Billionaire Pretends to Be Homeless, But the Poor Girl Knows His Biggest Secret
Chapter 9
The old harbor had been abandoned for years.
Lily and Alexander arrived just before midnight.
Fog covered the water.
Shipping containers stood like dark walls.
No cars.
No people.
They waited.
Then footsteps.
A man appeared from behind a container.
Daniel Carter.
Lily stopped breathing.
“Dad?”
He looked at her.
His eyes filled with tears.
She ran.
He caught her.
For several seconds, they simply held each other.
“You’re real,” she whispered.
“Yes.”
“Why did you leave?”
“To keep you alive.”
“I hated you.”
“I know.”
“You should have come back.”
“I tried.”
She cried against his chest.
“I was there.”
He looked at her.
“You were never alone.”
Alexander watched quietly.
Daniel turned toward him.
“You look like your father.”
“I remember him.”
“You shouldn’t.”
“What?”
Daniel shook his head.
“Your father wanted to protect you from everything he knew.”
Alexander frowned.
“Then why involve me?”
“Because he knew Thomas would eventually come for you.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“You were supposed to become the owner of the company.”
Alexander understood.
“The network.”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
“To destroy it.”
Daniel handed him a small folder.
Inside was a list of names.
Bankers.
Lawyers.
Politicians.
Businessmen.
And one name circled in red.
Evelyn Reed.
Alexander froze.
“My mother?”
Daniel looked at him.
“She wasn’t working against Thomas.”
“What?”
“She was working with him.”
Lily stared.
“No.”
Daniel nodded.
“Your mother wasn’t protecting you.”
“She was.”
“She was protecting the network.”
Alexander felt like the ground had shifted.
“Why would she?”
“Because she believed Richard’s plan would destroy the family.”
“But she helped him.”
“At first.”
“What changed?”
Daniel looked toward the water.
“Power.”
Silence.
Then Daniel said something even stranger.
“Victor isn’t Thomas’s boss.”
Alexander looked up.
“Who is?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
Instead, he looked at Lily.
“Your mother’s last message was for you.”
“What message?”
“She said you were the one person who could stop her.”
Lily’s heart raced.
“My mother?”
Daniel nodded.
“She survived.”
Everything stopped.
Alexander stared.
“You said she died.”
“She wanted you to believe that.”
“Where is she?”
Daniel pointed toward the lighthouse.
“She is waiting.”
They drove there.
Inside the lighthouse, a woman stood by the window.
Older.
Tired.
But unmistakable.
Margaret Carter.
Lily froze.
“Mom?”
Margaret turned.
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Baby.”
Lily walked forward slowly.
“You let me think you were dead.”
“I had to.”
“You watched me struggle.”
“I watched you survive.”
“Why?”
Margaret looked at Alexander.
“Because I couldn’t protect you any other way.”
Lily cried.
“Then why come back now?”
“Because he’s found you.”
“Who?”
Margaret whispered,
“Your father’s enemy.”
Alexander stepped forward.
“Who?”
She looked at him.
“Richard’s closest friend.”
Alexander’s face went blank.
“Who was that?”
Margaret hesitated.
Then said:
“Your grandfather.”
Alexander froze.
“My grandfather died before I was born.”
“No.”
Margaret shook her head.
“He disappeared.”
Lily stared.
“So who has been running everything?”
Margaret looked toward the ocean.
“Your grandfather.”
