My Husband Slapped Me in Front of 200 Guests—Then I Revealed the Secret That Could Destroy His Entire Empire

I read Adrian's name three times.

The DNA report trembled in my hands.

He had paid for the test six months earlier.

Six months before the gala.

Six months before he slapped me in front of two hundred people.

Six months before I discovered the missing foundation money.

And six months before I learned that my sister existed.

“Why would Adrian order a DNA test on Abigail?”” I asked.

Agent Hayes examined the report.

“That's what we're going to find out.””

Abigail stood beside me, her face drained of color.

“Dr. Price is my biological father?””

Nobody answered.

She shook her head.

“No. He was my doctor when I was a child. He attended my school graduation.

He gave me birthday presents. He was there when I had my appendix removed.””

I turned toward her.

“You knew him?””

She nodded.

“He was my father's closest friend. He visited our house every Christmas.””

I felt sick.

“Did he ever tell you he was your father?””

“No.””

Her voice broke.

“He always called me his little miracle.””

Agent Hayes handed the report to another investigator.

“Find Dr. Samuel Price. I want his location, financial records, and communications with Adrian Whitmore.””

The investigator nodded and hurried away.

Meanwhile, Thomas was being escorted toward the elevator.

His hands were cuffed.

His expensive suit was torn at the shoulder.

But he was still smiling.

“Elena,” he called.

I turned.

“Don't listen to him,” Agent Hayes warned.

Thomas ignored her.

“You're looking for answers in the wrong place.””

I approached the investigators, keeping several feet between us.

“What does that mean?””

Thomas smiled.

“Dr. Price didn't steal your sister.””

“Then who did?””

He glanced toward Abigail.

“Your mother.””

Catherine, who had arrived with another federal team, suddenly stopped walking.

“Don't you dare,” she whispered.

Thomas laughed.

“Tell them, Catherine.””

She looked at him with pure hatred.

“Shut up.””

“Tell them why you agreed to give Abigail away.””

Catherine began crying.

I turned toward her.

“Mom?””

She covered her face.

Thomas continued.

“You've spent twenty-three years pretending you were the victim. But you signed the documents yourself.””

Abigail stepped forward.

“Why did you give me away?””

Catherine shook her head.

“I was frightened.””

“Of what?””

“Of losing both of you.””

Abigail's voice trembled.

“You lost me anyway.””

Catherine collapsed into a chair.

I wanted to comfort her, but I couldn't ignore what I had just heard.

“Did you know Dr. Price was Abigail's biological father?””

Catherine nodded slowly.

“Yes.””

Abigail stepped backward.

“You knew?””

“I found out after you were born.””

“Then why did you let Thomas raise me?””

Catherine looked at her.

“Because Thomas threatened to expose the relationship. He said he would destroy Richard's family and make sure neither of you would ever be safe.””

Richard, standing behind us, lowered his head.

Catherine continued.

“Samuel was married. He was the hospital director. He had access to every medical record. Thomas told me that if I refused to cooperate, he would make sure you disappeared permanently.””

Abigail began sobbing.

“So you just let him take me?””

“No, sweetheart.””

Catherine reached for her hand.

“I thought Margaret would protect you. I thought she would take you somewhere safe until I could get you back.””

Abigail pulled away.

“You thought?””

Her voice cracked.

“I spent twenty-three years believing I was an only child. I grew up thinking my mother had abandoned me. I never knew there was a woman somewhere who wanted me.””

Catherine covered her mouth.

“I am sorry.””

Abigail turned away.

I stood beside her.

For the first time, I understood that finding my sister wasn't going to repair everything.

We had inherited each other's pain before we had even met.

Agent Hayes approached.

“We've located Dr. Price.””

I looked up.

“Where?””

“His private residence.””

“Is he there?””

“No. But we found something interesting.””

She showed me a photograph taken from a security camera.

Dr. Price was entering a private medical clinic.

Behind him was a woman wearing a black coat.

I recognized her immediately.

Margaret Ellis.

I grabbed the photograph.

“Margaret is alive?””

Agent Hayes nodded.

“Apparently.””

“Then she knows where Price is.””

“We believe so.””

Abigail studied the photograph.

“Wait.””

She pointed toward the woman's left hand.

“That's not Margaret's ring.””

I looked closer.

A large gold ring sat on the woman's finger.

Abigail shook her head.

“Margaret always wore a silver wedding band. I remember because she gave me one of her old rings when I turned sixteen.””

Agent Hayes looked at the image again.

“Are you saying that's not Margaret?””

Abigail nodded.

“I think it's my adoptive mother.””

I turned toward her.

“Who was your adoptive mother?””

Abigail swallowed.

“Her name was Helen Price.””

I stared.

Dr. Price's wife.

The woman who had raised my sister.

The woman who had attended every birthday party.

The woman who had smiled at me during my hospital visits.

Abigail took a shaky breath.

“Dr. Price and his wife adopted me. Thomas told them my biological mother had died.””

Agent Hayes immediately called her team.

“Change the identification. We have a second suspect.””

Then my phone rang.

The caller ID displayed Adrian Whitmore.

I stared at the screen.

Agent Hayes nodded for me to answer.

“Hello?””

His voice was weak.

“Elena.””

“What do you want?””

“I need to see you.””

“You've said enough.””

“Not everything.””

I closed my eyes.

“I'm done listening to you.””

“Then listen to this. Dr. Price isn't trying to hide Abigail.””

I frowned.

“What?””

“He's trying to hide the woman who knows what happened to your father.””

“Who?””

Adrian coughed.

“Your mother.””

I looked toward Catherine.

“She knows.””

“No,” Adrian whispered.

“She doesn't know everything.””

“What does that mean?””

He took a shaky breath.

“Catherine wasn't the person who arranged Daniel's death. Richard wasn't either.””

I stared at the phone.

“Then who was?””

Adrian was silent for several seconds.

Then he answered.

“The person who ordered it was the woman who raised your sister.””

I looked at Abigail.

Helen Price.

The woman who had raised her.

The woman who had been married to the doctor responsible for falsifying our birth records.

And apparently, the person who had ordered Daniel's murder.

Adrian continued.

“Elena, you need to understand something. Helen didn't adopt Abigail to protect her.””

“Why did she?””

“Because Abigail was never supposed to grow up.””

The line went dead.

I stared at the phone.

Abigail looked at me.

“What did he say?””

I swallowed.

“He said your adoptive mother ordered my father's murder.””

Her face crumpled.

“No.””

Agent Hayes immediately issued another instruction.

“Find Helen Price. Now.””

But before the investigators could move, a nurse rushed toward us.

“Excuse me! Which one of you is Elena Whitmore?””

I turned.

“That's me.””

She handed me a small envelope.

“A woman left this at the nurses' station.””

“Who?””

“She said she was your sister.””

I stared at Abigail.

She shook her head.

“I didn't.””

I opened the envelope.

Inside was a photograph of Daniel sitting at his kitchen table.

Beside him sat Helen Price.

On the back was a handwritten message.

*Daniel discovered the truth about your sister. He wasn't killed because of the money. He was killed because he discovered what Helen had done to her own daughter.*

I turned the photograph over again.

There was one more line.

*Ask Abigail what happened when she was twelve.*

Abigail looked at the picture.

Then she began trembling.

“I remember something,” she whispered.

“What?””

She stared at Helen's face.

“When I was twelve, I woke up in a hospital room after an accident.””

She looked at me.

“My adoptive mother told me I'd fallen down the stairs.””