Chapter 4: The Friend Who Betrayed Me
The man standing in the hospital doorway was the last person I expected to see.
Ethan Blake.
My best friend.
My business partner.
The man who had stood beside me during every major moment of my life.
When my first company nearly collapsed, Ethan was there.
When investors doubted me, Ethan defended me.
When Elena disappeared, Ethan was the one who told me to stop searching.
“Adrian,” he said again, closing the door behind him.
“You need to leave. Right now.””
I stared at him.
The hospital lights reflected off his expensive suit, making him look exactly like the person everyone trusted.
But now, for the first time, I wondered if that trust had been a mistake.
“How did you know I was here?”” I asked.
Ethan hesitated.
Only for a second.
But I noticed.
“I saw the news.””
“The news doesn’t know I’m here.””
Silence.
Ethan looked away.
That was enough.
I stepped closer.
“You knew.””
His jaw tightened.
“Adrian, this isn’t the time.””
“No.””
My voice became sharper.
“This is exactly the time.””
Lily stood beside Elena’s bed, watching us.
Even at six years old, she understood something was wrong.
Ethan glanced at her.
Then at Emma.
His expression changed.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
“You’ve seen them before,” I said.
Ethan didn’t answer.
“Ethan.””
He took a deep breath.
“I was trying to protect you.””
I laughed quietly.
The sound carried no humor.
“Everyone keeps saying that.””
Elena looked at him with disappointment.
“You told him I was gone.””
Ethan’s face hardened.
“I did what I had to do.””
My heart sank.
“You knew Elena was alive?””
The room went silent.
Ethan looked at me.
And in that moment, I saw the truth.
“Yes.””
The word hit harder than any betrayal I had ever experienced.
Lily moved closer to me.
“Daddy?””
I reached down and held her hand.
“Why?””
Ethan looked exhausted.
“Because you were going to lose everything.””
“That’s not an answer.””
He looked at Elena.
“She was going to tell you about the babies.””
“My daughters,” I corrected.
Ethan swallowed.
“Victoria knew. She had proof that your father’s company had been hiding financial problems before you took over. She threatened to release everything.””
I frowned.
“That makes no sense.””
“It does when you understand the situation.””
He stepped forward.
“Your reputation was everything. Your company was built on trust. One scandal at the wrong time could have destroyed thousands of jobs.””
“And you decided my children were the price?””
Ethan looked down.
For once, he had nothing to say.
Elena’s voice was weak.
“You told me Adrian hated me.””
I turned sharply.
“What?””
She looked at Ethan.
“You said he blamed me for leaving.””
My stomach twisted.
“I never said that.””
“I know that now.””
Ethan closed his eyes.
“I thought I could fix it.””
“No,” I said.
“You thought you could control it.””
The baby began crying softly.
The sound broke the tension.
Lily immediately picked up Emma and whispered to her.
The sight crushed me.
A child taking care of another child.
Because the adults around her had failed.
I looked at Ethan.
“You’re going to tell me everything.””
He didn’t move.
“Adrian—”
“Everything.””
A long silence followed.
Then Ethan reached into his jacket and pulled out his phone.
“I have something you need to see.””
He unlocked the screen and showed me a message thread.
My eyes moved across the first message.
And my entire body went cold.
It was from Victoria.
The date was five years ago.
The day Elena disappeared.
The message said:
“Make sure Adrian never finds out about the children.””
I looked at Ethan.
“You helped her.””
His silence was the answer.
Then another message appeared.
One I had never seen before.
One sent years later.
Just three weeks ago.
From Victoria.
“Once the wedding is done, Elena and those girls will no longer be a problem.””
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“She planned this.””
Ethan nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
I looked at Elena.
She was crying.
“She never wanted you to know.””
I stared at the messages.
The woman I was about to marry had spent years hiding my own daughters from me.
But one question remained.
Why?
Before I could ask, Ethan received a phone call.
He looked at the screen.
His face changed.
“What?””
I watched his expression turn pale.
“Where?””
A pause.
Then he looked directly at me.
“Adrian… Victoria isn’t coming here.””
My stomach dropped.
“Where is she going?””
May you like
Ethan lowered the phone.
“She went to your house.””
