Chapter 17 - The Lie About EllieI stared at my mother.
“Tell me he's lying.”
She didn't answer.
“Mom.”
She looked at Dad.
Then at me.
“Ellie is your daughter.”
“That isn't what I asked.”
“She is yours.”
“Biologically?”
My mother shook her head.
I stepped backward.
My entire body felt numb.
Ben started crying.
“I knew.”
I turned to him.
“You knew?”
He nodded.
“I found out before Ellie was born.”
I stared at him.
“You never told me.”
“You were pregnant.”
“You knew she wasn't biologically mine?”
Ben swallowed.
“Yes.”
“Then why did you marry me?”
“I loved you.”
My mother stepped forward.
“Ellie's father was Daniel's son.”
I froze.
“Daniel had a son?”
“Yes.”
“Where is he?”
My mother looked away.
“Dead.”
The word hung in the room.
“Ellie was conceived before he died. Daniel believes she inherited access to the account.”
“How?”
“DNA.”
I stared.
“That's impossible.”
“Not when the trust was written that way.”
Dad interrupted.
“The account is tied to the family bloodline.”
I looked at him.
“And Ellie is the key.”
“Yes.”
I felt sick.
All this time...
The coffee.
The recordings.
The lies.
The kidnapping.
It had all been about my daughter.
A tiny child who didn't know what any of this meant.
Daniel called again.
I answered.
“Give her back.”
“You cannot protect her forever.”
“I don't have to.”
He laughed.
“You still think this is about money.”
“What is it about?”
“Control.”
The call ended.
Then a location arrived.
An abandoned mansion outside the county.
My mother looked at it.
“No.”
“What?”
“That's where Daniel keeps his files.”
Dad looked at her.
“And his people.”
Ben stood.
“Then we go.”
I stared at him.
“We?”
He looked at me.
“You've spent your whole life protecting me.”
He swallowed.
“Let me protect Ellie.”
For the first time since the coffee hit her face, I believed him.
We drove to the mansion.
The front doors were open.
Inside, every wall was covered with photographs.
Me.
Ben.
Ellie.
My parents.
Linda.
Gary.
Everyone.
At the center of the room was one photograph.
My mother.
Standing beside Daniel.
And between them...
a baby.
My daughter.
Under the photograph were four words.
The bloodline continues.
Then the lights turned on.
May you like
Daniel stood at the top of the stairs.
Holding Ellie.
