CHAP 5: THE DAUGHTER WHO WAS MADE TO HATE HER FAMILY
CHAP 5: THE DAUGHTER WHO WAS MADE TO HATE HER FAMILY
The two girls stood only a few meters apart.
But between them…
were seven years of lies.
Seven years of stolen childhood.
Seven years of a war neither of them chose.
Lily held onto the staircase railing.
Her small fingers trembled.
She looked at the girl beside Alexander.
The girl who had the same eyes.
The same black hair.
The same small birthmark near her shoulder.
A part of herself she had never known existed.
“Daddy…”
Her voice was barely a whisper.
“Is she really my sister?”
Ethan looked at both children.
His heart felt like it was being pulled in two directions.
For seven years, he dreamed of finding Lily.
He imagined holding his daughter.
Protecting her.
Giving her the life she deserved.
But now…
another daughter stood before him.
A daughter who had also been stolen.
A daughter who had suffered in silence.
He slowly walked toward Ava.
Alexander immediately raised his hand.
“Careful.”
Ethan stopped.
“What?”
“She has been trained to react to threats.”
A cold expression appeared on Alexander’s face.
“She does not trust strangers.”
Ethan looked at the child.
“I'm not a stranger.”
Alexander smiled.
“That depends.”
He looked at Ava.
“Ava.”
The little girl turned toward him.
“Yes, Father.”
The word struck Ethan.
Not because she called Alexander father.
Because of the way she said it.
There was no love.
No affection.
Only obedience.
Like a soldier answering a commander.
Ethan’s jaw tightened.
“What did you do to her?”
Alexander smiled.
“I raised her.”
“No.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“You erased her.”
For the first time, Alexander’s smile faded.
“Be careful with your words.”
“Why?”
Ethan looked at Ava.
“Because she can hear you.”
The little girl remained emotionless.
But Ethan noticed something.
A tiny movement.
Her fingers tightened.
She was pretending not to care.
But she was listening.
Alexander walked slowly into the mansion.
“You always believed love was the strongest force.”
He looked around.
“This house is filled with sentimental memories.”
Photos.
Paintings.
Family portraits.
“Birthday celebrations.”
“Wedding memories.”
“Promises.”
He laughed quietly.
“All weaknesses.”
Ethan stared at him.
“You kidnapped my daughter.”
“No.”
Alexander corrected.
“I saved her.”
Everyone froze.
Ethan’s expression became dangerous.
“Explain.”
Alexander looked at Ava.
“Your first daughter was born into a world where she would always be vulnerable.”
“She had your enemies.”
“She had your family.”
“She had people who wanted your empire.”
“So I prepared her.”
Ethan clenched his fists.
“You tortured a child.”
Alexander’s eyes turned cold.
“I created perfection.”
Amelia stepped forward.
“You destroyed her childhood.”
Alexander looked at Amelia.
“And you created weakness.”
That sentence changed something.
Amelia’s face hardened.
For seven years, she had endured.
The fire.
The imprisonment.
The fear.
But hearing him speak about their daughter like an experiment…
was different.
“You took my child.”
Her voice shook.
“You took her first steps.”
“You took her first words.”
“You took every birthday.”
A tear fell.
“And you call that perfection?”
Alexander stared.
“She survived.”
Amelia whispered:
“She should have lived.”
Silence.
Even Alexander had no answer.
Because that was the difference.
He created survivors.
Ethan and Amelia wanted a family.
Suddenly…
Ava moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
Before anyone could react, she grabbed a small knife from one of Alexander’s men.
Security immediately raised their weapons.
“Stop!”
Ethan looked shocked.
But Ava did not attack.
She walked toward Lily.
Everyone froze.
Lily stepped backward.
Afraid.
Ava stopped in front of her.
For several seconds…
nothing happened.
Then Ava held out the knife.
Lily looked confused.
“What are you doing?”
Ava spoke quietly.
“You dropped this.”
Lily looked down.
It was not a knife.
It was a small silver necklace.
The necklace Amelia had given Lily earlier.
Ava had picked it up.
