CHAPTER 3: THE FIRE

The old woman sat silently for several moments.

Then she began to speak.

"Twenty years ago, I worked at your estate."

Victor's heart pounded.

"The night of the fire, everyone believed your daughter died."

He clenched his fists.

"But she didn't."

Tears rolled down the old woman's cheeks.

"When the fire started, I heard a baby crying upstairs."

Victor stopped breathing.

"I ran into the nursery."

She looked toward Emma.

"Your daughter was still alive."

Emma stared at her grandmother in shock.

"What?"

"I carried you out through the servants' corridor."

The room fell silent.

Victor's eyes overflowed with tears.

"Why didn't you bring her back?"

The old woman lowered her head.

"Because someone tried to stop me."

Victor froze.

"Who?"

She whispered a name.

His younger brother.

The same man who had inherited control of the family company after the tragedy.

The same man who had always benefited from the loss of Victor's child.

The old woman explained everything.

Victor's brother had secretly ordered the servants to report the baby dead.

If the child survived, she would remain the legal heir to part of the Sterling fortune.

The fire itself had never been an accident.

It had been planned.

Victor felt sick.

For twenty years he had mourned his daughter.

For twenty years Emma had grown up believing she was unwanted.

And all because of greed.

Emma began crying softly.

Victor slowly walked toward her.

"I searched for you."

His voice broke.

"Every single day."

Emma looked into his eyes.

For the first time in her life, she saw someone looking at her with unconditional love.

Not pity.

Not charity.

Love.

"Dad?" she whispered.

Victor nodded through tears.

And father and daughter embraced for the first time in twenty years.