Chapter 4 — The Father Who Stole His Son’s Future
Chapter 4 — The Father Who Stole His Son’s Future
The road to Saint Mary's Hospital was nearly empty.
Nathan drove too fast.
The speedometer climbed past the limit, but he didn't care.
Grace sat in the back seat, clutching her coat around herself.
Victoria sat beside her.
Neither woman spoke.
The only sound was the engine.
And the occasional broken sob from Grace.
“She's four years old,” Grace whispered.
Nathan gripped the steering wheel.
“I know.”
“She'll be terrified.”
“I know.”
“She doesn't know what's happening.”
“I know.”
Grace closed her eyes.
“Please find her.”
Nathan looked at her through the rearview mirror.
“I will.”
Then Victoria spoke.
“There is something you need to know.”
Nathan's eyes remained on the road.
“What?”
“Your father didn't start with Grace.”
Nathan frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“He started with you.”
Nathan looked at her in the mirror.
“Explain.”
Victoria swallowed.
“Before you met Grace, Richard had already chosen the woman he wanted you to marry.”
“Who?”
“Me.”
Grace stared at Victoria.
Nathan shook his head.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“It does if you understand how your father thought.”
“What did he want?”
“The perfect alliance.”
Victoria looked down.
“He wanted someone from a family he could control.”
“And you were that person?”
“Yes.”
“What about Grace?”
“Your father saw her as a threat.”
“Why?”
“Because you loved her.”
Nathan's jaw tightened.
“That isn't a reason to destroy someone.”
“For Richard, it was.”
Five years earlier, Nathan had been twenty-nine.
He was already the heir to Cole Holdings.
His father had spent his entire life preparing him for one thing.
Power.
The company.
The family name.
The future.
Richard believed Nathan owed him obedience.
Not gratitude.
Not respect.
Obedience.
When Nathan told him he was serious about Grace, Richard had laughed.
“You don't know what you're doing.”
Nathan had been furious.
“I know exactly what I'm doing.”
“You're throwing away your future.”
“My future is mine.”
Richard had looked at him coldly.
“No.”
Nathan remembered those words.
At the time, he thought his father was angry.
Now he understood.
Richard had meant them literally.
At Saint Mary's, Grace sat in the back seat.
She whispered:
“I remember this place.”
Nathan looked at her.
“What happened here?”
Grace shook her head.
“Everything.”
Victoria closed her eyes.
“I was here too.”
Grace turned.
“You?”
Victoria nodded.
“The night Lily was born.”
Nathan's heart pounded.
“You said you didn't know everything.”
“I didn't.”
“What did you know?”
“That Richard was waiting.”
“For what?”
Victoria looked at Grace.
“For the baby.”
Nathan parked.
Security was already waiting.
He got out.
Grace followed.
Victoria stayed in the car.
Nathan opened her door.
“Come.”
She hesitated.
“I'm afraid.”
“Good.”
Victoria looked at him.
Nathan's voice was cold.
“You should be.”
They entered through the emergency entrance.
A nurse looked up.
Nathan showed his identification.
“I'm looking for records from five years ago.”
The nurse frowned.
“What kind?”
“Labor and delivery.”
“For whom?”
“Grace Miller.”
Grace stepped forward.
“That's me.”
The nurse's face changed.
She recognized her.
“Wait.”
She disappeared into the back.
A few minutes later, an older administrator approached.
She looked at Grace.
Then Nathan.
Then Victoria.
Her face became pale.
“You came back.”
Grace whispered:
“You remember me?”
The woman nodded.
“I never forgot.”
Nathan stepped closer.
“What happened the night my daughter was born?”
The woman looked around.
“Not here.”
She led them into a private office.
The administrator closed the door.
“My name is Helen Carter.”
Grace sat down.
Helen looked at her.
“You were brought here under a false name.”
Grace nodded.
“I remember.”
“You were terrified.”
“Yes.”
“You kept asking for Nathan.”
Grace's eyes filled with tears.
“What did you tell me?”
Helen swallowed.
“I told you he wasn't allowed inside.”
Nathan stared.
“Why?”
“Because a man claiming to be your father had already arrived.”
Richard.
Nathan's hands tightened.
“What did he say?”
“That he was authorized to make medical decisions for you.”
“That was a lie.”
Helen nodded.
“I know that now.”
“Why did you believe him?”
“He showed us legal documents.”
“Fake documents?”
“Yes.”
Nathan looked at Victoria.
She lowered her eyes.
Helen continued.
“Your father told us Grace was unstable.”
Grace's face hardened.
“He said I was dangerous.”
“Yes.”
“He said I might hurt the baby.”
“Yes.”
Nathan looked horrified.
