CEO BROUGHT HIS SICK MOM TO WORK — THE SECRETARY’S ACTION LEFT HIM SPEECHLESS!
Chapter 3
Daniel couldn’t breathe.
“What do you mean she works here?”
Emily turned the phone toward him.
A personnel photograph appeared.
Anna Brooks.
Age thirty-eight.
Position: junior financial analyst.
Daniel stared at the photograph.
The resemblance was subtle.
The eyes.
The shape of the face.
The small scar above the eyebrow.
His mother’s photograph had suddenly become real.
Anna was alive.
She had been working inside Whitmore Industries for eleven months.
Daniel had probably passed her dozens of times.
He had never noticed.
“Bring her here,” he said.
Emily shook her head.
“No.”
Daniel frowned.
“Why?”
“Because you don’t know what she believes.”
“I need to talk to her.”
“You need to let her choose.”
Daniel stared at Emily.
She was right.
For once, he needed to stop controlling the situation.
He asked:
“Does she know who I am?”
Emily nodded.
“She applied under her maiden name.”
“Then why did she come here?”
“I don’t know.”
Margaret suddenly spoke.
“Maybe she came looking for you.”
Daniel looked at his mother.
“Why didn’t she contact me?”
“Maybe she was afraid.”
Daniel understood.
Fear had ruled his family for decades.
His father had hidden Anna.
His mother had hidden the truth.
Daniel had hidden himself inside work.
And now Anna was hiding behind a different name.
Emily stood.
“I’ll ask her to come upstairs.”
Daniel nodded.
Five minutes later, a woman entered the office.
She wore a simple navy blouse and carried a folder.
She looked at Daniel.
Then Margaret.
Her face changed.
Margaret whispered:
“Anna?”
The woman stopped.
Tears immediately filled her eyes.
“Yes.”
Margaret stood.
Daniel reached for her.
She didn’t need help.
She walked toward Anna.
They embraced.
Daniel stood frozen.
He had imagined meeting his sister a thousand ways.
None of them looked like this.
No dramatic speech.
No anger.
Just two women holding each other after thirty-four years apart.
Then Anna looked at Daniel.
“You’re my brother.”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.”
She smiled through tears.
“You look like Dad.”
Daniel didn’t know whether that was a compliment.
Anna sat down.
“I didn’t come here for money.”
“I know.”
“I don’t want the company.”
“I know.”
“I don’t want anything.”
Daniel sat across from her.
“Then why did you come?”
Anna looked at Margaret.
“Because I wanted to know if my mother remembered me.”
Margaret cried.
“I never forgot you.”
Anna looked down.
“I spent years thinking you abandoned me.”
“I didn’t.”
“I know now.”
Daniel asked:
“How did you find Mom?”
Anna explained that an old adoption record had been released.
She found Margaret’s name.
She contacted her.
Then she discovered Daniel.
Then she applied to Whitmore Industries.
Not for revenge.
Not for money.
Just to see the brother she had never known.
Daniel felt ashamed.
She had been working ten floors below his office for almost a year.
He had never noticed.
“I should have known,” he said.
Anna smiled sadly.
“You had no reason to.”
Then she looked at Emily.
“She knew.”
Daniel frowned.
“You knew?”
Emily nodded.
“I found the adoption records during a background audit.”
Daniel stared.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Anna asked me not to.”
Daniel looked at Anna.
“She wanted to meet you herself.”
Anna nodded.
“But then Mom got sick.”
Margaret smiled weakly.
“She always worried about everyone else.”
Daniel suddenly understood something.
Emily hadn’t merely been his secretary.
She had protected his family.
She had helped Margaret eat.
Found Anna.
Kept the secret.
And prevented Daniel from making another mistake.
Daniel looked at her.
“Why?”
Emily shrugged.
“Because someone had to.”
Daniel smiled.
Then Margaret’s expression suddenly changed.
She looked toward the door.
Her face went pale.
“Daniel.”
“What?”
“I know who took Anna.”
Silence.
Anna froze.
Emily turned.
Margaret whispered a name.
“The man your father trusted most.”
Daniel’s heart sank.
“Who?”
Margaret looked at him.
“Your father’s lawyer.”
Then the office lights suddenly went out.
