Chapter 8 - The Lie Caroline Believed
Caroline spent the night remembering every moment she had misunderstood.
Lily hadn’t abandoned them.
She had been protecting them.
The silence Caroline once interpreted as betrayal had been sacrifice.
Ethan carried even heavier guilt.
“I stopped looking.”
“You thought she chose to leave.”
“I should’ve known her better.”
Caroline shook her head.
“Victor designed the lie so you would believe it.”
The DNA results arrived that morning.
Probability of paternity: greater than 99.99 percent.
Ethan was Noah’s father.
He did not celebrate.
He sat alone for several minutes.
Then he asked Noah if he could speak with him.
Noah reluctantly agreed.
“I’m not going to ask you to call me Dad,” Ethan said.
Noah watched him.
“I’m not going to pretend seven years didn’t happen. I wasn’t there.”
“You didn’t know.”
“No. But you still lived those years without me.”
Noah’s eyes filled.
Ethan continued.
“So you decide how fast this goes.”
Noah looked at the DNA report.
“Did you want me?”
Ethan broke.
He lowered his head.
“When I thought you died, I thought something inside me died too.”
Noah slowly moved closer.
Ethan did not reach for him.
Noah made the choice.
He wrapped his arms around Ethan.
Caroline turned away to hide her tears.
Then Ruiz’s phone rang.
Police surveillance had spotted Victor.
He was moving Lily.
The operation had begun.
But within minutes, something went wrong.
Victor changed vehicles.
Officers lost visual contact.
Then a second vehicle appeared.
Raymond Pike was driving it.
And in the passenger seat sat Lily.
May you like
Alive.
The chase for Noah’s mother had finally begun.