“My father told the hospital I was mentally unstable?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To keep you away.”
Grace whispered:
“I remember.”
Nathan looked at her.
“What?”
“The doctor asked me if I wanted to see you.”
Nathan froze.
“What did you say?”
“I said yes.”
“But?”
“They told me you didn't want me.”
Nathan closed his eyes.
He suddenly understood.
Every piece.
Every lie.
Every carefully constructed wall.
Richard had not simply separated them.
He had rewritten reality.
Helen opened a cabinet.
She removed an old file.
The cover read:
GRACE MILLER — MATERNITY
She placed it on the desk.
“This is the original.”
Nathan opened it.
Several pages had been removed.
“What happened?”
“Your father took them.”
“Which pages?”
“The ones concerning Lily.”
Nathan looked at Grace.
“Why?”
Helen hesitated.
“Because there was a complication.”
Grace's face changed.
“What complication?”
“The baby was born with a rare blood marker.”
Nathan frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“It wasn't dangerous.”
“Then why hide it?”
“Because someone wanted the child's genetic records.”
Nathan's blood went cold.
“Who?”
Helen looked at Victoria.
Victoria whispered:
“Richard.”
Nathan turned to her.
“You knew.”
“I knew he wanted the records.”
“Why?”
Victoria shook her head.
“I didn't know why.”
“Then tell me what you did know.”
Victoria stared at the floor.
“Richard had a private research program.”
Nathan froze.
“What kind?”
“Genetic research.”
Grace's face went pale.
“Lily.”
Victoria nodded.
“He wanted to study her.”
Nathan slammed his hand onto the desk.
“She was a newborn!”
“I know.”
“He wanted to experiment on my daughter?”
“I don't know if he intended to hurt her.”
“That isn't an answer.”
Victoria cried.
“I know.”
Helen spoke quietly.
“There was another problem.”
“What?”
“Three days after Lily's birth, someone attempted to remove the child from the hospital.”
Grace gasped.
“What?”
“I stopped them.”
“Who?”
“A man with authorization papers.”
“Richard?”
“No.”
Nathan looked confused.
“Then who?”
Helen opened another file.
The name was blacked out.
But the signature remained.
Nathan recognized it.
Thomas Reed.
The same man from the surveillance footage.
Grace covered her mouth.
“He was there.”
Victoria whispered:
“Yes.”
Nathan stared at the signature.
“Why would Richard use someone else?”
Helen answered.
“Because he didn't want his name anywhere.”
Nathan turned toward the window.
His father had thought of everything.
Except one thing.
He had underestimated his own son.
Victoria suddenly spoke.
“There is more.”
Nathan turned.
“What?”
“Your father didn't only manipulate the breakup.”
“What else?”
“He manipulated your entire life.”
Nathan stared.
“Be specific.”
Victoria swallowed.
“Your college.”
“What?”
“He arranged your scholarship.”
Nathan frowned.
“My scholarship was legitimate.”
“No.”
Victoria shook her head.
“He paid the donor.”
Nathan's face went pale.
“Why?”
“To put you on the path he wanted.”
“My first job?”
“His company.”
“My promotion?”
“His decision.”
“My engagement?”
“His plan.”
Nathan stared at her.
“My relationship with Grace?”
Victoria looked at him.
“The only thing he couldn't control.”
Nathan's voice dropped.
“So he destroyed it.”
“Yes.”
Nathan remembered.
His father had always said:
Everything I do is for you.
He had believed him.
Now the phrase sounded different.
Everything Richard did had been for control.
Not love.
Control.
Grace stood.
“I want to know what happened after I left.”
Helen looked at her.
“You were transferred.”
“Where?”
“An isolated clinic.”
“Why?”
“To keep the birth confidential.”
Grace's eyes widened.
“I don't remember.”
“You were sedated.”
Nathan stared.
“They drugged her?”
Helen nodded.
“For several days.”
Grace whispered:
“I woke up in another room.”
“You were told you had lost the baby.”
Grace closed her eyes.
“I thought Lily was dead.”
Nathan looked horrified.
“And they took Lily.”
Helen nodded.
“Someone did.”
“Who?”
Helen looked at the file.
“Thomas Reed.”
The room fell silent.
Nathan's heart pounded.
“Where did he take her?”
“We don't know.”
Grace began crying.
“But she's alive.”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“Because three days later, someone returned her.”
“Who?”
Helen shook her head.
“We never identified the person.”
Victoria suddenly gasped.
“I know.”
Everyone turned.
Victoria's face had gone white.
“What?”
“I know who returned her.”
Nathan stepped closer.
“Who?”
Victoria whispered:
“Richard's wife.”
Nathan froze.
“My mother?”
Victoria nodded.
