Chapter 5: The Secret Victoria Buried
I didn’t open the folder immediately.
For some reason, I was afraid of what was inside.
Fear is a strange thing.
You can survive a terrible truth.
But the moment before discovering it can feel impossible.
Daniel stood on my porch, waiting.
Victoria remained behind me.
Silent.
Watching.
“James,” Daniel said softly, “you deserve to know.””
I looked at him.
“You don’t get to decide what I deserve.””
He nodded.
“I understand.””
“Do you?””
My voice rose.
“You were with my wife.””
His face tightened.
“Yes.””
“You knew about these children.””
“Yes.””
“You let me believe they were mine.””
Daniel looked down.
“I made mistakes too.””
I almost closed the door.
Then he said something that stopped me.
“Victoria wasn’t just hiding the affair.””
I opened the folder.
Inside were financial records.
Emails.
Documents.
The first page showed a company name.
Cole Family Holdings.
My family’s company.
I frowned.
“What does this have to do with anything?””
Daniel pointed to the papers.
“Look at the signatures.””
I did.
Then my stomach dropped.
The signatures belonged to Victoria.
And someone else.
My father.
Except my father had been dead for three years.
“What is this?””
Daniel looked serious.
“Your wife has been moving money.””
“How much?””
He hesitated.
“Almost two million dollars.””
I stared at him.
The number didn’t even feel real.
Victoria stepped forward.
“James, it wasn’t what you think.””
I turned.
“You stole from my family?””
“No.””
“Then explain.””
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Daniel answered for her.
“She wasn’t stealing for herself.””
I looked at him.
“Then who?””
He was quiet.
Then said:
“Someone was pressuring her.””
The room went still.
“Who?””
Daniel looked at Victoria.
She looked terrified.
“Tell him.””
Victoria shook her head.
“No.””
“Victoria.””
“No, Daniel.””
I stepped between them.
“What are you both hiding?””
Victoria backed away.
“You don’t understand.””
“Then help me understand.””
She looked at me with tears in her eyes.
“Your father.””
I froze.
“My father?””
She nodded.
“He knew.””
“Knew what?””
“Everything.””
I stared at her.
“That’s impossible.””
“My father died three years ago.””
“Yes.””
She whispered.
“But before he died, he found out about Daniel.””
The silence was deafening.
Daniel spoke.
“Your father knew the twins might not be yours.””
I felt like the floor moved beneath me.
“And he did nothing?””
Victoria looked away.
“He made me sign agreements.””
“What agreements?””
“To protect the family name.””
I laughed.
A cold, empty sound.
“So my father knew my entire marriage was a lie?””
“He didn’t know everything.””
“Stop saying that.””
I pointed at the documents.
“Everyone knew something except me.””
That was the part that hurt.
Not just Victoria.
Not just Daniel.
Everyone.
The people I trusted had built a wall around me.
Then Daniel said:
“There’s one more thing.””
I looked at him.
“What now?””
He pulled out another document.
“This is the reason Victoria changed the birth certificates.””
I grabbed it.
It was a legal agreement.
My eyes moved across the page.
Then I saw my name.
And a sentence highlighted.
“If James Cole is proven not to be the biological father, all inheritance rights will be transferred.””
I looked up.
“What is this?””
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“Your father created a trust.””
I read the document again.
“If the children were not biologically related to you, the inheritance would go to…”
I stopped.
Because the next name was written clearly.
Victoria Cole.
My wife had not only hidden the truth.
She had a reason.
A financial reason.
I turned toward her.
“You planned this.””
Her tears fell.
“No.””
“Then why would you benefit?””
“I didn’t know about the trust.””
Daniel shook his head.
“She did.””
Victoria looked at him.
“Don’t.””
“Tell him.””
She stared at the floor.
Then whispered:
“I found out after the twins were born.””
My hands trembled.
“And you stayed.””
“Yes.””
“Because of money.””
“No.””
“Because of money.””
She didn’t answer.
A sound came from upstairs.
A baby crying.
All three of us looked toward the nursery.
For a moment, everything else disappeared.
The lies.
The betrayal.
The documents.
My children needed me.
I walked upstairs.
I picked up my son.
His tiny hand wrapped around my finger.
And despite everything, my heart broke.
Because I knew there was another question I needed answered.
One question that mattered more than money.
More than revenge.
More than Victoria.
I looked at Daniel.
“Are they safe?””
His expression changed.
“What?””
“My children.””
He hesitated.
That hesitation terrified me.
“Daniel.””
He looked toward the hallway.
“James…”
“What?””
His voice dropped.
“The man who was helping Victoria wasn’t just involved in the paperwork.””
I held my son closer.
“Who was he?””
Daniel looked at me.
Then said:
“He was the person who originally paid for the DNA test.””
I felt my blood run cold.
“Who?””
May you like
Daniel swallowed.
“Your brother.””
