Chapter 9: The Choice No Father Should Make
For a moment, nobody moved.
Not me.
Not Victoria.
Not Daniel.
The entire world narrowed down to one terrifying image.
A man standing beside my children.
The babies I had held.
The babies I had protected.
The babies I had loved since the first second I saw them.
Daniel slowly raised his hands.
“Relax.””
My voice came out low.
“Step away from them.””
He smiled.
“You sound like me.””
That sentence made my skin crawl.
“What does that mean?””
“It means you understand.””
“No.””
I stepped forward.
“It means you’re sick.””
Daniel’s smile disappeared.
“You have no idea what I lost.””
I looked at the twins.
“They are not something you lost.””
“They are my children.””
Victoria cried.
“Daniel, stop.””
He looked at her.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do.””
The anger in his voice made the room colder.
Detective Harris entered behind me.
“Daniel Hayes.””
Daniel looked over.
“Detective.””
“You need to step away.””
Daniel laughed.
“You all think this is about kidnapping.””
His eyes moved back to the babies.
“It’s not.””
“Then what is it?””
He looked at me.
“It’s about correcting a mistake.””
My heart pounded.
“What mistake?””
Daniel walked slowly toward the doorway.
Not threatening.
Almost calm.
“The mistake was letting James believe he was their father.””
I clenched my fists.
“They don’t know you.””
Daniel looked hurt.
And for a second, I saw something human.
Then it disappeared.
“That’s because she erased me.””
He pointed at Victoria.
“She stole my family.””
Victoria shook her head.
“You destroyed everything yourself.””
Daniel laughed.
“You always say that.””
Detective Harris stepped closer.
“Daniel, you need to surrender.””
Daniel ignored him.
Instead, he looked at me.
“Do you want the truth?””
I didn’t answer.
“Do you want to know which child is yours?””
The question hung in the air.
I hated that I wanted the answer.
Because a part of me needed certainty.
A part of me needed to know.
Daniel reached into his pocket.
Victoria screamed:
“Don’t!””
Everyone reacted.
But Daniel only pulled out a small envelope.
He threw it onto the floor.
“Inside.””
Nobody moved.
Detective Harris carefully picked it up.
He opened it.
Then looked confused.
“What is this?””
He handed me the paper.
A DNA report.
My eyes moved down the page.
Then stopped.
The result was clear.
*James Cole — Biological Father: Twin B*
I couldn’t breathe.
Twin B.
My baby.
My child.
I looked toward the cribs.
One of them was mine.
But what about the other?
Daniel watched my face.
“Now you understand.””
I looked at him.
“No.””
His smile faded.
“What?””
I held the paper.
“You think this changes anything?””
He looked confused.
“I’m their father.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“You’re their biological father.””
The difference mattered.
Because I knew something Daniel didn’t.
A father wasn’t created by DNA.
He was created by every night spent awake.
Every doctor appointment.
Every bottle.
Every nightmare.
Every moment.
Daniel stepped closer.
“You’re defending her?””
“No.””
I looked at Victoria.
“I’m protecting my children.””
Daniel’s face changed.
Because he realized something.
He thought the DNA would divide us.
He thought biology would decide everything.
He was wrong.
Detective Harris moved toward him.
“Daniel, this is over.””
But Daniel didn’t move.
Instead, he looked at Victoria.
“You should tell him the last secret.””
My stomach dropped.
“What secret?””
Victoria went pale.
“Daniel…”
“What secret?”” I repeated.
Daniel smiled.
“The DNA report is real.””
I looked at him.
“But?””
He looked at Victoria.
“But it’s not the only one.””
Silence.
Victoria closed her eyes.
“I was going to tell him.””
My heart sank.
“Tell me what?””
She looked at me.
“The clinic made another discovery.””
I waited.
“The twins…”
Her voice shook.
“They aren’t just biologically different.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
She looked at the babies.
“One of them inherited a genetic condition.””
I froze.
“What condition?””
She looked away.
“And Daniel knew.””
My blood turned cold.
Daniel smiled.
“Because I found the records before you did.””
Detective Harris stepped forward.
“What are you saying?””
Daniel looked at the cribs.
“I’m saying Victoria didn’t hide the truth because she was afraid of losing James.””
He looked at me.
“She hid it because she was afraid he would choose one child over the other.””
I felt sick.
“Victoria?””
She started crying.
“I was afraid.””
Again.
That word.
But this time, I understood.
She wasn’t afraid of losing me.
She was afraid I would see my children differently.
And maybe…
She was right.
Because in that moment, I felt something I never wanted to admit.
Fear.
Not of the child who wasn’t mine.
But of the world that would treat them differently.
Daniel stepped backward.
“Now you know everything.””
Detective Harris moved.
But Daniel smiled.
Because he had one final card.
He pointed toward the window.
“Look outside.””
Nobody moved.
Then we heard it.
A car engine.
Victoria looked out.
Her face turned white.
“No.””
“What?””
She whispered:
“That’s not possible.””
I looked outside.
A woman was standing beside a black SUV.
Watching the house.
Detective Harris stared.
“Who is that?””
Victoria’s voice barely came out.
“My sister.””
I froze.
“You have a sister?””
Victoria looked at me.
“I thought she was dead.””
The woman outside slowly lifted her hand.
And waved.
Then my phone buzzed.
May you like
A message from the unknown number.
*“Victoria wasn’t the only one who kept secrets.””*
