Chapter 6
The paternity results arrived on a Thursday morning.
I was sitting in my office when Camille called.
"Adrian, they're here."
My heart began pounding.
I already knew what I believed.
I'd seen Lily's face.
Her smile.
Her dimples.
I'd heard Serena's story.
But the official confirmation still mattered.
I drove straight to Camille's office.
Serena was already there.
She stood when I entered.
Her hands were trembling.
I looked at her.
"Ready?"
She nodded.
Camille opened the envelope.
Then read the result.
The probability of paternity was greater than 99.99 percent.
I stopped breathing.
Lily was my daughter.
Not just in my heart.
Not just because of a pendant or a familiar smile.
She was my biological child.
I sat down slowly.
My hands covered my face.
For five years, I'd missed her life.
Her first steps.
Her first words.
Her first birthday cake.
The first time she rode a bicycle.
The first time she called someone Daddy and realized nobody answered.
I felt tears sliding through my fingers.
Serena sat beside me.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
I shook my head.
"No."
I looked at her.
"We were both lied to."
Her eyes filled.
I reached for her hand.
She hesitated.
Then placed it in mine.
For a moment, we sat quietly.
Five years of pain between us.
And a little girl waiting for us to decide what came next.
I looked at Serena.
"I want to be part of her life."
She nodded.
"I want that too."
"But I don't want to rush her."
Serena smiled through tears.
"Thank you."
I took a breath.
"We'll do this carefully."
That afternoon, we met Lily at a small park.
Serena had already spoken to a child counselor about how to explain the situation in an age-appropriate way.
I was nervous.
More nervous than I'd ever been before a business negotiation.
Lily came running toward me.
"Adrian!"
I crouched.
She hugged me.
I held her gently.
"Hey, princess."
She pulled back.
"Mommy said we have something important to talk about."
I smiled.
"We do."
We sat together on a bench.
Serena took Lily's hand.
"Sweetheart, remember how we've talked about your daddy?"
Lily nodded.
"Yes."
Serena looked at me.
Then back at her daughter.
"Adrian is your daddy."
Lily stared at me.
Her eyes widened.
Then she looked at Serena.
"Really?"
Serena nodded.
"Really."
Lily turned back to me.
For several seconds, she didn't speak.
Then she asked, "Where were you?"
My heart broke.
I swallowed.
"I didn't know where you were, sweetheart."
She frowned.
"Why?"
I looked at Serena.
We had agreed not to burden Lily with adult details.
So I answered honestly, but simply.
"There was a mistake that kept us apart."
Lily looked thoughtful.
"Did you look for me?"
Tears filled my eyes.
"I didn't know you were here to look for."
She studied my face.
Then asked something I'll never forget.
"Do you want to be my daddy now?"
I felt my throat close.
I knelt in front of her.
"More than anything."
She smiled.
Then she threw her arms around my neck.
"Daddy!"
I closed my eyes.
The word shattered me.
Daddy.
I'd waited five years without knowing I was waiting.
I held her carefully.
Then I began crying.
Serena covered her face.
Lily pulled back.
"Why are you crying?"
I laughed through the tears.
"Because I'm happy."
She giggled.
"You're silly."
I smiled.
"Probably."
She hugged me again.
And for the first time in my life, I understood what people meant when they said their heart felt too full.
Later, we bought ice cream.
Lily told me about school.
Her favorite teacher.
Her best friend.
Her dream of becoming a veterinarian.
I listened to every word.
Not because the stories were extraordinary.
Because they were hers.
My daughter.
My little girl.
And I wasn't going to miss any more than I had to.
Meanwhile, Camille continued investigating the financial documents.
She had hired a forensic accountant.
They reviewed my mother's trust records.
Old company filings.
Transfers.
And the documents Mrs. Jenkins preserved.
The findings were troubling.
Large amounts had moved from the trust into Carter Heritage Holdings.
Some transactions occurred before my mother's death.
Others continued afterward.
I stared at the report.
"How much?"
Camille hesitated.
"Potentially several million dollars."
I felt sick.
My father had always told me the trust was modest.
He said my grandfather left enough to help with my education.
Nothing more.
Now the records suggested something very different.
Camille continued.
"We need to establish whether these transfers were authorized."
I nodded.
"Do it."
She also recommended an independent review of the circumstances surrounding my mother's death.
Not because we had proof of wrongdoing.
But because the newly discovered documents contradicted parts of the family account.
I agreed.
I wanted facts.
Not guesses.
Not revenge.
Facts.
The next day, I called my father.
He answered immediately.
"Adrian! Finally."
His voice sounded cheerful.
Too cheerful.
"Where have you been?"
I took a breath.
"Busy."
He laughed.
"You're always busy."
I stared at the documents on my desk.
"Dad, we need to talk."
His tone changed.
"About what?"
"Serena."
Silence.
Then he said, "I thought we settled that years ago."
I closed my eyes.
"No. You settled it."
He sighed.
"Adrian, don't reopen old wounds."
I looked at Lily's photograph on my phone.
A picture Serena had sent that morning.
My daughter smiling beside a giant stuffed bear.
I took a breath.
"Dad, I have a daughter."
The line went silent.
For several seconds, I heard nothing.
Then my father whispered, "What?"
"Her name is Lily."
Another pause.
"Adrian..."
"She's five."
His breathing changed.
I continued.
"And the paternity test confirms she's mine."
My father said nothing.
Then he asked something that made my blood run cold.
"Has Serena shown you the agreement?"
I stopped breathing.
He knew.
He knew exactly what agreement I meant.
I looked at the phone.
May you like
"Dad, what did you do?"
And for the first time in my life, my father didn't have an answer ready.
