Chapter 7: The Father Who Came Back From The Dead
The room went completely silent.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
The man standing at the entrance looked at me with eyes full of regret.
Eyes that somehow felt familiar.
I had spent my entire life wondering what my father looked like.
Whether he had my smile.
Whether he would have loved me.
Whether he ever thought about me after leaving this world.
But I never imagined I would meet him.
Not like this.
Not after twenty years of believing he was gone.
Victoria was the first person to move.
She stepped backward.
Her face had lost all color.
“You can’t be here.””
The man looked at her.
“I know.””
His voice was calm.
“But I am.””
My hands gripped the edge of the table.
I couldn’t stop staring.
“You’re not my father.””
The words came out before I could control them.
The man looked at me sadly.
“I understand why you think that.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“My father died.””
The pain in his eyes deepened.
“Everyone told you that.””
I looked at Victoria.
She looked away.
That was the moment everything inside me broke.
Because her silence confirmed what my heart was afraid to believe.
She had lied.
All my life.
The man slowly stepped forward.
“My name is Daniel Collins.””
I backed away.
“Why?””
He stopped.
“Why what?””
“Why did you let me believe you were dead?””
His expression changed.
Pain.
Pure pain.
“I didn’t.””
The room became quiet.
“I never wanted you to think I abandoned you.””
“Then where were you?””
I could feel years of anger rising.
Years of loneliness.
Years of waiting for someone who never came.
“Where were you when I needed you?””
Daniel lowered his eyes.
“I was trying to survive.””
I laughed bitterly.
“Survive?””
I looked around the mansion.
“At least you had a choice.””
Victoria flinched.
Daniel looked at her.
“You told her nothing?””
Victoria’s voice shook.
“I was protecting her.””
“No.””
His voice became firm.
“You were protecting yourself.””
The words hit the room like a storm.
Alexander remained silent, watching everything.
I looked at him.
“You knew?””
He shook his head.
“Not this.””
Daniel looked at Alexander.
“You’re his son.””
Alexander nodded.
“My father told me about yours.””
Daniel gave a small, sad smile.
“Robert always kept his promises.””
I frowned.
“Who is Robert?””
Alexander answered.
“My father.””
Everything felt like a puzzle with missing pieces.
Too many secrets.
Too many people who knew things I didn’t.
I turned back to Daniel.
“I need answers.””
He nodded slowly.
“You deserve them.””
“Then start talking.””
Daniel looked toward the window.
The ocean stretched endlessly outside.
“When I met your mother, she wasn’t the woman she is now.””
Victoria closed her eyes.
“I loved her.””
I almost couldn’t believe those words.
“She loved you,” Daniel continued.
“She loved you more than anything.””
I looked at Victoria.
She didn’t deny it.
“She was happy when you were born. She said you were her miracle.””
My throat tightened.
“Then why did she hate me?””
Victoria whispered:
“I never hated you.””
I turned toward her.
“Then why?””
She couldn’t answer.
Daniel continued.
“Because after I discovered what was happening inside my company, everything changed.””
“What was happening?””
Daniel’s face became serious.
“Someone was stealing money. Moving assets. Building an empire on lies.””
Alexander’s expression changed.
“My father suspected the same thing.””
Daniel nodded.
“He was the only person who believed me.””
I looked between them.
“So what happened?””
Daniel took a deep breath.
“I found the person responsible.””
The room became tense.
“Who?””
Before he could answer, Victoria interrupted.
“No.””
Everyone looked at her.
She looked terrified.
“Please.””
Daniel stared at her.
“You still want to protect him?””
I felt a chill.
“Him?””
Victoria said nothing.
Alexander stepped closer.
“Who are you talking about?””
Daniel looked directly at me.
“The man who destroyed our family.””
My heartbeat increased.
“Who?””
Daniel’s eyes moved toward Victoria.
Then he said the name.
“Your grandfather.””
The room froze.
I couldn’t understand.
“My grandfather?””
Daniel nodded.
“Your father’s father.””
Victoria whispered:
“He controlled everything.””
Daniel continued.
“He wanted the company. He wanted power. When I discovered what he was doing, he tried to remove me.””
“You mean…”
“Yes.””
Daniel looked at me.
“He arranged the accident that everyone believed killed me.””
My hand covered my mouth.
“But you survived.””
“Barely.””
He touched an old scar near his temple.
“I was injured. I lost my memory for a period of time. By the time I recovered, I discovered something worse.””
“What?””
Daniel looked at Victoria.
“You and Samantha were gone.””
Victoria’s eyes filled with tears.
“I thought you were dead.””
“I know.””
“I waited.””
Daniel looked away.
“You believed I died.””
“And you believed I abandoned you.””
The sadness between them was almost unbearable.
Two people destroyed by the same lie.
A lie created by someone else.
I sat down slowly.
My entire life was changing in front of me.
Then Daniel reached into his jacket.
He pulled out a small envelope.
“I carried this for twenty years.””
My eyes moved to it.
“What is it?””
“Something your father wrote before everything happened.””
He handed it to me.
My name was written on the front.
Again.
But this time…
it was from the man standing in front of me.
I opened my mouth.
But before I could touch it, Alexander’s phone suddenly rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed instantly.
“What is it?”” I asked.
He didn’t answer.
He looked at Daniel.
Then at Victoria.
And finally at me.
“The person who sent those messages…”
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A pause.
“He knows Daniel is alive.””
