CHAPTER 6 — THE HUSBAND WHO PLANNED MY DAUGHTER
CHAPTER 6 — THE HUSBAND WHO PLANNED MY DAUGHTER
The words followed me long after we escaped the chapel.
Ask your mother why she chose to give birth to you after she already knew what you were.
I couldn't stop hearing them.
They followed us through the forest.
They followed us into the car.
They followed me while Lily slept against my chest.
And they followed me when the first light of morning appeared through the windshield.
My mother sat beside me.
She hadn't spoken since we left.
Luka drove with both hands locked around the steering wheel.
Nobody wanted to be the first to speak.
Finally, I broke the silence.
“Mom.”
She closed her eyes.
“I know.”
“No.”
I looked at her.
“You don't.”
She opened her eyes.
“Then ask.”
I swallowed.
“Why did you give birth to me?”
She looked at Lily.
“Because you were my daughter.”
“That isn't enough.”
“It was for me.”
“But you knew what Victor had done.”
“Yes.”
“You knew I was part of M-17.”
“Yes.”
“You knew I was being watched.”
“Yes.”
“Then why?”
Tears filled her eyes.
“Because they told me you weren't human.”
I stared.
“They told me you were a project.”
She touched my hand.
“But the moment I held you, you became my child.”
Her voice broke.
“I stopped caring what they called you.”
I looked away.
For the first time, I understood why she had endured twenty-two years of imprisonment.
She hadn't been protecting a project.
She had been protecting me.
But one question remained.
“What does this have to do with Ethan?”
My mother's expression changed.
Everything became silent.
Luka looked at me through the rearview mirror.
My mother whispered:
“Your husband wasn't chosen by accident.”
I felt cold.
“Chosen by whom?”
“Victor.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Ethan knew me before we met?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“He was given a file.”
“What kind of file?”
“Your complete medical history.”
I remembered the beginning of our relationship.
Ethan had always seemed unusually interested in my health.
My family.
My childhood.
My blood type.
My mother.
At the time, I had thought it was love.
Now every memory felt contaminated.
“What did the file say?”
My mother looked down.
“Everything.”
“Everything?”
“Your genetic markers. Your reproductive history. Your psychological profile.”
My stomach tightened.
“He knew?”
“He knew what you were.”
I whispered:
“He married me because of M-17.”
My mother didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
We stopped at an abandoned farmhouse before noon.
Luka secured the doors.
My mother searched the kitchen.
I placed Lily in a small crib near the fireplace.
She opened her eyes.
I smiled at her.
“I'm sorry.”
Her tiny fingers wrapped around mine.
I felt tears gathering.
No matter how many secrets surrounded her, she was still just my baby.
Not a project.
Not an experiment.
Not an heir.
My daughter.
Luka entered the room.
“Elena.”
I looked up.
“Ethan is here.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“He followed us.”
“Where?”
“Outside.”
I stood immediately.
My mother grabbed my wrist.
“Don't.”
“Why?”
“Because he may be working for Victor.”
I looked toward the window.
Then I saw him.
Ethan.
Standing in the rain.
Alone.
His clothes were soaked.
His face was exhausted.
He wasn't carrying a weapon.
He wasn't trying to enter.
He was simply standing there.
Waiting.
Luka opened the door.
Ethan stepped inside.
His eyes immediately went to Lily.
Then to me.
“I need to tell you the truth.”
I laughed bitterly.
“You've had plenty of opportunities.”
“I know.”
“You left me at the hospital.”
“I know.”
“You lied about my daughter's father.”
“I know.”
“You accessed my medical records.”
His face tightened.
“Yes.”
“And you knew about M-17.”
“Yes.”
“Then why are you here?”
He looked at my mother.
“Because I found out what Victor was planning.”
My mother stepped forward.
“What did he plan?”
Ethan swallowed.
“To use Elena's pregnancy to create E-08.”
I stared.
“He planned my daughter?”
Ethan nodded.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“He manipulated your medical care.”
I felt sick.
“Which explains…”
“Your prenatal tests,” he said.
“The supplements.”
“The medications.”
“The genetic screening.”
I remembered.
Ethan had always insisted on accompanying me.
He had always told me which doctor to trust.
Which test to take.
Which vitamins to use.
I suddenly realized he hadn't been helping me.
