CHAPTER 1: THE TRUTH THAT WAS BURIED
The old man’s hand trembled as he stepped closer.
“Say it again,” he whispered, his voice barely holding together. “What is your mother’s name?”
The little girl clutched the necklace tighter, as if it were the only thing protecting her in that cold, glittering room.
“Anna,” she said softly. “Anna Williams.”
A sharp gasp rippled through the crowd.
The billionaire—Edward Harrison—staggered back as if struck. That name… that name had haunted him for over twenty years.
“My daughter…” he murmured, his eyes locked on the child. “Anna is my daughter.”
The room erupted in whispers.
But the little girl only looked confused. “You’re lying,” she said quietly. “My mom said her father abandoned her.”
Those words cut deeper than any knife.
Edward dropped to his knees.
“I didn’t abandon her,” he said, his voice breaking completely now. “She was taken from me… I searched for her. For years. But someone made sure I never found her.”
Silence fell again—but this time, it was heavier.
“Where is your mother now?” he asked, fear creeping into every syllable.
May you like
The girl hesitated. Then her lips trembled.
“She’s sick.”