Lily slowly took it.
“Thank you.”
Ava nodded.
Then stepped back.
A tiny crack appeared in her emotionless expression.
A tiny sign that somewhere inside…
there was still a child.
Alexander noticed.
His eyes became darker.
“Ava.”
The girl immediately turned.
“Yes, Father.”
“Come here.”
She obeyed.
But before she reached him…
Lily spoke.
“Wait.”
Everyone looked at her.
The little girl looked at Ava.
“Do you like drawing?”
Ava froze.
A strange expression appeared.
“Why?”
“Because I draw when I’m scared.”
Lily looked down.
“I thought maybe you do too.”
Alexander’s face changed.
Just slightly.
But Ethan saw it.
The question was simple.
But it touched something Alexander tried to destroy.
Ava looked at Lily.
“I don’t draw.”
“Why?”
Ava answered:
“Because drawings are memories.”
A pause.
“And memories make people weak.”
Lily frowned.
“No.”
Ava looked at her.
“My mommy says memories make people strong.”
For the first time…
Ava looked confused.
Alexander suddenly turned away.
“This conversation is meaningless.”
He looked at Ethan.
“You have twenty-four hours.”
“For what?”
“To choose.”
Ethan stared.
“Choose what?”
Alexander smiled.
“Your successor.”
“The Blackwood empire cannot belong to two heirs.”
Amelia immediately said:
“They are children.”
Alexander ignored her.
“Tomorrow, the Eclipse Circle will vote.”
“The world will know which daughter carries the Blackwood legacy.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“You think I will play your game?”
Alexander looked at him.
“You already are.”
Then he whispered:
“Because you will never allow one daughter to lose.”
A dangerous silence followed.
Alexander knew exactly where to attack.
Not Ethan’s pride.
Not his company.
His heart.
Then Alexander turned toward Ava.
“Come.”
The girl followed.
But before leaving…
she looked back at Lily.
Just for a second.
And Ethan saw something.
A question.
A hidden wish.
Ava wanted to stay.
But she did not know how.
That night.
The Blackwood mansion was quieter than ever.
Lily sat beside Amelia.
“Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“Does Ava hate me?”
Amelia looked at her.
“No.”
“But she looks angry.”
Amelia smiled sadly.
“Sometimes people look angry because they are hurt.”
Lily thought for a moment.
“Can we save her?”
The question broke Amelia’s heart.
Because Lily was asking the same thing Ethan had been asking for seven years.
Can we save someone who has already been hurt?
Before Amelia answered…
Ethan entered.
His face was serious.
“What happened?”
Daniel followed behind him.
“We found something.”
He placed a tablet on the table.
A video appeared.
Ava.
Alone.
Inside Alexander’s facility.
The recording was from three years earlier.
Ava was sitting in a dark room.
A man’s voice asked:
“Who is your family?”
The little girl answered:
“I don’t have one.”
The voice continued:
“Wrong.”
A pause.
“Try again.”
Ava repeated:
“I don’t have one.”
The man asked:
“What about Ethan Blackwood?”
Silence.
Then Ava answered:
“He abandoned me.”
Ethan froze.
The video continued.
The man asked:
“What about Lily?”
Ava looked at the camera.
Her eyes were empty.
“She is the reason I was taken.”
Ethan’s expression changed.
Because he understood.
Alexander had not only hidden Ava.
He had rewritten her memories.
He had turned her against her own family.
Daniel stopped the video.
“Mr. Blackwood…”
Ethan stared at the screen.
Ava was not his enemy.
She was another victim.
A child who had been taught to hate the people who loved her.
Ethan looked toward Lily.
Then toward Amelia.
His voice was quiet.
“Tomorrow…”
A pause.
“I’m not choosing between my daughters.”
His eyes hardened.
“I’m destroying the man who made them suffer.”
Outside the mansion…
a hidden camera captured everything.
Alexander watched the family reunion.
Then smiled.
Because he knew something Ethan did not.
Ava had been trained for one purpose.
May you like
And tomorrow…
that purpose would begin.
