Dr. Marcus Evans arrived twenty minutes later, his medical satchel gripped firmly in hand.
As the personal physician to the Sterling family for over a decade, he knew the tragedy of Elena’s loss by heart.
When he stepped into the library and saw the little girl sitting by the hearth, the elderly physician stopped dead in his tracks.
His eyes locked onto the platinum locket resting against the tattered wool cardigan.
"My God, Damon," Dr. Evans breathed, his hand trembling against the leather strap of his bag.
"Is that Elena's pendant?"
"Perform the test, Marcus," Damon replied, his voice taut with suppressed emotion.
"I need absolute certainty before the board convenes tomorrow morning."
Dr. Evans knelt beside the velvet armchair, offering Lily a warm, grandfatherly smile.
"Hello, little one. My name is Marcus. May I borrow a tiny drop of cotton from your cheek?"
Lily looked at Damon, seeking reassurance.
Damon nodded gently, giving her hand a supportive squeeze.
"It won't hurt, sweetheart. I promise."
Lily opened her mouth obediently, allowing Dr. Evans to swipe a sterile swab against her inner cheek.
The doctor placed the sample into a sealed vial, inserting it into the portable genetic analyzer on the side table.
"The expedited buccal match against your biometric profile on file will take two hours," Dr. Evans said quietly.
While the machine hummed, Mrs. Gable, the head housekeeper, entered carrying a warm bowl of vegetable soup and a plush cashmere blanket.
Tears welled in the older woman's eyes as she wrapped the blanket around Lily’s thin shoulders.
"She has Elena’s chin, Mr. Sterling," Mrs. Gable whispered, her voice cracking. "The exact same cleft."
Damon stood by the fireplace, staring into the dancing flames as memories of seven lost years rushed through his soul.
If this child was truly his daughter, someone had hidden her from him.
And whoever kept her in the dark would pay a price beyond measure.
