Chapter 6: The Daughter They Tried To Hide
My father had faced hostile takeovers, lawsuits, and business enemies who spent years trying to destroy him.
I had seen him stand in front of angry investors without blinking.
I had watched him walk into rooms where everyone wanted him to fail and leave with control still in his hands.
But that night, in the middle of the ballroom where hundreds of people were watching him…
Isaiah Carter looked afraid.
Not for himself.
For me.
“Dad?””
He didn’t answer.
His eyes stayed fixed on the phone screen.
The call had ended less than a minute ago, but whatever Victoria had said had changed something inside him.
Marcus stepped closer.
“Mr. Carter, we need to know what she meant.””
My father finally looked up.
“She said Brianna isn’t the only person they’ve been hiding from me.””
I felt a chill.
“What does that mean?””
Nobody answered.
Because nobody knew.
Or maybe someone did.
Ethan looked away.
And that small movement didn’t escape my father.
“Ethan.””
The young man froze.
My father walked toward him slowly.
“You know something.””
Ethan shook his head.
“I only know pieces.””
“Then give me the pieces.””
Ethan looked at me.
“I was told never to talk about your birth records.””
The words hit me like a physical blow.
“My what?””
My father’s expression changed.
“Explain.””
Ethan rubbed his hands together nervously.
“Three months ago, while investigating the foundation accounts, I found a locked archive file.””
Marcus frowned.
“The foundation doesn’t keep personal files.””
“This one wasn’t labeled as a foundation file.””
“Then what was it?””
Ethan swallowed.
“It was labeled Carter Family.””
The ballroom seemed to tilt.
I looked at my father.
He looked just as confused as I felt.
“What was inside?”” he asked.
Ethan hesitated.
“Documents.””
“What documents?””
“Old legal records.””
My father stepped closer.
“About what?””
Ethan looked at me.
“About Brianna.””
My heart began racing.
“No.””
The word escaped before I even realized I had spoken.
Everyone looked at me.
I shook my head.
“No. My father knows everything about me.””
My father looked at me.
And the pain in his eyes frightened me.
Because he didn’t say yes.
He didn’t say no.
He just looked lost.
“Dad?””
He reached for my hand.
“Brianna, I need you to trust me.””
“I do.””
“Good.””
His voice softened.
“Because I need to understand this before I make assumptions.””
The words were careful.
Too careful.
And that scared me more.
I had spent my entire life believing my story was simple.
Isaiah Carter was my father.
Elena Ellis was my mother.
They loved me.
They separated.
That was it.
But suddenly, there were locked files.
Hidden documents.
People saying I was a weakness.
People saying I was being hidden.
My entire identity felt like a room where someone had turned on a light.
And I was seeing things I had never noticed before.
Marcus looked at Ethan.
“Where is the file?””
Ethan looked down.
“I don’t have it anymore.””
My father’s eyes narrowed.
“Why?””
“Because someone found out I had accessed it.””
“Who?””
Ethan’s face tightened.
“David.””
Silence.
“What did he do?”” Marcus asked.
“He warned me.””
“How?””
Ethan looked uncomfortable.
“He told me some doors should stay closed.””
My father’s voice became colder.
“And then?””
“Then I lost access to the system.””
Marcus immediately looked concerned.
“David removed you?””
Ethan nodded.
“I knew something was wrong, so I copied what I could.””
He reached into his pocket.
Security reacted instantly.
“Relax.””
Ethan slowly pulled out a small flash drive.
“I made a backup.””
My father took it.
“Why didn’t you give this to me?””
Ethan looked at him.
“Because I didn’t know who I could trust.””
The honesty of that answer hurt.
Because now everyone was asking the same question.
Who could they trust?
My father looked at Marcus.
“Get this analyzed.””
Marcus nodded.
Then my father looked toward me.
“Come with me.””
I followed him away from the crowd.
For the first time all night, we entered a quiet hallway.
The ballroom noise disappeared behind the closed doors.
My father stopped near a window overlooking the city.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then he said:
“I’m sorry.””
I looked at him.
“For what?””
“For letting you stand in that room alone.””
My eyes burned.
“Dad…”
“No.””
He shook his head.
“I should have seen what was happening.””
“You didn’t know.””
“I should have.””
I looked at the man standing beside me.
The billionaire.
The chairman.
The person everyone thought was impossible to hurt.
But I knew better.
He was just my father.
“You always protected me.””
He looked at me.
“I tried.””
“You did.””
I smiled sadly.
“Even when I didn’t want you to.””
A small smile appeared on his face.
Then it disappeared.
“Your mother.””
I looked down.
“What about her?””
“Did she ever tell you anything else?””
I thought about yesterday.
The small café.
The rain against the window.
My mother holding my hands.
Her eyes filled with fear.
“She said she was sorry.””
My father looked away.
“She said she should have told me sooner.””
“What else?””
I hesitated.
“She said if anything happened to her, I should give you the envelope.””
My father went still.
“Anything happened?””
I nodded.
“She was scared.””
The silence between us felt painful.
“Where is your mother now?””
“I don’t know.””
His head snapped toward me.
“What do you mean?””
“She left after we talked.””
“Where?””
“I don’t know.””
“Brianna.””
His voice wasn’t angry.
It was fear.
“I tried calling her.””
“And?””
“No answer.””
My father immediately pulled out his phone.
He called.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Nothing.
Then Marcus rushed into the hallway.
“Mr. Carter.””
My father turned.
“What?””
Marcus looked serious.
“We found Victoria’s vehicle.””
“Where?””
“At the edge of the city.””
“And?””
Marcus hesitated.
“She abandoned it.””
My father’s jaw tightened.
“Is she inside?””
“No.””
A terrible feeling settled in my stomach.
“Did you find anything else?””
Marcus looked at me.
That look told me the answer before he spoke.
“Yes.””
My father stepped forward.
“What?””
Marcus held up a clear evidence bag.
Inside was a photograph.
A photograph of me.
Not from tonight.
Not from years ago.
A recent photo.
Taken secretly.
I was walking outside my apartment.
My father stared at it.
“When was this taken?””
Marcus answered quietly.
“Yesterday morning.””
My blood ran cold.
Someone had been watching me.
Before the gala.
Before Brielle.
Before everything.
My father looked at the photograph again.
Then he noticed something written on the back.
He turned it over.
Three words.
I could see them from where I stood.
And my heart stopped.
Because the message wasn’t a threat.
It was a warning.
My father read it aloud.
“Ask her who she really is.””
Nobody spoke.
I looked at my father.
“I know who I am.””
But even as I said it…
A terrible doubt appeared.
Because maybe that was the one question everyone had been trying to answer.
Not who my enemies were.
Not who betrayed my father.
But why they were so afraid of me.
My father looked at Marcus.
“Find Elena.””
Then he looked at me.
“And find out who my daughter really is.””
The words hurt.
Not because he doubted me.
Because he was afraid someone else had rewritten my entire life.
And before we could leave the hallway, my phone suddenly vibrated.
Unknown number.
One new message.
I opened it.
And my hands went cold.
The message contained only one sentence.
*Your father is protecting you from the wrong person.*
May you like
A second message appeared immediately.
*The woman who raised you is not your mother.*
