went dead.
I stared at the phone.
Then I heard Mia crying.
I ran to her room.
She was sitting upright.
“Mommy?”
“I'm here.”
“I had a bad dream.”
I hugged her.
“What happened?”
She buried her face against me.
“There was a man.”
“What man?”
“He looked like the picture of Daddy.”
My heart stopped.
“What did he say?”
May you like
Mia whispered:
“He said he was coming home.”
