Chapter 6 - THE CHILD THEY WERE WAITING FORThe gun in Daniel's hand was steady.

Too steady.

He wasn't angry.

He wasn't panicked.

He looked like a man finishing a business transaction.

“What does that mean?” I asked.

He smiled.

“You really don't remember?”

“I remember giving birth.”

“You remember the pain.”

“Yes.”

“You remember the doctors.”

“Yes.”

“You remember Emma crying.”

“Yes.”

“You don't remember the room before that.”

My stomach twisted.

“What room?”

Daniel stepped closer.

“The research room.”

Michael shouted.

“Don't listen to him.”

Daniel laughed.

“Why?”

“Because she deserves the truth.”

“Truth?”

Daniel looked at me.

“Your daughter was part of a clinical experiment.”

I felt my legs weaken.

“No.”

Michael lowered his voice.

“Sarah…”

“Tell me he's lying.”

Michael said nothing.

I looked at him.

“Tell me!”

He closed his eyes.

“He's not lying about the experiment.”

The world disappeared beneath my feet.

I turned toward Emma.

She was crying.

“What experiment?”

Michael answered.

“Before Emma was born, there was a medical program funded by a private company.”

“What company?”

“Voss Biomedical.”

Daniel smiled.

“My father founded it.”

I stared.

“Why Emma?”

“Because Michael had a genetic trait they were studying.”

“What trait?”

“A rare resistance to a neurological disease.”

I looked at Emma.

“She inherited it?”

“We believe so.”

Daniel said it.

“And that was worth millions.”

My mind raced.

“So Mark…”

“Was paid to marry you,” Daniel said.

“And my father?”

“Was paid to keep you quiet.”

Michael stepped forward.

“And I was threatened.”

“By Daniel?”

“Yes.”

Daniel laughed.

“You make it sound dramatic.”

“You kidnapped me,” Michael said.

“Because you tried to expose us.”

I looked at Michael.

“What happened nine years ago?”

He stared at Emma.

“I found out Sarah was pregnant.”

“And?”

“I went to Robert.”

I turned toward my father.

He stood at the doorway.

He looked broken.

“You were going to take Emma,” he said.

Michael nodded.

“Because I knew what Daniel planned.”

My father lowered his head.

“I was afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

Daniel answered.

“Losing everything.”

My father whispered.

“They threatened to kill Sarah.”

“And you believed them,” Michael said.

“Yes.”

“So you took the money.”

“Yes.”

I felt something inside me break.

“Dad…”

“I thought I could keep you alive.”

“By selling me?”

“I was trying to protect you.”

“You let Mark become my husband.”

“I didn't know what he would become.”

Mark's voice came from behind us.

“That's not true.”

We all turned.

Two police officers were escorting him toward the house.

His wrists were cuffed.

His face was bruised.

But he was smiling.

“Mark,” I whispered.

He looked at Daniel.

“You're finished.”

Daniel raised his gun.

The officers drew theirs.

“Drop it!”

Daniel hesitated.

Then threw the gun onto the ground.

For one second, I thought it was over.

Then Mark started laughing.

I turned toward him.

“What?”

He looked at me.

“You still think Daniel was the mastermind?”

Nobody moved.

Mark leaned closer.

“He wasn't.”

Daniel stared at him.

“Shut up.”

Mark smiled.

“Tell her who signed the original order.”

Daniel's face changed.

Mark looked directly at my father.

“Tell Sarah who ordered the experiment.”

My father said nothing.

The silence was unbearable.

Then Mark whispered:

“Robert did.”

I stared at my father.

“No.”

Dad's face crumpled.

“Sarah…”

I stepped backward.

“You approved it?”

“I didn't know what they were going to do.”

“You signed it.”

“I was desperate.”

“YOU SIGNED IT.”

Emma began crying.

I pulled her close.

And then Mark said the one thing that shattered everything left inside me.

“There is one more person who signed that document.”

I looked at him.

“Who?”

May you like

I Came Home Early and Found My Housekeeper’s 3-Year-Old Daughter Scrubbi...

I returned home hours earlier than expected and discovered my housekeeper’s three-year-old daughter standing barefoot in the laund...

My Family Inherited Millions and Left Me a Ruined House. Four Months Lat...

The lawyer’s office fell silent as my grandmother’s will was read, and I watched my family inherit millions while I received nothi...

A Desperate Mother Begged a Billionaire for a Job to Feed Her Two Childr...

I was stranded on a lonely Arizona highway with two starving children, a pair of ruined suitcases, and no way to reach our destina...

Mark's smile disappeared.

“Your mother.”