Chapter 8 - The Daughter He Had Never Met
The Alden home was modest.
Blue siding.
White shutters.
A porch swing.
Nothing like the world Daniel had been raised in.
Susan answered the door.
Her husband, Robert, stood behind her.
Claire sat in the living room.
She looked angry.
Not frightened.
That trait felt familiar too.
She stood when Daniel entered.
"So."
Her arms crossed.
"You're Daniel Mercer."
"Yes."
"The billionaire."
"I don't use that word very often."
"Other people do."
Susan touched Claire's arm.
"Please."
Claire pulled away.
"No."
She looked at Daniel.
"Someone has been following me."
"I know."
"Someone came to our house."
"I know."
"And suddenly my parents tell me you're connected to my adoption."
Daniel chose every word carefully.
"I believe I'm your biological father."
Claire laughed once.
Not because anything was funny.
"Of course you do."
Susan began crying.
Robert put an arm around her.
Claire looked at them.
"You knew?"
Susan nodded.
"For a week."
"A week?"
Claire's voice rose.
"You've known this for a week?"
"We wanted to protect you."
"Everybody keeps saying that."
Claire looked back at Daniel.
"Did you know about me?"
"No."
"Ever?"
"I knew you were born."
The room went still.
Daniel forced himself to continue.
"I was told you died the morning after your birth."
Claire's anger faltered.
"My father told me."
"Thomas Mercer?"
"Yes."
Claire looked at Susan.
"You said there were letters."
Susan walked to a cabinet.
She removed a locked metal box.
Inside were thirteen envelopes.
One for each year between Claire's adoption and Thomas Mercer's death.
Daniel recognized his father's handwriting.
Robert spoke.
"We didn't know who he was when we adopted Claire."
"The agency said the biological mother was nineteen and had chosen a closed adoption."
Susan continued.
"We wanted a child for years."
Her eyes went to Claire.
"When they placed her in my arms, she was everything."
Claire's expression softened slightly.
Susan handed Daniel the oldest letter.
It was dated six months after Claire's birth.
Mr. Alden,
I understand Claire is healthy.
Enclosed is money for any medical costs not covered by insurance.
There should be no contact with the biological mother or father.
The arrangement protecting Claire's future depends upon discretion.
T.M.
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"Did my father pay you?"
Robert immediately shook his head.
"We returned every check."
Susan opened another compartment.
Uncashed cashier's checks.
Daniel looked at them.
Thousands.
His father had tried to buy silence.
The Aldens had refused.
"You should have contacted me."
Robert's face hardened.
"We didn't know what you knew."
Fair.
Claire sat.
"What was my name?"
Daniel looked at her.
"What?"
"When I was born."
He swallowed.
"Olivia."
Claire blinked.
"Olivia Mercer?"
"Emily and I chose Olivia Rose."
"Emily."
Claire repeated the name quietly.
"My mother."
"Yes."
"Where is she?"
"We're trying to find her."
Claire stood again.
"So both biological parents suddenly appear in my life, except one is missing and the other is being removed from his company."
Daniel stared.
"You saw the news."
"Everyone saw the news."
She stepped closer.
"It says Emily tried to extort you."
"That's false."
"How do I know?"
"You don't."
That answer surprised her.
Daniel continued.
"You don't know me."
"You shouldn't trust me because we share DNA."
"You should judge me by what I do next."
Claire's expression shifted slightly.
It was the first time he had said something she believed.
Susan retrieved Emily's envelope.
Daniel opened it.
Inside was a letter.
Daniel,
If you're reading this, then I either lost my nerve or someone made the decision for me.
Claire is alive.
Her name is Claire Alden.
Susan and Robert are good people.
Do not punish them for loving the child we were not allowed to raise.
Daniel stopped.
His throat closed.
He forced himself onward.
I hated you for years.
Then I found evidence that you never received my letters.
I hated myself for years after that.
Neither of us chose what happened.
Your father did.
Richard helped him.
But now Richard has another reason to keep Claire hidden.
Thomas created a trust for our daughter.
Richard has been using it.
I was going to bring you proof.
If I fail, look inside the original Mercer Foundation ledgers for 2007.
Do not trust digital copies.
And Daniel—
Tell Claire I never stopped looking.
Daniel lowered the letter.
Claire was crying silently.
She wiped her face angrily.
"I don't even know her."
"No."
Daniel's voice was gentle.
"But she knows you."
"How?"
"She found you months ago."
Claire looked stunned.
"Why didn't she come talk to me?"
"Because she wanted proof."
"Or because she was scared."
"Probably both."
Claire looked toward the window.
"Is there really an eight-year-old boy?"
Daniel smiled faintly.
"Noah."
"My brother."
"Yes."
Claire almost laughed.
"Today I woke up an only child."
"I woke up with no children."
Daniel looked at her.
"Life has been busy."
For the first time, Claire smiled.
Just slightly.
Then the front porch light went out.
Marcus's voice came through Daniel's earpiece.
"Daniel."
The urgency was unmistakable.
"Get everyone away from the windows."
Daniel moved instantly.
"Back room."
Claire frowned.
"What?"
"Now."
Marcus entered through the side door.
"There was a vehicle parked two houses down."
"Gray sedan?"
"Yes."
"It left?"
"No."
Marcus looked toward the darkened window.
"Driver got out."
A sound came from the porch.
A soft scrape.
Then an envelope slid beneath the front door.
Nobody moved.
Marcus approached carefully.
He opened it.
Inside was a photograph of Emily.
Current.
Alive.
Sitting in what looked like a motel room.
On the back, someone had written:
THE NEXT DECISION IS YOURS, DANIEL.
Claire whispered, "She's alive."
Daniel stared at the photograph.
Yes.
Emily was alive.
May you like
And whoever had her wanted Daniel to know it.
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