He had been controlling the experiment.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Ethan looked at me.
“Because I was afraid.”
“You keep saying that.”
“I was.”
“Of Victor?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he killed my father.”
Silence.
My mother looked at him.
“Your father helped Victor.”
Ethan nodded.
“I know.”
“Then why did Victor kill him?”
“Because my father tried to leave.”
I stared.
“So your family was involved.”
“Yes.”
“And you?”
Ethan closed his eyes.
“I was recruited when I was eighteen.”
“Into M-17?”
“Yes.”
“What did you do?”
“I monitored subjects.”
“Me?”
He nodded.
“For seven years.”
My chest tightened.
“You watched me?”
“Yes.”
“Before we met?”
“Yes.”
“How many times?”
“Hundreds.”
I stepped back.
“That's why you knew where I went.”
“Yes.”
“That's why you knew my medical history.”
“Yes.”
“That's why you knew my mother was alive.”
Ethan didn't answer.
My voice broke.
“You knew?”
“I suspected.”
“You knew.”
“I knew she hadn't died.”
I stared at him.
“And you still married me.”
His eyes filled with tears.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He finally answered.
“Because Victor told me that if I didn't, he would kill you.”
I laughed through my tears.
“So you married me to save me.”
“Yes.”
“And then you had a child with me.”
“Yes.”
“Was that part of the plan?”
He went silent.
I knew.
My voice became quiet.
“Was my pregnancy planned?”
Ethan looked at Lily.
“Yes.”
I felt something inside me break.
“How?”
He took a breath.
“Victor selected the timing.”
“What timing?”
“Your ovulation cycle.”
I stared at him.
“You tracked it?”
“Yes.”
“Through my medical records?”
“Yes.”
“And you deliberately made me pregnant?”
His voice cracked.
“Yes.”
My mother covered her mouth.
Luka stepped forward.
“You son of a—”
I raised my hand.
“Don't.”
I needed to hear it.
All of it.
“How did you do it?”
Ethan looked ashamed.
“Victor gave me instructions.”
“About what?”
“Your medication.”
I felt sick.
“What did you give me?”
“Nothing dangerous.”
“That wasn't my question.”
He looked away.
“Something that increased the likelihood of conception.”
My knees weakened.
I sat down.
Lily began crying.
I immediately reached for her.
“It's okay.”
But my hands were shaking.
Ethan whispered:
“I never wanted it to happen this way.”
“You planned my daughter.”
“Yes.”
“You planned my pregnancy.”
“Yes.”
“You planned my life.”
He cried silently.
“Yes.”
I looked at him.
“And now you're surprised I hate you?”
He couldn't answer.
Luka stepped between us.
“There's more.”
Ethan nodded.
“The DNA test wasn't supposed to identify Luka.”
“Then why did it?”
“Because Victor needed a false father.”
“Why Luka?”
“Because the Moretti family has legal control over several M-17 assets.”
I frowned.
“Assets?”
“Research facilities.”
“Money?”
“More than money.”
“What?”
“Ownership.”
He looked at Lily.
“Your daughter has the legal right to inherit them.”
I stared.
“Why?”
“Because Daniel Vale transferred ownership before he died.”
My mother nodded.
“He knew Victor would try to control the program.”
“So he gave everything to me?”
“No.”
She looked at Lily.
“To your daughter.”
I understood.
“She is the legal heir.”
“Yes.”
“And Victor wants her because of that.”
“Yes.”
Luka crossed his arms.
“Which means the DNA isn't the real prize.”
Ethan nodded.
“The DNA gives them access.”
“To what?”
“The original M-17 trust.”
I looked at him.
“How much?”
Ethan hesitated.
“Enough to make Victor willing to kill for it.”
That evening, Ethan showed us the documents.
There were dozens.
Contracts.
Transfer agreements.
Medical records.
Financial statements.
And one document that made my hands freeze.
M-17 SUCCESSOR AGREEMENT
The beneficiary:
CHILD OF ELENA VALE
I stared.
“It was created before Lily was born.”
“Yes.”
“Before I was even pregnant?”
“Yes.”
“Who signed it?”
Ethan pointed.
VICTOR VALE.
Then another signature.
ETHAN CROSS.
My husband.
My stomach turned.
“You signed this.”
“Yes.”
