Chapter 10 - The Old FactoryDaniel wanted to go alone.
Marcus refused.
“You’ll die.”
“My daughter is involved.”
“That’s why you need backup.”
Maya stepped forward.
“I’m going too.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You lied to me.”
“Yes.”
“But you saved Lily.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know whether to trust you.”
Maya nodded.
“You don’t have to.”
The old NorthStar factory stood outside town.
Broken windows.
Rusting fences.
No lights.
Daniel entered through the side door.
“Michael!”
His voice echoed.
A light flickered on.
Michael stood at the far end of the building.
Alive.
Older.
Scarred.
But alive.
Daniel walked toward him.
“You killed Rachel.”
Michael shook his head.
“No.”
“You were there.”
“I tried to stop it.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
Michael laughed bitterly.
“I know what Rachel told you about me.”
“She told me not to trust you.”
“She had reasons.”
“Then explain.”
Michael pointed upward.
A camera blinked.
“Someone is watching us right now.”
Daniel looked around.
Michael continued.
“Rachel was going to expose NorthStar.”
“She did.”
“No.”
Michael stepped closer.
“She was going to expose the people above NorthStar.”
“Who?”
“People your father worked for.”
Daniel went still.
“My father?”
Michael nodded.
“He helped build the financial network.”
“Why?”
“Because they threatened his family.”
Daniel’s voice cracked.
“Who?”
Michael stared at him.
“Jonathan Hale was not the head of NorthStar.”
“Then who was?”
Michael looked directly at him.
“Rachel.”
Daniel’s face went blank.
“No.”
“She discovered the truth.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Rachel inherited NorthStar through your father.”
Daniel shook his head.
Michael continued.
“She tried to dismantle it.”
“Then why hide Lily?”
“Because Lily was proof.”
“Proof of what?”
Michael took out a small folder.
“Your daughter’s DNA.”
Daniel stared.
Michael opened it.
The results showed a genetic match.
Daniel.
Rachel.
Lily.
But another name appeared.
Jonathan Hale.
Daniel’s blood ran cold.
“There are two genetic matches.”
“What?”
“Lily isn’t only related to you and Rachel.”
Michael’s eyes filled with something that looked like fear.
“She is related to Jonathan Hale.”
Daniel stared.
“But that’s impossible.”
Michael shook his head.
“Not if Jonathan Hale was your real father.”
Daniel couldn’t breathe.
His father had never been the man he thought he was.
Everything was collapsing.
Then an explosion rocked the building.
Michael grabbed Daniel.
“Down!”
Fire erupted behind them.
Someone had detonated explosives.
Daniel hit the floor.
When he looked up, Michael was gone.
And so was Lily.
Maya screamed from the doorway.
“Daniel!”
He turned.
Emma was standing beside her.
But Emma was holding something.
A photograph.
She looked terrified.
“Daddy…”
“What is it?”
She handed it to him.
The photograph showed Rachel.
Pregnant.
Standing beside a man Daniel had never seen before.
May you like
On the back were five words.
This is Lily’s real father.
