Chapter 4: The Name on the Birth Certificate
Adrian read the document again.
Then a third time.
His daughter's name was printed clearly across the top.
*CHLOE SERENA BENNETT.*
But beneath it, where his name should have appeared, was another name.
*Father: Richard James Bennett.*
For several seconds, Adrian couldn't hear anything around him.
The hospital corridor seemed to stretch endlessly beneath the fluorescent lights. A nurse walked past carrying a tray. Somewhere behind him, a child laughed.
But Adrian remained frozen.
His father.
The man who had taught him to ride a bicycle. The man who had stood beside him at his wedding to Serena. The man who had held Chloe in the hospital and called her his little princess.
The man whose name was now printed on a document claiming to be her biological father.
"That's impossible," Adrian whispered.
Detective Harper took the phone from his hand and examined the photograph.
"Where did this come from?""
"An unknown number.""
"Did the sender identify themselves?""
"No.""
"Have you seen the original document before?""
Adrian shook his head.
"Serena never mentioned anything like this.""
Harper studied the photograph.
"Then we need to establish whether it's authentic.""
Adrian rubbed his forehead.
"Chloe is my daughter. I was there when she was born.""
"Being present at a birth doesn't establish biological parentage.""
He looked at her sharply.
"Are you suggesting I should question everything I know about my own child?""
"I'm suggesting someone wants you to believe something. We need evidence before drawing conclusions.""
His phone vibrated again.
Another message.
This time, it contained a voice recording.
Adrian pressed play.
A man's voice filled the corridor.
It was unmistakable.
Richard.
"She will never find out. The child stays with Adrian. Serena will take the blame, and Vanessa will receive what we agreed.""
Then another voice answered.
Vanessa.
"And if Serena escapes?""
Richard replied without hesitation.
"Then we make sure nobody believes her.""
The recording ended.
Adrian lowered the phone.
Harper looked at him.
"Do you recognize both voices?""
"Yes.""
"Can you identify when this conversation took place?""
"No.""
"Forward it to me. Don't delete anything.""
Adrian sent the file.
Then he looked toward the examination room where Chloe was speaking with the child specialist.
"She can't hear this.""
"She won't," Harper assured him.
He nodded.
But his hands were shaking.
Twenty minutes later, Adrian entered Serena's room.
She was sitting upright, drinking water.
The moment she saw his expression, she lowered the glass.
"What happened?""
He closed the door.
"Someone sent me a photograph.""
Serena looked at him.
"What photograph?""
"A birth certificate.""
Her face lost color.
Adrian approached the bed.
"It says Richard is Chloe's biological father.""
For a moment, Serena said nothing.
Then her fingers began trembling.
"Where did you get that?""
"An unknown number.""
Serena closed her eyes.
"Adrian...""
He sat beside her.
"Tell me the truth.""
She stared at the blanket.
"I wanted to tell you.""
"When?""
"After Chloe was born.""
Adrian's breathing became shallow.
"What are you saying?""
Serena looked up.
"Richard isn't her father.""
Adrian froze.
"Then why is his name on that document?""
"Because he paid someone to change the original records.""
Adrian felt sick.
"Who is Chloe's biological father?""
Serena looked at him for a long moment.
Then she reached for his hand.
"You.""
He almost laughed from the shock.
"What?""
"You are Chloe's father, Adrian. I have never been with Richard. Never.""
"Then why would he do this?""
Serena swallowed.
"Because your grandfather discovered something about the company before Chloe was born.""
Adrian frowned.
"What does that have to do with her?""
"Your grandfather planned to transfer a large portion of the family estate into a protected trust for Chloe. He wanted her to inherit it directly when she became an adult.""
Adrian nodded slowly.
"I know about the trust.""
"No. You know about the version your father showed you.""
Serena's eyes filled with tears.
"The original agreement had another condition. If anyone attempted to remove Chloe as the sole beneficiary, the trust would automatically trigger an independent investigation into the family's financial records.""
Adrian stared at her.
"So Richard changed her birth certificate?""
"He tried to establish that Chloe wasn't your child. If he could convince the court that she wasn't your biological daughter, he could challenge her inheritance.""
Adrian shook his head.
"But why would he put his own name there?""
"Because he believed he could eventually claim the inheritance through her.""
"That's insane.""
"He thought he could control everything. He thought your grandfather's death had left him untouchable.""
Adrian stood and walked toward the window.
"Why didn't you tell me?""
Serena's voice cracked.
