"I should have defended you."
"Why did you leave me standing on that staircase when I told you I needed help?"
Daniel closed his eyes.
He had no excuse.
"I don't know how to explain it."
Emily wiped her tears.
"Then perhaps you should stop trying."
"Can I see the baby?"
She looked down at her stomach.
"Not yet."
"Emily..."
"I need time. And I need you to understand something. Our child will never be used as a bargaining tool by your family."
"I would never allow that."
"You already allowed enough."
She ended the call.
For several minutes, she remained seated in the quiet room.
Then she felt the baby move.
She placed her hand over her stomach.
"We're going to be okay," she whispered.
And for the first time, she believed it.
The following morning, Alexander and Emily prepared to travel to Oregon.
Thomas would accompany them, along with a private physician because Emily was approaching her eighth month of pregnancy.
Before leaving, Eleanor approached Emily with a small package.
"I thought you might want to take this."
Emily opened it.
Inside was a knitted baby blanket.
It was soft, pale yellow, and carefully embroidered with tiny flowers.
Eleanor smiled.
"Your mother made it when she was expecting you."
Emily held it against her chest.
"She made this?"
"Yes. She spent weeks working on it. She used to say that every child deserved something made with love before they even entered the world."
Emily's eyes filled with tears.
"Thank you."
Eleanor gently touched her shoulder.
"Your mother would be proud of you."
Emily looked down at the blanket.
She no longer cared about the mansion, the inheritance, or the company.
All she wanted was to understand the people who had loved her before she was old enough to remember them.
And perhaps, somewhere along the road, she would finally discover the truth about why her mother had disappeared.
The journey to Oregon took several hours.
The landscape gradually changed from busy highways to quiet roads lined with tall trees.
Eventually, the car reached a small coastal town.
The ocean appeared in the distance, its waves breaking against the rocky shoreline.
Thomas checked the address.
"This should be the place."
They stopped outside a modest house with a small garden.
A wooden sign beside the entrance read:
BENNETT ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN.
Emily stared at it.
Her hands were trembling.
Alexander noticed.
"Take your time."
She nodded.
Then the front door opened.
A man in his late fifties stepped outside.
He had gray hair, tired eyes, and a gentle expression. He wore a simple sweater and carried a folder beneath one arm.
He looked toward the visitors.
Then his gaze settled on Emily.
The folder slipped from his hand.
For several seconds, he did not move.
Finally, he whispered a name.
"Margaret?"
Emily shook her head.
"No."
The man took one uncertain step forward.
Emily's voice broke.
"I'm Emily."
The man's eyes filled with tears.
He looked at her face, then at her stomach.
And suddenly, he seemed to understand everything.
"My God."
He covered his mouth.
"You're her daughter."
Emily nodded.
The man began crying.
"I've waited twenty-seven years to see you."
Emily felt her legs weaken.
Alexander gently supported her.
Michael Bennett approached slowly, as though afraid that moving too quickly might frighten her.
"Can I...?"
He could not finish the question.
Emily looked at him.
Then she stepped forward.
He wrapped his arms around her.
And for the first time in her life, Emily felt the embrace of the father she had never known.
Michael held her carefully, crying against her shoulder.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"I'm so sorry."
Emily closed her eyes.
She had imagined this moment in a thousand different ways.
But nothing could have prepared her for the sound of a stranger calling her daughter.
After a long silence, she finally spoke.
"Why didn't you come looking for me?"
Michael pulled away just enough to look at her.
"I did."
His voice trembled.
"I searched for you for years."
He looked toward Alexander.
"Richard told me Margaret had died, and that you had been adopted by another family. He showed me documents that I believed were genuine."
Alexander's expression darkened.
"Richard did what?"
Michael nodded.
"He threatened me after I discovered the financial fraud. He said that if I ever contacted Margaret again, he would make sure she lost everything. Then he told me she had chosen to leave me."