Chapter 39
“Fifteen years ago, I was just a small–town dermatologist,” Everett began, his voice laced with the weight of old memories. “One afternoon, a little girl came in, badly burned on her back. Her parents refused to pay for treatment, accusing us of exaggerating the severity of her injuries to scam them.”
He paused, the frustration evident in his face. “They insisted on taking her home, refusing to let us treat her. In the end, it was the elderly neighbor who’d come with them to the hospital who ended up paying for the medical bills.
“At first, the girl wouldn’t say a word. But when her parents left, she told us to call the police. She said they locked her in a room and set the house on fire, hoping to collect insurance money.”
Caleb felt like he’d been stabbed in the gut.
His fists clenched, anger rising in his chest.
He thought, ‘How could they be so cruel?”
He couldn’t shake the guilt that was gnawing at him. If only the Saxon family had discovered this sooner, they could’ve rescued Aria earlier.
He wondered, ‘What had we been doing all these years?‘
Caleb shut his eyes, overwhelmed by the sting of regret.
Everett, unaware of Caleb’s inner turmoil, continued speaking, lost in his own memories. “There was no evidence, so the police couldn’t do much.
“All they could do was mediate and get the parents to sign an agreement.”
He shook his head. “The girl was only seven, but she was so skinny, she looked more like a five–year–old. She was dressed in boys‘ clothes, a clear sign of a family that favored sons over daughters.”
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Chapter 39
“I could never believe that anyone could do something that horrible for their own child,” Everett muttered. “You said she’s your sister… Was she kidnapped? Have you found her? Is she okay now?”
A flicker of realization crossed his face.
He stood up suddenly. “Wait–could she be the real daughter that the Saxon family found?”
The gossip surrounding the Saxon family had been rampant, especially in the hospital circles where they were major investors.
Everett had heard all kinds of rumors, like the one about the baby mix–up.
Caleb’s eyes snapped up. “Everett, can you tell me the name of the hospital in this town?”
Everett raised an eyebrow, his tone turning icy. “If the Saxon family is so powerful, don’t you think you should’ve figured this out by now? Do you really need me to spell it out for you?”
Everett had heard about the Saxon family’s real daughter–the one no one really liked, who had married into the Cole family just two months after returning home.
Back then, he’d thought it was just another high–society marriage, nothing out of the ordinary.
But now…
If the Saxon family truly cared about that girl, they couldn’t let her marry so quickly.
And they shouldn’t call them the best business partners.
“Ugh!” Everett spat in disgust, waving them out of the office.
In the car, the silence was thick and suffocating.
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Chapter 39
Jeffrey had suspected Aria’s childhood had been rough, but the truth was worse than he ever imagined.
What he’d uncovered so far was only the beginning.
If Caleb hadn’t asked him to dig into it, no one would have ever known the full extent of what Aria had been through.
Gripping the steering wheel, Jeffrey broke the silence. “Boss, there’s a dinner this afternoon. Should we still go?”
Caleb glanced down at the photo on his phone, his thumb absently rubbing the screen. “Pack up. I’ll handle this personally.”
“Should we check in with Mr. Saxon?” Jeffrey asked.
Caleb replied, “No need.”
By 10 PM, Logan was frazzled.
He’d lost track of how many times he’d called his secretary into the office. “It’s been a week. That damn kid still hasn’t come back. What is he doing?”
His voice was sharp, his exhaustion evident.
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