Chapter 4
The heavy double doors of the operating suite closed behind Lily, sealing off the sterile white room where surgeons prepared to save her life. Leo stood alone in the quiet corridor, clutching the empty pink hoodie Lily had left behind. Clara placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, guiding him toward a plush waiting area lined with leather armchairs.
“She’s in the best hands now, Leo. You did it. You saved her,” Clara said softly, offering a warm, reassuring smile.
Marcus Vance walked over, his phone still clutched tightly in his hand. The color had not returned to his face; instead, a deep, troubled crease had formed between his dark eyebrows. He crouched down in front of Leo, his demeanor shifting from corporate benefactor to something much more guarded.
“Leo,” Marcus began, his voice lowered so the lingering reporters down the hall couldn't overhear. “The hospital intake department just pulled your father’s records based on the name you provided. But... something is terribly wrong.”
Leo’s heart skipped a beat, a cold sweat breaking out across his forehead.
“What do you mean? Is my dad okay? Is he at the old boxcar?”
Marcus shook his head slowly, his eyes scanning Leo’s face for any sign of deception.
“According to our regional database and the county housing registry, the man you call your father—Thomas Vance—passed away in a structural fire at the old railyard three years ago. And more than that... Thomas Vance was my older brother.”
The silence that followed was absolute, heavy enough to crush bone. Leo stumbled backward, his knees hitting the edge of a leather armchair as he stared at the billionaire in sheer disbelief.
“No! That’s a lie! My dad is alive! He’s hiding because bad men are looking for him!” Leo stammered, his breath catching in his throat.
Marcus stood up abruptly, his expression a mixture of profound shock and deep suspicion.
“If my brother died three years ago, Leo, then who the hell has been raising you in an abandoned boxcar, and why did he use our family name?”
Clara stepped between them, sensing the danger escalating in the quiet hallway.
“Mr. Vance, he’s just a child! Whatever administrative mix-up has happened, his sister is on an operating table fighting for her life right now. Let’s focus on that!”
Marcus turned away, dialing his phone with trembling fingers.
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“Call the county sheriff,” Marcus muttered into his phone. “I want every unit dispatched to the railyard boxcar immediately. We have an imposter living under my dead brother’s name.”
Leo froze, terror gripping his soul as he realized the viral video hadn't just saved Lily—it had just exposed the dark secret his father had fought so hard to keep hidden.