"I tried. Your grandfather had given me copies of the original documents. I was going to show you after Chloe's first birthday.""
"What happened?""
"Richard found out.""
She took a shaky breath.
"He came to the house one night. He told me that if I exposed him, he would destroy your career, take Chloe away, and make sure you believed I had betrayed you.""
Adrian turned.
"And you believed him?""
"I believed he had enough power to make those threats real.""
She looked down at her wrists.
"Then Vanessa started visiting me. She pretended to be my friend. She said she understood how difficult it was being married to someone from a powerful family.""
Adrian remembered those visits.
Vanessa had been a family acquaintance long before their engagement.
She had brought gifts for Chloe.
She had offered to babysit.
She had even helped organize Serena's birthday party.
"She was collecting information," he whispered.
Serena nodded.
"She wanted to know where the original documents were hidden.""
"Did she find them?""
"I don't know.""
Adrian looked at the silver key in his palm.
"B-17.""
Serena nodded.
"Your grandfather told me that was where he kept the originals.""
Adrian stared at the key.
"Then why didn't Richard simply take it from you?""
"Because he didn't know I had it. Your grandfather gave it to me secretly before he died.""
Adrian sat down again.
"Serena, there's something else.""
He showed her the photograph of the document.
She studied it carefully.
Then she pointed to the lower corner.
"That's not the original birth certificate.""
"How can you tell?""
"Look at the hospital seal.""
Adrian leaned closer.
"The seal?""
"The hospital where Chloe was born closed its maternity department the year before that document was supposedly issued.""
He frowned.
"So it's fake.""
"Yes.""
Serena looked at him.
"But someone wanted you to see it.""
Adrian's phone vibrated.
A new message appeared.
You have until midnight to hand over the key. Otherwise, Chloe learns who her real mother was.
Adrian stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
A photograph.
It showed Chloe sitting in the hospital waiting room.
Someone had taken the picture from outside the building.
Beneath it were four words.
*We can still reach her.*
Adrian immediately stood.
"Harper!""
Detective Harper ordered additional officers to secure the hospital entrance.
Melissa took Chloe into a private family room while security reviewed the surveillance footage.
Adrian stood beside Harper in the monitoring office.
"Whoever sent those photographs knows where my daughter is.""
"We'll identify the sender if we can.""
"That's not good enough.""
Harper looked at him.
"I understand you're angry, but don't make this harder by confronting your father.""
Adrian turned.
"My father has been threatening my family for years.""
"And we need evidence that will stand up in court.""
A security officer entered carrying a tablet.
"Detective, we've got something.""
The footage showed a woman wearing a beige coat standing near the hospital entrance.
She held a phone in one hand.
Then she looked directly toward the camera.
Adrian recognized her immediately.
Vanessa.
But she wasn't alone.
A man stood beside her.
He was wearing a dark baseball cap and holding a large envelope.
The security officer zoomed in.
Adrian's stomach dropped.
He recognized the man too.
It was Daniel Price.
Richard's personal attorney.
Harper stared at the screen.
"Do you know him?""
"He's been handling my father's legal affairs for twenty years.""
The footage continued.
Vanessa handed Daniel the envelope.
He opened it, removed a photograph, and showed it to her.
She nodded.
Then she pointed toward the hospital entrance.
Adrian stepped closer to the screen.
"What's she telling him?""
Harper paused the footage.
"We can't know.""
Adrian stared at Vanessa's face.
She wasn't crying.
She wasn't frightened.
She was smiling.
And that was when he understood something.
Vanessa wasn't trying to escape.
She was still carrying out a plan.
His phone rang.
An unknown number.
He answered.
"Who is this?""
A woman's voice whispered.
"Mr. Bennett, you need to listen carefully.""
"Who are you?""
"My name is Evelyn Carter. I used to work for your grandfather.""
Adrian straightened.
"What do you want?""
"I know what happened to Serena. And I know what Richard did to Chloe's records.""
"Where are you?""
"Somewhere your father can't find me.""
"Then tell me where the original documents are.""
There was a pause.
Then Evelyn whispered:
"Your grandfather didn't hide them in the archive.""
Adrian gripped the phone.
"Where did he hide them?""
"Inside the one place Richard would never dare search.""
The call abruptly disconnected.
A second later, a message appeared.
*Ask your daughter what she found in the dollhouse.*
Adrian slowly lowered the phone.
Because he remembered the dollhouse.
May you like
It had belonged to Chloe's grandmother.
And Vanessa had thrown it away three months earlier.
