Chapter 4

She walked to the desk and pulled out a yellowed file from a deep drawer.

Opening the folder, there was an old photograph inside.

The man in the photo bore a slight resemblance to Blake, but his eyes were much kinder.

"This is my real son, Ryan," Evelyn said.

What?

I stared, wide-eyed.

"Twenty years ago, he was killed by business rivals. To stabilize the company, I adopted Blake from an orphanage and fabricated his identity."

My mind was reeling.

Blake wasn't her real son?

"But Mom, what does this have to do with me?" I asked, confused.

Evelyn didn't answer directly. Instead, she took off a phoenix jade pendant from around her neck.

The pendant was smooth as water, exquisitely carved, gleaming softly in the lamplight.

"This is the Chen family's blood heirloom. Only a female descendant of the Chen family can activate it."

I was even more puzzled. "Activate?"

"This pendant contains the key to a Swiss bank account. Half of the Chen family's assets are there."

Her words sent a shock through me.

"But I'm not part of the Chen family."

Evelyn looked at Emma in my arms, her gaze softening.

"But Emma is."

My blood froze.

"What do you mean?"

"Natalie, I must tell you the truth. Before Ryan's car accident, I had his sperm frozen."

Oh God.

I hugged Emma tighter.

"You mean..."

"Emma is my real granddaughter. She's Ryan's daughter."

Boom!

I felt like the whole world was spinning.

Emma wasn't Blake's daughter?

She was the daughter of Evelyn's deceased son?

"So you had me marry Blake just to..."

"To allow my true granddaughter to be born," Evelyn nodded.

"I needed a healthy woman to carry the pregnancy. You were suitable."

My shock turned to anger.

"So I was just a tool? A surrogate?"

"Natalie, listen to me..."

"No!" I stood up.

"You've all been lying to me! I thought I was part of this family, but I'm just an outsider!"

Emma was frightened by my outburst and started crying.

Evelyn came over, trying to take Emma.

"Don't touch her!" I stepped back.

"Since you've got what you wanted, why not let us leave?"

"Because Emma needs the Chen family's protection," Evelyn said gravely.

"The people who killed Ryan are still alive. If they discover Emma's existence, they'll come after her."

My anger instantly turned to fear.

"Who are these people?"

"The masterminds behind that business war twenty years ago. They've been searching for the Chen family's core assets all this time."

Evelyn walked to the window, her silhouette looking old and tired.

"I pretended to believe in Blake to protect Emma. If outsiders knew her true identity, her life would be in danger."

I felt dizzy.

"So what do we do now?"

"I'll drive Blake out of the Chen family. Today's events might mean he's figured something out."

Evelyn turned around, her eyes flashing coldly.

"He's no longer useful, but it's best if you take action yourself."

"You need to grow, to have the ability to protect your daughter."

I looked at her, suddenly understanding something.

"You slapping him today, tearing up the divorce papers, it wasn't to protect me. It was to protect Emma."

Evelyn didn't deny it.

"Natalie, I don't expect you to forgive me. But Emma is innocent. She needs the Chen family's protection."

I looked down at my daughter in my arms.

She was sleeping peacefully, her little cheeks rosy.

This child wasn't Blake's daughter after all.

She was another man's daughter.

A man I'd never met.

"I want to see Ryan's photos," I said softly.

Evelyn nodded and took out an album from a drawer.

Opening the first page, I saw a kind-looking, handsome man.

He was holding a baby, smiling brightly.

"This is Ryan as a child with his father," Evelyn said.

I continued flipping through. The photos showed the man growing from a baby to a young adult, his eyes always warm.

"What kind of person was he?"

"Kind, intelligent, responsible," Evelyn's voice was nostalgic.

"If he were still alive, the Chen family wouldn't be like this now."

I closed the album, my emotions a mix of confusion and sadness.