Chapter 4 - Secrets in the Willows
Within two hours, Leo was moved to the Presidential VIP Suite on the tenth floor.
The suite looked more like a five-star hotel room than a hospital wing, featuring soft carpet, a private terrace overlooking Central Park, a state-of-the-art medical monitoring array, and a secondary bedroom for Maya.
Top pediatric specialists worked quietly around Leo, administering pain medication and preparing high-purity biological therapies that had previously been locked behind financial gates. Leo was fast asleep, his breathing steady for the first time in weeks.
In the suite’s private lounge, Maya sat on a plush velvet sofa, wrapped in a warm cashmere blanket, eating a bowl of fresh soup served by Richard’s private chef.
Richard sat across from her, holding the worn leather notebook that had been found in Clara’s belongings.
Beside Richard sat Julian Hayes, Richard’s thirty-four-year-old eldest son and Maya’s uncle. Julian had arrived thirty minutes prior after receiving a panicked phone call from his father.
Julian’s face was tense, his jaw clenched as he stared at Maya. His fingers tapped rhythmically against his knee.
“Father,” Julian said, lowering his voice so Maya wouldn't hear. “This is insane. You’re basing an entire family claim on an old story and a common piece of jewelry. A fire destroyed the upstate estate twelve years ago. Mother was pronounced dead. We buried her.”
“We buried an empty casket, Julian!” Richard snapped back in a fierce whisper. “The dental records were compromised by the heat! I accepted it because I was broken by grief! But look at this girl! Look at her eyes! She has your mother’s exact blue eyes!”
Richard opened the leather notebook. The pages were yellowed, filled with the delicate handwriting of Eleanor Hayes.
“This is your mother’s diary,” Richard said, his voice trembling. “She survived the fire, Julian. But she had complete retrograde amnesia. She was taken in by a rural family in upstate New York. She lived under the name Mary Miller. She had a daughter—Clara—who was your half-sister.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed into dark slits. “And where is Clara now?”
“She died two years ago in a hit-and-run,” Richard said bitterly. “Leaving these two innocent children behind to fight for survival in a city that treated them like trash.”
Julian stood up, pacing near the window overlooking the city lights.
What Richard didn't know—what no one in the room knew—was that Julian’s hands were shaking for a completely different reason.
Julian remembered that night twelve years ago. He remembered the arguments between his mother and father over the family fortune. He remembered the secret offshore trust fund worth three hundred million dollars that Eleanor had controlled—a trust that automatically reverted to direct biological descendants upon her death.
If these two children were legally proven to be Eleanor’s biological grandchildren, Julian’s exclusive control over the Hayes family trust would be shredded into pieces.
“Father,” Julian said smoothly, masking his inner panic with a warm, concerned smile. “If this is true, it’s a miracle. But as the Vice Chairman of Hayes Global, we must be careful. We need a formal DNA test before we announce this to the media or the board. You know how predators target high-net-worth families.”
“The DNA test is already being processed in the lab downstairs,” Richard stated firmly. “Results will be ready by 8:00 AM tomorrow.”
Julian swallowed hard, hiding a spike of pure desperation. “Of course. I’ll make sure the legal team is ready for any claims.”
May you like
Julian turned toward Maya and gave her a cold, practiced smile. “Welcome to the family, little one.”
Maya looked at Julian, her sharp young instincts picking up an icy chill behind his smile. She pulled the cashmere blanket tighter around her shoulders and said nothing.
