Chapter 3 - MY MOTHER'S SECRET
My mother lived in the same mansion where I had grown up.
A house full of portraits.
A house full of secrets.
A house where every decision had always been made behind closed doors.
When I arrived, she was sitting in the library.
She didn't look surprised.
That was the first thing I noticed.
She had expected me.
"You're finally asking questions."
I stared at her.
"Where is Lily?"
Her fingers tightened around her teacup.
"I don't know."
"Don't lie to me."
She sighed.
"Your father believed Elise would never make a suitable Caldwell."
I stepped closer.
"Where is my daughter?"
She looked at me.
"You had no daughter."
I threw the photograph onto the table.
Her face changed.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
"You know her."
"No."
"You know her."
She stood.
"Adrian, listen to me."
"No."
I pointed at the photograph.
"That little girl is my daughter."
"She isn't."
"DNA says otherwise."
My mother froze.
I smiled bitterly.
"So you admit it."
She sat down.
For the first time in my life, my mother looked frightened.
"Elise was pregnant with twins."
My heart stopped.
"Twins?"
"She lost one."
"That's what Warren told me."
"He lied."
My mother looked down.
"Elise gave birth to three children."
I couldn't understand.
"Three?"
She nodded.
"A girl was born first."
I gripped the chair.
"Triplets."
"Yes."
"And?"
"One boy and one girl survived."
My mouth went dry.
"Miles and Noah."
She nodded.
"And Lily?"
My mother closed her eyes.
"She was taken."
"By you?"
Silence.
I screamed.
"BY YOU?"
She flinched.
"Your father wanted her gone."
"Why?"
"Because Lily was born with a heart condition."
I stared at her.
"What?"
"She needed treatment."
"And?"
My mother's voice cracked.
"Your father believed the family couldn't afford the scandal."
I almost laughed.
"We owned half of Charleston."
"It wasn't about money."
"Then what?"
She looked at me.
"It was about inheritance."
I didn't understand.
"Explain."
"Your grandfather's trust required the family heir to be healthy."
My stomach turned.
"So you abandoned a sick child for money?"
"No."
"You gave away my daughter."
"We sent her somewhere safe."
"WHERE?"
My mother began crying.
"An orphanage."
The word echoed through the room.
An orphanage.
My daughter.
My blood.
My baby.
I stumbled backward.
"Which one?"
She whispered the name.
I knew it.
Savannah Children's Home.
I turned toward the door.
"Adrian."
I stopped.
"She didn't stay there."
I turned slowly.
"What?"
My mother wiped her eyes.
"Someone adopted her."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
I stared at her.
"Find out."
"Adrian—"
"Find my daughter."
She looked at me.
"And then what?"
I walked toward the door.
"Then I'm going to find the people who took six years from me."
My mother whispered,
"You may not like what you discover."
I turned.
"I already hate what you've done."
Outside, I called Elise.
She answered immediately.
"Where are you?"
"With my mother."
Silence.
"Why?"
"I know about Lily."
The line went completely quiet.
Then Elise whispered,
"You found her?"
"No."
Her breathing changed.
"Adrian..."
"I found her photograph."
She began crying.
"Where did you get it?"
"From Warren."
Another silence.
Then she said,
"She's alive."
I froze.
"You know?"
"I always knew."
"Where is she?"
"I don't know."
"Elise."
"She was adopted."
"Do you know who adopted her?"
"I've spent six years trying to find out."
I closed my eyes.
"Then we'll find her together."
Elise didn't answer.
"Please."
Finally she whispered,
"Don't make promises you can't keep."
"I'll keep this one."
After we hung up, I called my attorney.
"Find everything."
"Everything?"
"Adoption records. Hospital records. Trust documents. Financial transfers. Every communication between my family and Elise during the divorce."
"How far back?"
"Seven years."
I paused.
"And find the doctor who signed Elise's fertility report."
My attorney went silent.
"You think it was falsified?"
"I know it was."
That night, I returned home.
Brooke was waiting.
She stood in the living room with a suitcase.
"I’m leaving."
I looked at her.
"I didn't ask."
"No."
She placed her wedding ring on the table.
"But you deserve to know something before I go."
"What?"
"I helped Warren because I was afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
She looked at me.
"Your family knew I couldn't have children either."
I stared at her.
"What?"
She whispered,
"I was never pregnant."
My blood ran cold.
"Then whose baby were you planning to give me?"
May you like
Brooke began crying.
And I realized the lie was much bigger than Elise.
