Chapter 4: The Child Before Ethan
Michael read the sentence again.
Then again.
But the words refused to make sense.
*Ethan is not the first child Victoria tried to keep away from you.*
His fingers tightened around the paper.
The edges bent beneath his grip.
"What does that mean?""
Nobody answered.
The silence was louder than any confession.
Victoria looked at Sarah with pure disbelief.
"You are insane.""
Her voice was shaking.
"You have finally gone too far.""
Sarah didn't move.
For the first time since Michael had known her, she looked fearless.
"No, Mrs. Victoria.""
Her voice was quiet.
"I went too far eight years ago when I stayed silent.""
Michael looked between them.
Eight years.
That number kept repeating in his mind.
Eight years ago.
Before Ethan.
Before the marriage.
Before the perfect life he thought he had built.
"Sarah," he said slowly, "start from the beginning.""
Victoria immediately stepped forward.
"No.""
Michael's eyes snapped toward her.
"Excuse me?""
Her face softened.
"Michael, please.""
That word used to calm him.
Tonight, it only made him more suspicious.
"You don't get to stop this conversation.""
Victoria looked wounded.
"I am your wife.""
"And he's my son.""
The room went silent.
Victoria stared at him.
The sentence had cut deeper than he intended.
But he couldn't take it back.
Michael looked at Sarah.
"Tell me.""
Sarah took a deep breath.
"I worked at St. Catherine's Hospital eight years ago.""
Michael frowned.
"You were a housekeeper here.""
"No.""
She shook her head.
"I became a housekeeper here after.""
A cold feeling moved through him.
"Why?""
Sarah looked down.
"Because of a woman named Emily Carter.""
Michael froze.
The name.
The same last name as Daniel.
The man from the phone.
"Who is Emily Carter?""
Sarah's eyes filled with sadness.
"She was a patient at St. Catherine's.""
Victoria's face lost color.
Michael noticed.
"Victoria.""
His wife's eyes moved away.
"Do you know that name?""
"No.""
The answer came too quickly.
Sarah gave a bitter smile.
"She always did that.""
Michael looked at Sarah.
"What happened to Emily?""
Sarah hesitated.
Then she walked to the table and placed another document beside the first.
"This is a hospital record.""
Michael picked it up.
His eyes moved across the page.
A female patient.
Twenty-three years old.
Emergency delivery.
A baby boy.
The date was eight years ago.
Michael's heart started pounding.
"Why are you showing me this?""
Sarah looked directly at him.
"Because the baby's father was listed as unknown.""
Michael frowned.
"Then why does this involve me?""
Sarah didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she pointed to a section near the bottom.
Michael looked.
His breath stopped.
The father's information wasn't filled out.
But there was a note.
A handwritten note.
*Possible paternity confirmation pending.*
Michael looked up.
"What?""
Sarah's voice dropped.
"Emily was going to tell you.""
The room became completely still.
Michael felt dizzy.
"Tell me what?""
Sarah swallowed.
"That you were the father.""
The words hit him like a physical blow.
"No.""
The denial came instantly.
"No.""
He stepped back.
"I never met anyone named Emily Carter.""
Sarah's eyes softened.
"Yes, you did.""
Michael shook his head.
"I would remember.""
"You met her before you became famous.""
His mind raced.
Eight years ago, Michael wasn't the billionaire everyone knew today.
He was still building his company.
Working eighteen-hour days.
Traveling constantly.
Going to conferences.
Meeting hundreds of people.
Sarah continued.
"She was a temporary assistant at one of your charity events.""
Michael looked away.
A memory flashed.
A young woman.
Brown hair.
A nervous smile.
A conversation near the hotel balcony.
It was brief.
Nothing serious.
Nothing he thought mattered.
But then—
He remembered.
She had told him she needed to speak with him.
He had promised to call.
Then his company suffered a crisis.
And he forgot.
"Where is she now?""
Sarah looked down.
Michael knew the answer before she spoke.
