Chapter 16: The Father's Name on the Birth Certificate
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Walter stared at the DNA report as if the words might rearrange themselves into something less cruel.
Charles Bennett.
The attorney who had represented the Hayes family for decades. The man who had stood beside Walter at funerals, signed business agreements, and promised to protect his interests.
The man who had helped erase Danny.
And according to the document, the biological father of Rebecca.
Danny pushed the report away.
“That's not proof.””
David looked at him.
“It's a laboratory report.””
“From where?””
“Patricia kept it in a locked box. She told me never to show it to anyone unless the family came looking.””
Walter's voice was barely audible.
“Why would Eleanor have a child with Charles?””
David shook his head.
“I don't know. Patricia never explained that part.””
Danny paced across the room.
“Richard and Charles were working together. They stole money, forged documents, manipulated hospital records. Maybe this is another lie.””
Walter looked at the report again.
“Then why would Patricia hide it?””
David didn't answer.
A phone vibrated on the table.
It belonged to Danny.
A message from Emily.
*Rebecca is gone. Richard took her.*
Danny immediately called her.
Emily answered, crying.
“They came to the cabin. Two men. They had a photograph of Rebecca's apartment and said Richard wanted to talk.””
“Did you see Rebecca leave?””
“No. She went outside to get something from the car. When I looked again, she was gone.””
“Where's Patricia?””
“Still missing.””
Danny closed his eyes.
“Listen to me. Lock the doors. Don't let anyone in.””
Emily lowered her voice.
“Danny, there's something else.””
“What?””
“Rebecca left a note. She said she was going to find Charles Bennett.””
Danny looked at Walter.
The old man was already standing.
“Where is he?”” Walter asked.
Danny checked his phone.
“His office is in Columbus.””
David grabbed his jacket.
“Then let's go.””
Charles Bennett's law office occupied the top floor of an old stone building.
The reception area was empty when they arrived.
A cleaning woman told them the attorney had left early.
Walter placed an old business card on the desk.
“I'm Walter Hayes. Tell him I need to see him.””
The woman hesitated.
“Mr. Bennett said he wasn't taking visitors.””
Walter leaned forward.
“Tell him the man whose life he destroyed is here.””
The woman looked at him.
Then she picked up the phone.
A moment later, a side door opened.
Charles Bennett stood in the doorway.
He was seventy-six, neatly dressed, with silver hair and a polished smile.
“Walter.””
Walter looked at him.
“Where is my daughter?””
Charles glanced at Danny.
Then at David.
His smile disappeared.
“So you've found him.””
Danny stepped forward.
“Did you father Rebecca?””
Charles looked toward the receptionist.
“Please give us a moment.””
“No,” Walter said.
“You don't get private conversations anymore.””
Charles sighed.
“Walter, this is complicated.””
“You made it complicated when you stole my children.””
“I never stole anyone.””
Danny slammed the DNA report onto the desk.
“Then explain this.””
Charles glanced at the paper.
He didn't look surprised.
That frightened Danny more than anything.
Charles walked to his desk.
“Eleanor and I had a relationship before she married you.””
Walter stared.
“What?””
“It was brief. It ended before your wedding.””
“Then how is Rebecca your daughter?””
Charles lowered his eyes.
“Because Eleanor came to me years later.””
He explained that Eleanor had discovered Richard was using the family business to finance a network of fraudulent property transfers.
She had threatened to expose him.
Charles had offered to help.
But he wanted something in return.
He wanted control of the Hayes estate.
When Eleanor refused, Charles threatened to reveal their earlier relationship and destroy her marriage.
“She was frightened,” Charles said.
“She came to me because she thought I could protect her.””
Walter's voice trembled.
“You got her pregnant?””
Charles looked away.
“Rebecca was born after that.””
Danny clenched his fists.
“And you let Richard raise her?””
“Richard insisted. He wanted a child in the family he could control.””
Walter stepped closer.
“You let him raise my daughter.””
Charles looked at him.
“Biologically, she isn't yours.””
Walter's expression hardened.
“She is my daughter because Eleanor carried her, because she grew up believing she had no father, because she spent twenty-five years waiting for someone to tell her she mattered.””
Charles said nothing.
Walter continued.
“You don't get to decide who belongs to me.””
Danny placed another document on the desk.
It was the trust agreement from Hayes Motor Works.
“Why does this say I'm the beneficiary?””
Charles examined it.
“Because your mother wanted to protect the company.””
“From Richard?””
“From both of us.””
Danny looked up.
“What does that mean?””
Charles opened a cabinet and removed a thick folder.
“Eleanor discovered that Richard and I had been moving money through shell companies. She created a trust that could only be opened by her surviving children together.””
David frowned.
“Why all of us?””
“Because she knew no single child would have enough information to expose the scheme.””
Charles laid out four documents.
Danny's name.
Michael's name.
Emily's name.
And Rebecca's.
Walter stared.
“Where's the fifth?””
Charles looked at him.
“There is no fifth.””
Danny remembered Richard's claim about another child.
“Then why did Richard say there was another?””
Charles hesitated.
“Because he wanted you searching for someone who didn't exist.””
David shook his head.
“That's not true. Patricia told me there were two boys.””
Charles looked directly at him.
“Patricia told you many things.””
Then he closed the folder.
“Listen carefully. Richard has the original trust documents. He wants the four of you to sign away your rights. If he gets those signatures, he can liquidate everything.””
Danny leaned forward.
“Where is the original safe?””
Charles looked toward the window.
“Under the old Hayes Motor Works building.””
“We know.””
“Then you know why you need to get there before Richard.””
Walter reached for the folder.
Charles stopped him.
“One more thing.””
“What?””
Charles removed a small photograph.
It showed Eleanor standing beside a hospital bed.
A newborn baby lay in her arms.
On the back was written:
Rebecca, September 2001. The daughter I couldn't save.
Walter looked at the picture.
Then at Charles.
“Why did you keep this?””
Charles's answer was quiet.
“Because I loved her.””
Walter's eyes filled with anger.
“You loved her enough to destroy her life?””
Charles looked down.
Before anyone could respond, the office phone rang.
Charles answered.
His face changed.
He listened for several seconds.
Then he slowly lowered the receiver.
“What happened?”” Danny asked.
Charles looked at him.
“Richard has Patricia.””
Walter's stomach tightened.
“And Rebecca?””
May you like
Charles swallowed.
“She's with him too.””
