Chapter 8 - THE FATHER WHO CHOSE ONE DAUGHTER"I didn't ask you to investigate my family, Gold."
Lawrence spoke sharply from behind his desk.
Gold stood opposite him with her phone in her hand.
She had spent the previous evening searching through old hospital announcements, archived newspaper articles, and public photographs.
The results had left her sick.
An old charity profile described Abigail as a mother who had lost one child during childbirth.
A hospital announcement from seventeen years earlier had mentioned twin daughters.
And now an independent DNA test had established that Diamond was Abigail's biological child.
Gold looked at her father.
"Mom says the test came back."
Lawrence's expression remained unreadable.
"Your mother is upset."
"The test says Diamond is her daughter."
"That doesn't prove what happened seventeen years ago."
Gold stared.
"Are you serious?"
Lawrence closed the folder in front of him.
"Watch your tone."
Gold stepped forward.
"Diamond was born on my birthday. She looks exactly like me. Mom says she's her daughter. What else do you need?"
Lawrence stood.
"Enough."
Gold flinched.
Her father rarely raised his voice at her.
When she was younger, he had bought her extravagant birthday presents.
He had applauded at every school performance.
He had told newspaper reporters that Gold was the future of his family empire.
But now he looked at her as though she were an employee challenging his authority.
"That girl is causing problems," he said.
Gold's chest tightened.
"She's your daughter."
Lawrence turned toward the window.
Gold followed him.
"Isn't she?"
He said nothing.
"Dad?"
Still nothing.
Gold felt tears gathering in her eyes.
"Why won't you answer me?"
Lawrence finally turned.
"Because some truths destroy families."
Gold shook her head.
"No. Lies destroy families."
He stared at her.
She had never spoken to him like that before.
At Northcrest, Diamond struggled to focus.
Her notebook lay open in front of her, but she had written the same calculation three times without completing it.
Eli sat beside her.
"You've been staring at that page for twenty minutes."
Diamond sighed.
"I know."
"Want to tell me what's wrong?"
She hesitated.
Only Miriam, Abigail, and Gold knew the truth.
Diamond feared that once other students discovered her connection to the Whitmores, she would never be treated normally again.
People would stop seeing her as the scholarship student who loved engineering.
They would see a family scandal.
"I found out something about my past," she finally said.
Eli waited.
"It's complicated."
"Most important things are."
Diamond glanced at him.
"Do you ever wonder what your life would have been like if someone had made one different choice?"
Eli considered the question.
"Sure."
"What if someone made a choice that hurt you, and you never even knew they were the reason?"
Eli leaned back.
"I think I'd be angry."
"I am."
"Then be angry."
Diamond looked surprised.
He continued.
"Just don't let being angry become the only thing you get to be."
Diamond stared at him.
Then she smiled faintly.
"You're irritatingly good at this."
"I've been practicing."
She laughed.
But when she looked down at her notebook, the sadness returned.
Her engineering project had once represented a clear path toward the future.
Now the past seemed determined to swallow everything.
That evening, Abigail confronted Lawrence in their bedroom.
She placed the DNA report on his dresser.
"Read it."
Lawrence didn't touch it.
"Abby—"
"Read it."
He looked down.
Abigail's voice trembled.
"That girl is my daughter."
Lawrence remained silent.
"For seventeen years, you told me she was dead."
"There's more to the situation than you understand."
Abigail's face hardened.
"Then help me understand."
Lawrence loosened his tie.
"You were very sick after the delivery."
"I know."
"The doctors were concerned."
"About me. Not Diamond."
Lawrence looked away.
Abigail approached him.
"Did you give my baby away?"
He did not answer.
She stepped closer.
"Lawrence."
His silence was becoming an answer.
Abigail's voice broke.
"Did you?"
He sat on the edge of the bed.
"I thought I was protecting our family."
Abigail staggered backward.
Her eyes widened.
"What did you say?"
Lawrence rubbed his forehead.
"Abby, we had a future ahead of us. Our business was growing. People were watching us."
Abigail stared in disbelief.
"What does that have to do with our daughter?"
"Her appearance was unusual."
For several seconds, Abigail could not process the words.
Then her expression changed.
"You gave away our child because of her skin?"
Lawrence stood.
"It wasn't that simple."
"It was exactly that simple!"
Her scream echoed through the bedroom.
Outside the partially open door, Gold froze.
She had come upstairs to ask her mother about dinner.
Now she stood in the hallway, listening.
Lawrence lowered his voice.
"I made a decision."
Abigail stared at him.
"You stole my daughter."
"I arranged for her to be raised."
"You told me she died!"
Gold covered her mouth.
Inside the room, Lawrence continued.
"I couldn't have predicted that Miriam would let her enter our lives again."
Abigail shook her head.
"She didn't let Diamond do anything. Diamond earned that scholarship herself."
Lawrence's expression darkened.
"This situation can still be managed."
Abigail looked at him as though he were a stranger.
"Managed?"
"With the right agreements, everyone can be taken care of."
"You think you can buy back seventeen years?"
Lawrence said nothing.
Abigail removed her wedding ring.
She placed it on the dresser beside the DNA report.
"I want you out of this room."
"Abigail—"
"Get out."
Lawrence stared at her.
Then he picked up his jacket and left.
He stopped when he saw Gold standing in the hallway.
Her face was wet with tears.
"Dad?"
Lawrence froze.
Gold stared at him.
Her voice was almost inaudible.
"You told me my sister died."
"Gold, sweetheart—"
"You told Mom she died."
He approached her.
"Let me explain."
Gold stepped backward.
"Did you know she was alive the whole time?"
Lawrence's expression changed.
He lowered his head.
"Yes."
Gold began shaking.
"You let me bully her."
"I never wanted you involved."
"You let me laugh at my own sister!"
"Gold—"
"Why?"
Lawrence looked toward Abigail's closed bedroom door.
For the first time, he appeared unable to construct a convincing lie.
Finally, he whispered:
"Because I thought the world would be kinder to a daughter who looked like you."
Gold stared at him in horror.
Then Lawrence caught her wrist.
"Listen carefully. If Diamond's story becomes public, your mother could lose everything she has worked for."
Gold looked at his hand.
"Let go."
He released her.
May you like
But his next words were even more frightening.
"And if you tell anyone what you heard, Miriam Brooks may lose the daughter she's spent seventeen years raising."
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