Chapter 2: Marcus's Confession

The room remained perfectly still.

Marcus never looked at Damian.

He only looked at Oliver.

"The fire that destroyed Saint Catherine Hospital wasn't an accident."

Everyone froze.

"It was meant to silence me."

Marcus swallowed.

"My wife had just given birth."

"So had Eliza."

"When the fire began, nurses panicked."

"They carried babies into different rooms."

"Some never came back."

Marcus lowered his eyes.

"When I found my son..."

"...he was already gone."

His voice finally broke.

"But another baby was alive."

"Oliver."

"I knew powerful people had started that fire."

"They would kill anyone connected to the missing child."

"So I made the world believe my son had died."

"And I made sure nobody would ever search for the surviving baby."

Damian stared at the screen.

"You sacrificed our family?"

Marcus nodded.

"I sacrificed my reputation."

"My freedom."

"My soul."

"So Oliver could grow up as an ordinary child..."

"...instead of becoming the target of murderers."

Eliza covered her face.

For years she had hated Marcus.

Now she realized...

He had been protecting Oliver from enemies none of them had ever seen.