Ethan could barely breathe.
The little girl watched him nervously.
“Are you okay, mister?”
Tears filled his eyes.
“What’s your mother’s name?”
“Olivia.”
The name shattered him.
Ten years ago, Olivia had vanished without explanation.
He had searched for months before finally believing she no longer wanted him.
Now he knew the truth.
“Can you take me to her?” he asked.
The girl nodded.
Minutes later, they stopped in front of a small apartment building.
Nothing like the luxurious penthouses Ethan owned.
The door opened.
Olivia froze.
The color drained from her face.
“Ethan…”
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Ethan’s voice broke.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Olivia looked away.
“Because your father paid me to disappear.”
Ethan’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“He told me I wasn’t good enough for your family. When I found out I was pregnant, he threatened to destroy everything I loved.”
The room fell silent.
His father had died three years earlier.
The truth had died with him.
Olivia wiped away a tear.
“I wanted to tell you a thousand times.”
Ethan looked at the little girl standing between them.
His daughter.
The child he never knew existed.
Slowly, he knelt beside her.
“Can I ask you something?”
She nodded.
“Would it be okay if I started being your dad now?”
The little girl stared at him.
Then wrapped her tiny arms around his neck.
And for the first time in ten years, Ethan Blackwell cried for a reason that didn’t hurt.
It felt like coming home.
