Chapter 7: The Father They Buried in Silence
My biological father had been dead for twenty-eight years.
His name was Daniel Carter.
Michael showed me his photograph.
He was standing beside a red convertible, wearing a faded denim jacket and smiling at whoever had taken the picture.
He had dark eyes.
The same dark eyes I saw in my bathroom mirror every morning.
I stared at the photograph until the edges blurred.
"Why didn't my mother tell me?""
Michael sat down.
"Daniel was the youngest of three brothers. He was reckless, generous, and completely different from the rest of us.""
Denise interrupted.
"He was irresponsible.""
Michael turned toward her.
"He was twenty years old.""
"He got Renee pregnant.""
"And he loved her.""
Denise laughed bitterly.
"He loved everybody.""
I looked at her.
"Did you know him?""
She didn't answer.
Michael continued.
"Daniel and Renee were together before she became pregnant. When he found out, he wanted to marry her.""
I swallowed.
"Why didn't they?""
"Because Eleanor refused to allow it. She believed Renee was beneath the family.""
Jordan looked disgusted.
"Grandma really did think she owned everyone.""
Michael nodded.
"She offered Renee money to disappear. Daniel found out and threatened to expose her.""
"What happened to him?""
Michael stared at the photograph.
"He died in a car accident.""
"When?""
"Six months before you were born.""
I felt something inside me collapse.
My father had never held me.
He had never seen my face.
He had never known I existed.
"Was it really an accident?""
Michael looked down.
Denise stood abruptly.
"Michael, don't.""
He ignored her.
"Daniel's car was found on the side of a country road. The brakes had failed.""
Jordan stared.
"You're saying someone sabotaged his car?""
"I don't know.""
"Did the police investigate?""
"Your grandmother made sure the case was closed quickly.""
I looked at Denise.
"Did my mother know?""
Michael nodded.
"She suspected Eleanor had something to do with it.""
I felt tears slipping down my cheeks.
"Then why did she stay quiet?""
"Because she was afraid you would be taken from her.""
Denise walked to the fireplace.
"Renee had a chance to tell the truth. She chose to keep you.""
I turned toward her.
"She raised me. She loved me. She gave me everything.""
"She also kept you from your real family.""
I stepped closer.
"Don't you dare make her the villain.""
Denise's voice cracked.
"I lost my daughter!""
"And my mother lost her chance to tell me who my father was!""
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Michael placed another envelope on the table.
"Daniel left this before he died.""
I looked at the handwriting.
It was addressed to Renee.
If anything happens to me, please tell our daughter that I loved her before I ever saw her.
My knees nearly gave out.
Jordan caught my elbow.
I opened the letter.
Renee,
I know my family will try to separate us. I know Mother will use money, threats, and every connection she has to make sure our child never carries the Carter name.
But I don't care about the name.
I want our little girl to know that she was wanted.
If I cannot be there, please tell her I would have spent my whole life making her laugh.
Daniel.
I pressed the letter against my chest.
I had never known what it felt like to miss someone I had never met.
Now I did.
Jordan sat beside me.
"I'm sorry.""
I looked at him.
"For what?""
"For all of this.""
He reached for my hand.
I let him hold it.
Then Michael cleared his throat.
"There is something else.""
Denise turned sharply.
"Michael.""
He looked exhausted.
"I'm done protecting you.""
He removed a small envelope from his pocket.
"Five years ago, I hired a private investigator to examine Daniel's death.""
Jordan frowned.
"What did he find?""
Michael placed a photograph on the table.
It showed a young man standing beside Daniel's car.
The man wore a hospital uniform.
Beneath the photograph was a handwritten name.
Thomas Reed.
The same man who had worked in the hospital records department.
I stared at the picture.
"Thomas was involved?""
Michael nodded.
"He was Daniel's closest friend.""
"Then why did he help Eleanor?""
"Because Eleanor threatened his daughter.""
I thought of Sophia.
"She was the third girl?""
Michael nodded.
"Thomas discovered that Eleanor had arranged for Sophia's identity to be changed. He wanted to expose her, but she threatened to make sure Sophia disappeared into the system.""
Jordan shook his head.
"So Thomas protected her by keeping quiet?""
"Yes.""
I looked at the photograph again.
"Did he know what happened to Daniel?""
Michael hesitated.
"According to the investigator, Thomas was the last person seen with him.""
The room fell silent.
Then Michael handed me a second document.
It was a statement Thomas had signed shortly before his death.
I did not kill Daniel Carter. But I know who ordered his death.
I looked up.
"Who?""
Michael pointed toward the final paragraph.
The name was written in capital letters.
*ELEANOR CARTER.*
Jordan sank into the sofa.
"Grandma.""
Michael nodded.
"But she wasn't acting alone.""
I looked toward Denise.
She was staring at the photograph.
Her hands were shaking.
"Who helped her?"" I asked.
Denise slowly raised her eyes.
"I did.""
Jordan stood.
"What?""
"I was eighteen. Eleanor told me Daniel was going to ruin everything. She said he would take the baby and leave me with nothing.""
Michael looked devastated.
"You helped her?""
Denise began crying.
"I didn't know she would kill him!""
The words exploded through the room.
I stared at her.
"You knew?""
"I helped Eleanor find out where Daniel was going that night. I thought she was going to scare him. I thought she'd make him leave town.""
Jordan stepped away from his mother.
"You helped murder your own daughter's father?""
Denise covered her face.
"I was a child!""
"So was Aaliyah!""
Denise lowered her hands.
For the first time, she looked truly broken.
"I know.""
Michael walked toward the door.
"I'm taking these documents to the police.""
Denise grabbed his sleeve.
"You can't!""
He pulled away.
"I should have done it years ago.""
Then my phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number appeared.
Your mother wasn't killed because she knew about Daniel.
A second message followed.
She was killed because she found out who Sophia really was.
I looked at Jordan.
He read the message.
Then he whispered:
"Who could Sophia possibly be that would make someone kill Renee?""
Before I could answer, the doorbell rang.
Michael opened the door.
A woman stood outside.
She looked almost exactly like me.
Except she had a small silver scar near her chin.
She held an old photograph in one hand.
"Hello," she said quietly.
"My name is Sophia Reed.""
May you like
Then she looked directly at Jordan.
"And I think I'm your twin.""
