Chapter 14 - The Navarro ArchiveAlejandro Navarro had kept records of everything.
Sebastian discovered that three days later.
A storage facility in White Plains contained forty-seven sealed boxes belonging to his father’s estate.
Contracts.
Correspondence.
Property records.
Personal files.
Sebastian sat on the concrete floor opening his dead father’s secrets one box at a time.
Claudia joined him despite Sebastian’s objections.
“You gave birth four days ago.”
“And?”
“And normal people rest.”
“I married you. Clearly normal was never the plan.”
He surrendered.
By afternoon, Claudia found the file.
REBECCA SLOAN.
Inside were photographs.
Background checks.
Bank statements.
And a letter.
Alejandro’s handwriting.
Marcus—
The girl cannot become a complication.
Handle the hospital.
Sebastian stopped reading.
Claudia covered her mouth.
There was another document.
A payment.
$250,000.
Recipient: Dr. Evelyn Cross.
St. Matthew’s Hospital.
Sebastian felt physically sick.
“My father bought my daughter.”
Claudia touched his shoulder.
“We don’t know that yet.”
“Yes, we do.”
“No.”
She turned him toward her.
“We know he interfered. We know money changed hands. We know records were altered.”
Her voice softened.
“But we don’t know where she went.”
That mattered.
Facts.
Not fear.
Not assumptions.
They searched until evening.
Then Sophie called.
“Mom?”
“What happened?”
“Noah put Mr. Bun in the toilet.”
Claudia closed her eyes.
“Why?”
“I asked him.”
“And?”
“He said ‘boat.’”
Sebastian began laughing.
Claudia stared at him.
“Our family is collapsing.”
“Our son understands maritime transport.”
She hit him with a folder.
The laughter helped.
Then Sebastian found another photograph.
A woman holding a toddler.
On the back:
Evelyn Cross and child — Boston, 2018.
The girl would have been four.
The same age as the child in the anonymous photograph.
Sebastian called his team.
Evelyn Cross was alive.
She lived outside Boston.
They drove there the next morning.
The house was small.
Blue shutters.
Vegetable garden.
A bicycle beside the garage.
Evelyn opened the door.
She was seventy-one.
When she saw Sebastian, her face collapsed.
“You look like him.”
“My father?”
She nodded.
Sebastian held up the photograph.
“I’m looking for this girl.”
Evelyn’s eyes filled.
“Her name is Lily.”
Sebastian stopped breathing.
“Where is she?”
Evelyn looked behind her.
Then stepped outside and closed the door.
“You cannot simply walk into her life.”
“She’s my daughter.”
“She has parents.”
The words hit him.
“Adoptive parents?”
“Yes.”
“Did they know?”
“No.”
“Know what?”
“That the adoption was illegal.”
Claudia squeezed Sebastian’s arm.
Evelyn explained.
Alejandro had ordered the infant removed.
Marcus arranged documents.
Evelyn had participated.
Then regretted it.
She placed the baby through an adoption attorney.
A couple believed everything was legitimate.
“They love her,” Evelyn whispered.
Sebastian’s voice was cold.
“You stole twelve years from me.”
“Yes.”
“And from Rebecca.”
“Yes.”
“And from Ethan.”
Evelyn cried.
“Yes.”
Sebastian wanted to hate her.
Then Claudia asked the only question that mattered.
“Is Lily healthy?”
Evelyn looked at her.
“Yes.”
Claudia exhaled.
“And is she happy?”
“Yes.”
Sebastian looked at Claudia.
He understood what she was asking him without words.
Being a father did not mean possession.
He had learned that lesson once.
He would not forget it now.
“Where is she?” he asked.
Evelyn hesitated.
Then gave them a name.
Rachel and David Mercer.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Sebastian stared.
Mercer.
The same surname as Mercer Genetic Services.
Not coincidence.
Never coincidence.
His phone vibrated.
The hospital.
Ethan’s condition had deteriorated.
The doctor spoke quickly.
They needed the registry donor.
Immediately.
Sebastian asked the question he was suddenly terrified to ask.
“Is the donor Lily?”
A pause.
“We received authorization to release limited information.”
Sebastian closed his eyes.
The doctor answered.
“Yes.”
May you like
His stolen daughter was alive.
And she might be the only person who could save the twin brother she did not know existed.
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