“You agreed to this.”
“I was forced.”
“You signed.”
“Yes.”
I looked at the final line.
IN THE EVENT OF THE CHILD'S DEATH, CONTROL SHALL RETURN TO VICTOR VALE.
My blood ran cold.
“If Lily dies…”
“Victor gets everything.”
I looked at my daughter.
Then I understood.
My pregnancy hadn't simply been an experiment.
It had been a financial plan.
My daughter had been born with a price attached to her life.
A phone rang.
Everyone froze.
It was Ethan's.
He looked at the screen.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Hello?”
A man's voice spoke.
I couldn't hear the words.
Ethan's face changed.
“What?”
He stood.
“No.”
The voice continued.
Ethan looked at me.
Then at Lily.
“What happened?”
He listened.
Then whispered:
“She has been taken.”
My heart stopped.
“Who?”
Ethan dropped the phone.
My mother screamed.
“Lily!”
I turned.
The crib was empty.
The window was open.
The curtains moved in the cold night air.
My baby was gone.
I ran toward the window.
Outside, headlights disappeared down the road.
Luka grabbed his weapon.
“Stay here.”
“No!”
I ran after him.
My mother followed.
Ethan stood frozen.
I turned on him.
“You knew.”
“No.”
“You knew this would happen.”
“No!”
“You planned everything!”
“I swear I didn't take her!”
I screamed:
“Then who did?”
He looked at the open window.
His face went pale.
Then he whispered:
“Victor.”
Luka looked toward the road.
“No.”
“What?”
He shook his head.
“This isn't Victor.”
“How do you know?”
“Because if Victor wanted the child…”
He pointed toward the floor.
A small black envelope lay beside the crib.
Luka picked it up.
Inside was a photograph.
My daughter.
Taken only minutes earlier.
On the back was a message.
YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE WRONG MAN.
Below it:
ASK ETHAN WHO THE REAL FATHER IS.
I turned toward my husband.
He looked terrified.
I stepped closer.
“You said Luka wasn't her father.”
“He isn't.”
“You said I was manipulated.”
“Yes.”
“Then who is?”
Ethan closed his eyes.
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“I swear I don't know.”
Then his phone rang again.
This time, the number was visible.
MY OWN NUMBER.
Ethan answered.
A distorted voice whispered:
“Tell Elena the truth.”
Ethan's hands began shaking.
“What truth?”
The voice laughed.
“The child was never yours to plan.”
A pause.
“She was mine.”
The call ended.
I looked at Ethan.
“Who was that?”
He stared at the phone.
“I don't know.”
Then the farmhouse lights went out.
A car door slammed outside.
Luka raised his weapon.
My mother grabbed my arm.
And from the darkness beyond the window, a woman's voice whispered:
“Elena…”
I knew that voice.
It was the voice from the first M-17 recording.
My mother's voice.
But my mother was standing beside me.
She looked at me in horror.
“That's not me.”
The voice came again.
“Come outside.”
I stepped toward the window.
My mother grabbed me.
“Don't.”
The voice laughed.
Then said something that made my entire body go cold.
“Your daughter isn't missing.”
A pause.
“She was never in that house.”
I looked at Luka.
He understood first.
“The crib.”
We ran back inside.
Luka lifted the mattress.
A hidden compartment opened beneath it.
Inside was another envelope.
And a tiny USB drive.
Written across the envelope were five words:
THE HUSBAND WHO PLANNED HER.
I opened it.
Inside was a single video.
Ethan appeared on the screen.
But he wasn't the Ethan standing beside me.
This recording was dated three months before our wedding.
He looked directly into the camera.
And said:
“If you're watching this, then I failed.”
I stared at the screen.
He continued:
“I wasn't ordered to marry Elena.”
He swallowed.
“I volunteered.”
My heart stopped.
Then he said the words that would change everything.
“I volunteered because I knew exactly who Elena's biological father was.”
The video ended.
I turned slowly toward Ethan.
He was crying.
I whispered:
“Who?”
He looked at Luka.
Then at my mother.
Finally, he looked at me.
“I was there the night your real father died.”
I stepped closer.
“And?”
Ethan's voice broke.
“He wasn't killed by Victor.”
Silence.
“Then who killed him?”
May you like
Ethan looked directly into my eyes.
“I did.”
