Homeless Boy Shouts ‘Don’t Eat That!’ Billionaire Freezes When He Finds Out Why
Chapter 5
Daniel read the letter again.
Then again.
He couldn’t process it.
His wife had known their daughter was alive.
She had hidden the truth from him.
Why?
Lily stood silently nearby.
Daniel looked at her.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty.”
“When were you born?”
“April seventeenth.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
April seventeenth.
The date was burned into his memory.
Laura had told him that was the date she miscarried.
Except she hadn’t miscarried.
She had given birth.
Daniel looked at Lily.
“Do you know who your father is?”
Lily hesitated.
“My mother never told me.”
Daniel swallowed.
“Did Ethan raise you?”
“No.”
“Then who did?”
“A woman named Grace.”
“Where is she?”
“Dead.”
“How did you end up here?”
Lily looked toward Sam.
“Sam found me.”
Daniel turned.
“Found you?”
Lily nodded.
“I’ve been working here for two years. Sam sleeps nearby.”
Daniel looked at the boy.
The homeless child who had saved his life had also led him to his daughter.
It was almost too much to believe.
Then Detective Harris interrupted.
“We have a problem.”
“What?”
“Robert Ellis has been found.”
“Where?”
“Dead.”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“How?”
“Gunshot.”
Lily covered her mouth.
Harris continued.
“There’s more. The police found Ethan Vale’s fingerprints at the scene.”
Daniel stared.
“Ethan killed him?”
“We don’t know.”
Sam shook his head.
“No.”
Everyone looked at him.
“What?”
Sam looked terrified.
“Ethan didn’t kill him.”
“How do you know?”
“I saw him.”
“When?”
“Last night.”
“Where?”
“Behind the church.”
“What was he doing?”
“Arguing with another man.”
“Who?”
Sam swallowed.
“Mr. Hale.”
Daniel turned slowly toward Martin.
Martin’s face had gone pale.
“That’s impossible.”
Sam pointed.
“That’s him.”
Martin stepped backward.
“Daniel, this kid is confused.”
But Daniel was staring at him.
Martin had worked beside him for seventeen years.
He had been his most trusted executive.
The man Daniel had called family.
“Martin,” Daniel said quietly.
“What?”
“Why would Sam recognize you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why were you at the church?”
“I wasn’t.”
Sam shook his head.
“You were.”
Martin suddenly reached into his jacket.
Security moved immediately.
“Hands where we can see them!”
Martin froze.
His hand slowly emerged.
He wasn’t holding a weapon.
He was holding a phone.
Daniel stared.
“Give it to me.”
Martin refused.
Harris took it.
The phone contained encrypted messages.
Dozens of them.
Messages between Martin and someone named E.V.
Daniel felt sick.
“Ethan Vale.”
Martin said nothing.
Harris arrested him.
But before being taken away, Martin looked directly at Daniel.
“You don’t understand.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Then explain.”
Martin’s voice broke.
“Ethan isn’t your enemy.”
Daniel froze.
“Then who is?”
Martin looked at Lily.
“Her.”
Everyone stared.
Lily stepped backward.
“What?”
Martin shook his head.
“She knows something.”
Lily’s face went pale.
“What do I know?”
Martin was dragged away.
Daniel turned toward Lily.
She looked terrified.
Then she whispered:
“My mother left another letter.”
“Where?”
“At my apartment.”
Daniel looked at Sam.
The boy had gone completely still.
“What’s wrong?”
Sam whispered:
“Someone is coming.”
Outside, headlights appeared through the restaurant windows.
Three black SUVs stopped at the curb.