"She died.""
His chest tightened.
"How?""
Sarah's voice became barely audible.
"Car accident.""
Michael stared.
"When?""
"Three weeks after giving birth.""
Silence.
The baby.
The baby from eight years ago.
A child he never knew existed.
"What happened to the baby?""
Sarah looked at Victoria.
Michael followed her gaze.
And suddenly, he understood.
Victoria's silence.
Her fear.
The way she reacted to Emily's name.
"Victoria.""
His wife's eyes filled with tears.
"Michael, listen to me.""
"No.""
His voice was low.
"I need you to answer one question.""
She looked at him.
"Did you know?""
Victoria didn't respond.
That was the answer.
Michael closed his eyes.
For years, he had believed he understood his marriage.
His wife.
His family.
Now every memory felt like it belonged to someone else.
"You knew about Emily.""
Victoria shook her head.
"I knew about a woman who was obsessed with you.""
Sarah stepped forward.
"That's not true.""
Victoria turned sharply.
"Stay out of this.""
"No.""
Sarah's voice trembled.
"Not this time.""
She looked at Michael.
"Emily wasn't obsessed with you.""
"Then why didn't I know?""
Sarah's face broke.
"Because someone made sure you never found out.""
Michael looked at Victoria.
The room seemed colder.
"Did you?""
Victoria started crying.
"Michael, you have no idea what happened.""
"Then explain.""
"I was scared.""
"Of what?""
She looked at Ethan.
Then back at him.
"Of losing you.""
Michael laughed quietly.
Not because it was funny.
Because he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"So you hid my child?""
Victoria immediately shook her head.
"No.""
"Then what happened?""
She said nothing.
Sarah answered.
"Emily's baby was taken away after she died.""
Michael looked at her.
"Taken away?""
"Yes.""
"By who?""
Sarah's lips trembled.
"I don't know.""
Michael looked at the documents again.
A terrible thought entered his mind.
"Where is the child now?""
Nobody spoke.
Then Victoria whispered:
"Michael...""
He looked at her.
Her face was filled with guilt.
"I tried to fix it.""
The sentence made his blood run cold.
"Fix what?""
Victoria wiped her tears.
"I thought I was protecting us.""
Michael stared.
"Us?""
"Our family.""
He stepped closer.
"Where is the child, Victoria?""
Her silence stretched.
Then she whispered:
"He's alive.""
Michael stopped breathing.
The world seemed to disappear.
"Where?""
Victoria looked away.
"I don't know.""
Michael's voice became dangerous.
"Don't lie to me.""
"I don't!""
Her tears fell faster.
"I swear.""
"Then how do you know he's alive?""
Victoria didn't answer.
Sarah did.
"Because she visited him.""
Michael turned.
"What?""
Sarah's voice shook.
"I saw her.""
Victoria closed her eyes.
"Sarah...""
"No.""
Sarah looked at Michael.
"You deserve the truth.""
Michael felt his hands go numb.
"When?""
Sarah whispered:
"Six years ago.""
"Where?""
Sarah hesitated.
Then said:
"At the same place where she sent me after I found out.""
Michael's heart sank.
"What place?""
Sarah looked toward the window.
Toward the darkness outside.
"The private children's home funded by the Harrington Foundation.""
Michael felt a wave of horror.
His own charity.
His own money.
His own name.
Used to hide something from him.
He looked at Victoria.
"Why?""
She didn't answer.
But someone else did.
A sound came from the hallway.
A phone vibrating.
Everyone turned.
The sound was coming from the desk near the door.
Michael walked toward it slowly.
A second phone was sitting there.
Not his.
Not Victoria's.
Not Sarah's.
A phone that had been hidden beneath a stack of documents.
The screen lit up.
One new message.
Michael picked it up.
The message was from a saved contact.
A name that made Victoria go completely still.
*Mom.*
May you like
And beneath it were the words:
*He knows about the first child. We need to leave tonight.*
