Chapter 4 - The Man She Hated Became The Only Person She Could Trust
Emma spent the entire night in Victor's office.
She couldn't sleep.
She couldn't think.
Who was her real father?
Why would Marcus say such a thing?
Victor remained across the room.
He hadn't tried to comfort her.
Maybe because he knew she needed answers more than pity.
"Tell me what you know," Emma said.
Victor looked up.
"I don't know who your biological father is."
"Do you believe Marcus?"
"Yes."
Emma swallowed.
"That means my mother lied to me."
"Maybe she was protecting you."
"From what?"
Victor didn't answer.
Emma stood.
"I want to call her."
Victor nodded.
His team spent hours tracking her parents.
Eventually they found them in a small town two states away.
Her mother answered.
"Emma?"
"Mom."
Silence.
"Who is my father?"
Her mother started crying.
Victor watched Emma carefully.
"Emma, please."
"Who is he?"
"He was dead before you were born."
Emma's breath caught.
"Name."
"David Carter."
Her mother's voice broke.
"Your father was David Carter."
Emma froze.
Victor looked confused.
"That was your father's name."
"My biological father."
"Yes."
Victor immediately pulled the files.
David Carter had died in a factory accident seven months before Emma was born.
But that wasn't what shocked them.
David had been Carter Industries' financial auditor.
And according to old records, he had been investigating Richard Blackwood.
"That's impossible," Emma whispered.
Victor looked at the file.
"David wasn't just your father."
"What?"
"He was Isabel's source."
Emma sat down.
Everything connected.
Her biological father had worked with Isabel.
Her mother had protected the truth.
Her legal father had somehow become involved later.
Victor stared at the documents.
"There's more."
David's death hadn't been accidental.
The factory report had been altered.
Someone had sabotaged the equipment.
Emma looked at Victor.
"Richard."
"Most likely."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Then my entire childhood..."
"Was built on a lie."
Victor walked toward her.
This time, he didn't stop.
He sat beside her.
"Emma."
She didn't look at him.
"I thought my father hated me."
"He probably hated what you represented."
"That's worse."
Victor was silent.
Then Emma turned.
"Why did you choose me?"
He exhaled.
"Because I believed your family destroyed Isabel."
"But now?"
"Now I know I was wrong."
Her eyes searched his.
"What do you regret?"
He answered immediately.
"Using you."
The admission surprised her.
"Would you undo it?"
"Yes."
"Then why haven't you?"
"Because you're still in danger."
Emma looked away.
Victor's voice softened.
"I thought revenge would make losing Isabel hurt less."
"And did it?"
"No."
The room went quiet.
Emma whispered, "It didn't make anything better."
"No."
He looked at her.
"It only gave me someone else to blame."
She studied his face.
For the first time, she saw genuine pain.
Not the cold billionaire everyone feared.
Just a man who had lost someone and allowed grief to poison everything around him.
Emma reached for the folder.
"Then let's finish this."
Victor raised an eyebrow.
"You trust me?"
"No."
She smiled slightly.
"But I trust the truth."
Victor almost smiled.
"Fair enough."
They spent the next week assembling evidence.
They traced payments.
Bank accounts.
Shell corporations.
Old witnesses.
The pieces finally formed a picture.
Richard Blackwood and Arthur Kane had orchestrated financial crimes for years.
Isabel discovered them.
David helped her.
Emma's legal father discovered pieces of the plan and chose to keep silent.
Not because he was innocent.
Because Richard threatened his family.
Then, after Isabel died, he convinced himself that sacrificing his own daughter was necessary to keep Richard from finding the final evidence.
Victor stared at the information.
"Your parents didn't sell you for money."
Emma looked up.
"What?"
"They sold you because Richard threatened them."
"But why me?"
Victor's face hardened.
"Because Richard believed you inherited David's knowledge."
Emma was stunned.
"I don't know anything."
"That's exactly why."
Suddenly, the door opened.
Eleanor rushed inside.
"We found something."
She placed a small box on the desk.
"It belonged to David."
Emma opened it.
Inside was a handwritten letter.
For Emma.
Her hands trembled as she unfolded it.
"My little girl,
If you're reading this, I'm gone.
I wanted to protect you from the truth, but I may have failed.
Trust your instincts.
Never trust the Carter name simply because it is yours.
And never trust a man who says he wants revenge without asking what happened first.
Victor Blackwood may hate me.
He may hate this family.
But one day, if he ever learns the truth, he may be the only man powerful enough to protect you.
I am sorry.
Love, Dad."
Emma stared at the letter.
Then she looked at Victor.
He looked shaken.
"Your father knew me?"
"He believed you would protect me."
Victor swallowed.
"That's a responsibility I didn't deserve."
Emma folded the letter.
"Maybe."
Their eyes met.
"But you have it now."
Something changed between them.
Neither said it.
Neither needed to.
The hatred was gone.
May you like
And something far more dangerous was taking its place.
Trust.
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