Chapter 4 - The Secret in the Hospital
Amara's knees nearly gave way.
“What did you say?”
Alexander tightened his grip on the phone.
“Doctor, I'm coming immediately.”
He ended the call.
Amara grabbed his arm.
“Please! Tell me what happened to Daniel!”
Alexander looked at her.
“There was a complication after the surgery. Your brother is alive, but he's unconscious.”
Amara burst into tears.
“No… no, no…”
She ran toward the door.
Alexander followed her.
“Amara, wait!”
“I need to see my brother!”
Within minutes, they were speeding toward the hospital.
When they arrived, Amara rushed into the emergency ward.
Daniel lay motionless on the bed, connected to several machines.
She grabbed his hand.
“Daniel… it's me. Please wake up.”
No response.
She began crying uncontrollably.
The doctor approached Alexander.
“Sir, there's something you need to know.”
Alexander stepped aside with him.
“What is it?”
The doctor lowered his voice.
“Before the surgery, we ran additional tests.”
“And?”
The doctor hesitated.
“Your patient's blood work doesn't match the information in his medical records.”
Alexander frowned.
“What are you saying?”
“The results suggest Daniel may have a different biological father than the man listed on his birth certificate.”
Alexander stared at him.
“That doesn't explain why he's unconscious.”
“No,” the doctor replied.
“But there's something else.”
He handed Alexander a sealed envelope.
“We found this among Daniel's belongings.”
Alexander opened it.
Inside was an old photograph.
His expression suddenly changed.
The photograph showed a much younger man standing beside a young woman.
Alexander recognized the man immediately.
It was his own father.
He looked toward Amara, who was still crying beside her brother's bed.
Then he whispered—
“Why would my father be in a photograph with Amara's mother?”
At that moment, Amara turned around.
She saw the photograph in his hand.
Her face went pale.
“Where did you get that?”
Alexander stared at her.
“Amara…”
She slowly stepped toward him.
“My mother told me never to show that photograph to anyone.”
Alexander's eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
Amara swallowed hard.
“Because she said your family destroyed ours.”
Silence filled the room.
May you like
Then Alexander looked at Daniel.
For the first time, he wondered whether his encounter with Amara had been a coincidence at all.