“Margaret.”
Nathan couldn't speak.
His mother.
The woman who had always insisted family came first.
The woman who had taught him to trust his father.
The woman who had treated Grace with cold contempt.
She had been involved.
“How?”
Victoria shook her head.
“I don't know.”
“Tell me everything.”
“I only saw her once.”
“When?”
“Five years ago.”
“Where?”
“At Saint Mary's.”
Victoria's voice trembled.
“She was carrying Lily.”
Grace collapsed into the chair.
“No.”
Victoria nodded.
“I saw her.”
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
Nathan looked at Helen.
“Did Margaret sign anything?”
Helen searched the files.
Then stopped.
“Yes.”
She pulled out a document.
A temporary guardianship form.
Signed by:
Margaret Cole.
Nathan stared.
His mother had legally taken custody of Lily.
But why?
He looked at Grace.
“She had my daughter.”
Grace shook her head.
“No.”
Nathan's voice cracked.
“She had Lily.”
“And gave her back,” Helen said.
“Why?”
Helen hesitated.
“Because someone forced her.”
Nathan looked up.
“Who?”
Helen pointed to the signature on the final page.
Another name.
Richard Cole.
The pieces came together.
Richard had orchestrated the separation.
Margaret had been used to conceal the child.
Thomas had transported Lily.
Victoria had been manipulated into becoming Nathan's replacement partner.
And Grace…
had been erased.
All so Nathan could become the son Richard wanted.
Nathan left the hospital alone.
He stood in the parking lot.
Rain began falling.
He looked toward the sky.
“Why?”
Grace came outside.
She stood beside him.
“He wanted you to become him.”
Nathan looked at her.
“What?”
“Your father.”
“He wanted me to become like him.”
“Yes.”
Grace took his hand.
“You were never supposed to choose your own life.”
Nathan looked at their hands.
“I chose you.”
“You did.”
“And Lily.”
“Yes.”
He looked at her.
“I should have fought harder.”
Grace shook her head.
“You were fighting a war you didn't know existed.”
Nathan looked at her.
“I know now.”
They returned to the mansion.
Victoria was waiting.
Nathan entered the library.
She stood.
“I have something for you.”
“What?”
She placed a key on the desk.
“What is this?”
“Your father's private archive.”
Nathan stared.
“Where?”
“The old Cole estate.”
“Why are you giving me this?”
Victoria looked at Grace.
“Because I can't keep lying.”
Nathan picked up the key.
“What will I find?”
Victoria hesitated.
“Everything.”
“Everything?”
“Your father's plans.”
“About Grace?”
“Yes.”
“About Lily?”
“Yes.”
“About me?”
Victoria nodded.
Then she whispered:
“And something else.”
“What?”
Victoria looked terrified.
“Your father didn't just want to control your future.”
She took a breath.
“He wanted to control Lily's.”
Nathan's face hardened.
“How?”
Victoria's voice broke.
“He had a plan for her before she was born.”
Grace grabbed Nathan's arm.
“What plan?”
Victoria looked at them.
“He wanted Lily to become the heir.”
Nathan frowned.
“But I'm the heir.”
“Not anymore.”
“Why?”
Victoria's eyes filled with tears.
“Because your father believed you were becoming too independent.”
She looked at Lily's bedroom upstairs.
“He wanted to replace you with your daughter.”
Nathan went completely still.
His father hadn't been protecting the family.
He had been preparing to remove his own son.
And Lily was supposed to inherit an empire built on manipulation.
Nathan closed his hand around the key.
“Then we'll destroy it.”
Grace looked at him.
“Are you sure?”
Nathan nodded.
“I spent my entire life trying to become the son my father wanted.”
He looked toward Lily.
“I'm done.”
Then he turned to Victoria.
“Where is Richard?”
Victoria shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Nathan stared at her.
“Then we'll find him.”
He walked toward the door.
Behind him, Victoria spoke one last time.
“Nathan.”
He stopped.
She whispered:
“When you open that archive…”
“Don't believe everything you see.”
Nathan turned.
“Why?”
Victoria's face went pale.
“Because your father kept one secret even from me.”
“What secret?”
Victoria looked at Grace.
Then at Nathan.
“The night Grace disappeared…”
She swallowed.
“Richard wasn't acting alone.”
The room fell silent.
Nathan's grip tightened around the key.
“Who was helping him?”
Victoria shook her head.
“I don't know.”
“Then how do you know?”
She looked toward the dark window.
“Because five years ago, I saw another person walk into Richard's office.”
“Who?”
Victoria whispered:
“Your mother.”
May you like
And somewhere inside the old Cole estate…
the truth Nathan had been denied for five years was waiting behind a locked door.
