Chapter 8 - The Daughter Who Was Never a DaughterDominic ordered two independent DNA tests before sunrise.
One compared Hannah's DNA with his own.
The other compared Grace's DNA with samples recovered from Julian's preserved medical records.
Hannah insisted on selecting one laboratory herself.
Dominic agreed.
He also agreed that no one would be told the results without her permission.
For the next forty-eight hours, the apartment became a place where nobody spoke above a whisper.
Grace crawled across the carpet, unaware that her existence had shaken a billion-dollar empire.
Hannah barely slept.
Dominic slept even less.
On the second evening, Hannah found him standing beside the window.
"You think I'm your sister."
He did not turn.
"I think someone wants us to believe that."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
She folded her arms.
"If it's true..."
He turned.
"It doesn't make sense."
"People have hidden worse things."
"Julian knew about the adoption."
"Maybe he didn't know it was me."
Dominic looked at her.
"Then why put you in the house?"
She had no answer.
Grace crawled toward them, pulling herself upright against Dominic's leg.
He picked her up without hesitation.
Hannah noticed.
"You've gotten better at that."
"She doesn't give me much choice."
Grace laughed.
For one brief moment, the room felt almost normal.
Then Dominic's phone rang.
Marcus.
"We found the adoption agency."
Dominic put Grace down.
"Where?"
"Closed twenty years ago. But its records were transferred to a private archive."
"Who owns the archive?"
Marcus hesitated.
"Vincent Rizzo."
Dominic closed his eyes.
Of course.
"Get the records legally. No shortcuts."
"Already working on it."
That night, the first DNA results arrived.
Hannah was not Dominic's sister.
There was no biological relationship between them consistent with being siblings or half siblings.
Dominic read the report twice.
Then handed it to Hannah.
She stared.
"Are you sure?"
"Independent lab."
She began crying.
Not loudly.
Just a sudden release of terror that had been building for two days.
Dominic sat beside her.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For letting you think..."
She shook her head.
"You didn't invent the records."
"No. But I brought them into your life."
Hannah wiped her cheeks.
"Julian knew."
Dominic looked at her.
"He must have known. He wouldn't have loved me if he thought..."
Her voice broke.
Dominic nodded.
"You're right."
The next morning, the second DNA result arrived.
Grace was Julian's biological daughter.
The probability of paternity exceeded 99.99 percent.
Dominic sat alone with the report.
He had expected relief.
Instead, he felt grief.
Julian had a daughter.
A real, living daughter.
And he might still be alive somewhere.
Rebecca's former associate, attorney Daniel Mercer, arrived that afternoon with the recovered adoption files.
He was a careful man in his late thirties, chosen because he had never worked for Vincent.
"The records were altered," he said.
Dominic opened the folder.
"How?"
"The original child was registered as Female Infant Caruso. A second birth record was inserted later, using Hannah's name and date of birth."
"Who inserted it?"
"We don't know."
"But Hannah isn't the child."
"No."
"Then where is my sister?"
Daniel turned another page.
"That's the problem."
Dominic frowned.
"The adoption was never finalized."
"What?"
"The child was transferred out of Saint Catherine's under a temporary guardianship order. The receiving guardian was Eleanor Reed."
Hannah stood.
"My mother."
Daniel nodded.
"But Hannah's DNA doesn't match Dominic's."
"Correct."
"So what does that mean?"
Daniel hesitated.
"It means Eleanor Reed may have been caring for more than one child."
Hannah looked stunned.
"My mother never mentioned another baby."
"Did you have siblings?"
"No."
"Any children who lived with you temporarily?"
Hannah thought.
Then her face changed.
"There was a girl."
Dominic leaned forward.
"What girl?"
"When I was little, my mother used to take care of a girl named Lily. She was older than me. Maybe three or four years older."
"Where did she come from?"
"I don't know. She stayed with us during summers."
"What happened to her?"
Hannah looked down.
"One summer she stopped coming. Mom said her family moved."
Dominic felt his pulse quicken.
"Do you remember her last name?"
Hannah shook her head.
"Just Lily."
Daniel examined the file.
"There's another document."
He pulled out a photocopy.
It was a payment authorization.
Signed by Salvatore Caruso.
The recipient was Eleanor Reed.
The purpose field read:
CONTINUED PROTECTION OF MINOR — L.C.
Dominic stared.
L.C.
Lily Caruso.
His missing sister.
Hannah suddenly gripped the edge of the table.
"Wait."
Everyone looked at her.
"My mother had a photograph."
"What photograph?"
"Of me and Lily. We were standing outside our old house. Lily was wearing a blue dress."
"Do you still have it?"
"I think so."
"Where?"
"In a storage box at my apartment."
Dominic stood.
"We'll get it."
But Marcus entered before they could leave.
"Sir, there's a situation."
"What?"
"Vincent Rizzo has been arrested."
Dominic froze.
"By whom?"
"Federal agents. Financial crimes, kidnapping conspiracy, obstruction."
Hannah exhaled.
For the first time, she looked relieved.
Then Marcus continued.
"Vincent is offering a deal."
"What deal?"
"He says he'll tell investigators where Julian is."
Dominic's heart slammed against his ribs.
"Where?"
Marcus looked at Hannah.
"Vincent says Julian Caruso is alive."
Hannah covered her mouth.
May you like
Marcus swallowed.
"And he says Julian is the one who ordered the attack on this house."
