Chapter 39
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“ 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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3:52 pm RWG
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“ 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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3:52 pm & WG
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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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