Chapter 53

I sit beside Daniel Carter, frozen. My mind struggles to process his words. First, William and Victoria Sterling weren’t my real parents. Second, he claimed to be my brother.

"What?" I shriek as the weight of his confession crashes over me. "You slept with me knowing we were siblings? That’s vile!"

"You slept with him?" Ethan Blackwood’s voice booms, his presence suddenly suffocating the room. His aura turns lethal, darkening the air around us.

I shoot him a withering glare. "That’s not your concern."

My thoughts spiral. If Daniel’s words were true, then I had unknowingly committed incest. The bile rises in my throat. Disgust coils in my stomach. What kind of monster does that?

The more I learned about Daniel, the more I questioned if anything about him had been real.

"You’re not my sister," Daniel clarifies.

"But you just said Eleanor and Alexander Prescott are your parents," I counter.

"I told you I was adopted. That part was true. They took me in after my father died. We share no blood, so no, we didn’t commit incest." His smirk is infuriating. "Though I must say, I loved every time you moaned my name."

Heat floods my cheeks. I look away, mortified.

Even if we weren’t related by blood, his actions were still unforgivable. If he knew the truth, he never should have touched me.

Ethan tenses beside me, his fists clenched, jaw locked. I ignore him. His anger makes no sense.

Gregory clears his throat, slicing through the tension.

"If Eleanor’s baby died, why claim Sophia is that child?" he asks, dragging me back to reality.

Sebastian nods. "Yeah, that makes no sense."

It didn’t. If the doctors declared the baby dead, it was likely true. Daniel even admitted the infant was unresponsive at birth, and Eleanor witnessed it before passing.

"That’s what she believed," Daniel explains. "She held a funeral. Buried an empty casket. The grief destroyed her. She spiraled into depression, was institutionalized for months."

His voice softens. "She was never the same. Lost her will to live. Failed classes, graduated late. Alexander stood by her, but watching her suffer nearly broke him."

My chest tightens. I may not have known Eleanor, but as a mother, the thought of losing Liam would destroy me.

"With time, Alexander’s love pulled her through. They married at twenty-two. She wanted another child, but doctors revealed her traumatic first birth had left her infertile."

His expression darkens. "So they adopted me. Gave me their name, their legacy."

I recall how he once spoke of them with reverence.

"Then how does Sophia fit into this?" Ethan demands, his glare sharp enough to draw blood.

"My grandparents died in a plane crash," Daniel continues. "But I later discovered they’d been investigating their granddaughter’s disappearance. They suspected foul play but kept it from Eleanor and Alexander to spare them false hope."

His jaw tightens. "Then I found a hidden clause in their will. If Alexander retired or died, everything—including their company—would go to their granddaughter. The family lawyer knew."

He exhales sharply. "I couldn’t let that happen. I’d dedicated years to that company. So I dug deeper—and uncovered the truth. Eleanor’s parents paid off doctors to fake their granddaughter’s death."

My breath catches.

"They were ashamed of Eleanor’s out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Hiding a baby was impossible, so they staged her death and arranged an adoption."

His gaze locks onto mine. "I tracked you down. If you died, the clause would be void. When I learned how despised you were—even by your own husband—I thought I’d be doing the world a favor."

The pain is unbearable. This man, who once comforted me, had deemed me unworthy of life.

"The first attempt wasn’t mine," he admits. "But I seized the opportunity. Playing the hero was the easiest way to earn your trust."

Every word is a knife to my chest. I’d been blind. A fool.

"Why get close to me if you wanted me dead?" My voice is barely a whisper.

He shrugs. "I wanted to toy with you. Punish you for your sins. You were so trusting—it was almost too easy. And if the hitman failed, being near you made killing you simpler."

My hands clench. I had fallen for him while he plotted my ruin.

"It was supposed to be simple. Get close, then destroy you. But I didn’t count on—" He cuts himself off, something flickering in his eyes—guilt? Regret? It’s gone before I can decipher it.

I’m too broken to ask.

"But even if Sophia died, wouldn’t the company go to Liam?" Amelia asks.

"No," Daniel says coldly. "I erased all traces of her existence. And the will doesn’t mention her children."

"This is insane," Nathan snaps, standing. "You’re saying our parents knew and lied to us?"

Daniel’s lips curl. "Exactly. And after learning what kind of woman she is, I’m glad she’s not tied to your wretched family."

Nathan lunges, but Daniel sidesteps, sending him crashing into the table.

Ethan scoffs. "Says the man who wanted her dead."

Daniel’s glare shifts to me. "I called off the hitman, but he went rogue. By the time I realized, it was too late—he’d already taken you." His voice drops. "Believe that, if nothing else."

I can’t bear it. I bolt from the room, collapsing outside the station. Sobs wrack my body as betrayal consumes me.

Strong arms envelop me. Ethan’s familiar cologne surrounds me.

"Let it out, angel," he murmurs.

I pull back, tears streaking my face. "Go ahead. Say it. Tell me I was a fool."

His gray eyes soften. He pulls me close. "Never, Sophia. Never."

I shatter in my ex-husband’s arms, destroyed by the man I thought loved me.